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Jason Johnston, 21, is currently a junior at Southwestern
Oklahoma State University pursuing a bachelor degree in percussion performance,
studying under David Bessinger. While studying percussion for just over a year,
Mr. Johnson has performed many works for marimba, including the famous Concertino
for Marimba and Orchestra by Paul Creston, which he performed January
12th, and the Concertino for Xylophone and Orchestra by Toshiro Mayazumi. He is
now working on making his first CD, entitled “Independent Thinking.”
Although Mr. Johnston is proficient in many brass instruments (cornet,
euphonium, trombone), he feels that his true calling in music is percussion. He
made the decision in the fall of 2006 to study solely percussion – a decision
he says he will never regret. He has grown to love the art of performing and
practicing music from his time with the Blue Stars drum and bugle corps in 2005.
“The drum corps atmosphere is so wonderfully intense, you just can’t help
wanting to always perform and play your best,” Mr. Johnston says. Jason also
composes music. He won a competition with a choral arrangement of Be Thou My
Vision. He has written for many instruments, including string orchestra, piano,
vibraphone, and marimba. His Adagio for String Orchestra will be submitted for
publication. As a proud member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America,
it is Mr. Johnston’s hope and desire that wherever he performs, he can benefit
someone’s life, and inspire them in whatever they do – be it music or
anything else.
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