Greg Haynes

Greg Haynes is the curriculum director at the Sticks of Thunder Community of Percussion Arts.  He holds four college degrees including the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in percussion performance from the University of Kansas, the Masters of Music degree in performance from the University of Georgia, and two Bachelor’s degrees in music and cognitive science.  Prior to his employment with VPR Creative Group and Sticks of Thunder, Dr. Haynes was an assistant professor and the interim director of percussion studies at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, Missouri where he taught applied percussion lessons, percussion studio class, marching percussion, world music, music appreciation, and directed the percussion ensemble and basketball pep band.  While at Missouri Southern, Dr. Haynes engaged in various additional projects including two percussion concertos with the university wind ensemble and orchestra and a CD recording project with the pep band.  During graduate study, Dr. Haynes was the director of the University of Kansas marching drumline, the principal timpanist with the KU Wind Ensemble, battery technician with the University of Georgia drumline, and a winner of the annual UGA orchestral concerto competition.  Dr. Haynes has been seen in over 400 musical performances throughout the Southeast and Midwestern United States and is in demand as a clinician and consultant.  In addition to giving solo recitals and performing with large ensembles and chamber groups, Greg Haynes is constantly engaged in independent projects and has performed with several professional groups and solo artists including Gordon Stout, Fred Mills, and Joseph Alessi.  Before moving to the Midwest, Dr. Haynes performed frequently with his steel band, Liquid Steel, based in Athens, GA, delivering public concerts and educational programs throughout the Southeast.  Dr. Haynes’s teachers over the course of his study include Kevin Bobo, Dr. Thomas McCutchen, Christopher McLaurin, Dr. Arvin Scott, and Dr. Julius Zilinskas with supplemental training coming from seminars taught by Leigh Howard Stevens and the Cloyd Duff School.  His professional affiliations include the College Music Society, Percussive Arts Society, Mu Phi Epsilon professional music fraternity, and Vic Firth education team.

Greg Haynes is currently doing fieldwork in Trinidad and Tobago on the steel pan and its culture of music. He will return to Kansas City and resume activity at Sticks of Thunder Academy in March of 2012.