Dr. Jesse Willis is currently a Professor of Music and the Chair of the Department of Music at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina. He holds a Bachelor of Music and a Bachelor of Music Education from Texas Tech University, a Master of Music from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, and a Doctor of Music from Texas Tech University. At CCU, Willis is the Director of Percussion Studies and is the artistic director of the CCU Percussion Ensemble and CCU World Percussion Ensemble. Under his direction, these ensembles have been invited to perform showcase concerts at PASIC, SCMEA, The CMS Southeast Regional Conference, and several Percussive Arts Society State Day of Percussion events. Dr. Willis is a sought-after adjudicator, performer, and clinician who has been invited to perform and present at several professional music conferences, including PASIC, SCMEA, TMEA, CMEA, LMEA, The National Conference on Percussion Pedagogy, The National Kodaly Convention, The National Orff Conference, and several state PAS events. He performs regularly throughout the region as a drumset player and percussionist, and is the band leader of the WTF Jazz Quartet. He is currently a member of the Long Bay Symphony Orchestra in Myrtle Beach, SC, and has performed with numerous symphony orchestras throughout the Carolinas, Indiana, and Texas. He has also traveled extensively to study the music and culture of the Caribbean, with the majority of his research and performance interests centering on the music of Trinidad and Tobago. Dr. Willis has also maintained an active career within the marching arts. He served as the Marching Percussion Coordinator and Arranger for the Coastal Carolina University Chanticleer Regiment from 2010-2020. He has worked with several championship high school band programs in Indiana and Texas and previously served as a drumline instructor for the Sudler Award winning Texas Tech University Goin’ Band From Raiderland. He was a performing member of the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps and has been a percussion instructor or consultant for several DCI World Class drum and bugle corps, including The Blue Stars, Carolina Crown, The Madison Scouts, and The Academy. Dr. Willis is a past President of the South Carolina Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society and has served on the PAS Marching Percussion Committee. He is an active member of the South Carolina Music Educators Association and The National Association of Music Educators. Willis is a Yamaha Performing Artist and is currently an educational endorser for Innovative Percussion and Remo.
