Professor; Percussion Studies Area Coordinator
D.M.A. West Virginia Unversity
M.M., Miami University
B.M.E., Eastern Kentucky University
Contact Information
Office: Foster 308
Mailing Address: Foster 101
Email: jason.koontz@eku.edu
Phone: 859-622-1334
Bio
Dr. Jason Koontz has served as director of percussion studies at Eastern Kentucky University since 2000. He currently teaches applied percussion, percussion ensemble, percussion methods, music appreciation, world music, and directs both the EKU Percussion Ensemble and the EKU Steel Band.
He has traveled to perform and study world music/percussion in Europe (England, Holland, and Switzerland), Japan, Taiwan, Trinidad, Africa, India, Indonesia, and Brazil. Koontz has also performed with groups such as Global Rhythms, Blast, Laborie Steel Orchestra, Birdsong Steel Orchestra, Silver Stars Steel Orchestra, the Cincinnati Pops and Ballet Orchestras, Lexington Philharmonic, Richmond Symphony, Lexington Theater, the Art of Rice Traveling Theater (Indonesia), Tonus Percussion Trio, Resonance Percussion Sextet, Star of Indiana drum and bugle corps, Brass Theater, and the Southwind drum and bugle corps.
He is currently the Director of the Foster World Percussion Camp, Treasurer for the Kentucky Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society, a member of both the Percussive Arts Society, and the Kentucky Music Educators Association.
Jason is endorsed as an educational artist by Vic Firth Inc., Pearl, and Coyle Steel Drums. His compositions and arrangements for steel band and percussion ensemble are published by Row-Loff publications, Pan Ramajay Productions, and Coyle Steel Drums.