#70 - Josh Jones

Bending Brains

My first memory is of hitting everything in sight at 2 years old. From playing in the church from the age of 5 to performing with the Percussion Scholarship Group, (PSG), starting in 4th grade, I have had many valuable experiences and lessons that have brought me to where I am today.

Directed by Patricia Dash, percussionist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and her husband Douglas Waddell, percussionist with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Percussion Scholarship Group is where my formal training began. During my time there I was featured on radio and television with From the Top, The TODAY Show, and Chicago Tonight was awarded the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award and received second place in the Chicago Symphony Youth Auditions. Thanks to them I was fortunate to be accepted to all colleges that I auditioned for in 2010 and I chose to go to DePaul School of Music to continue my training.

While at DePaul I was able to develop quickly resulting in being added to orchestra sub-lists, advancing in Civic orchestra auditions, attending the National Repertory Orchestra Festival, and eventually winning the Detroit Fellowship in 2014. With the help of my mentors, the percussion section, the principal trombonist, and the remaining members of the symphony, I was able to begin advancing in major auditions as well as further my technique and knowledge of this particular business. After finishing the fellowship there, I applied for and was hired as a fellow of the Pittsburgh Symphony. This was cut very short because of my success in the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra audition, where I worked as the Principal Percussionist for 2 years and was layered tenured. I now serve as the Principal Percussionist of Grant Park Orchestra. I always hope that with each degree of progress I make in my life that I can somehow help someone else do the same.