Donnie Johns

Timpani

Don Johns is a percussion performer and educator in the Baltimore/Washington Metropolitan area. Mr. Johns is principal timpanist of the Apollo Orchestra in Bethesda, MD/Washington, DC. Additionally, he is the lead percussionist for Soulful Symphony (Baltimore, MD) and Gourmet Symphony (Washington, DC). He also plays as an extra percussionist with the Annapolis Symphony, Maryland Symphony, Mid-Atlantic Symphony (MD), Bay-Atlantic Symphony (NJ), and the American Festival Pops Orchestra (VA). Along with orchestral work, Mr. Johns has played drum set for musical productions at Signature Theatre, Studio Theatre, Onley Theatre, and Toby’s Dinner Theatre. He also plays drum set and timpani for several churches in the Washington, DC area. Mr. Johns is the Percussion Director at Northwestern High School in Hyattsville, MD. His percussion ensemble is the featured high school percussion ensemble for the Percussive Arts Society’s 2017 Maryland/Delaware Day of Percussion. Mr. Johns has also been the upper level percussion coach for the DC Youth Orchestra since 2006. From 2005-2015, Mr. Johns taught band and orchestra in both Prince George’s County Public Schools (2005-2011) and KIPP DC (2011-2015). He has a Master of Music Degree in Percussion Performance (2011) and Bachelor of Music Degree in Music Education (2005); both from the University of Maryland. In addition, Mr. Johns has served on the music grant reviewing panels for the Maryland State and Prince George’s County Arts Councils. He is a proud Education Artist Endorser of Innovative Percussion sticks and mallets. He was born and raised i