Biography

Raised in Marietta, Georgia, Dr. Ethan Strickland is an educator, performer, and collaborator, performing regularly as a soloist and chamber musician. He is passionate about community outreach and the creation of diverse, artistic percussion music. As a collaborator, Ethan has worked directly with composers such as Daijana Wallace, Keaton Garrett, Ancel Neely, Nate Heyder, Yaz Lancaster, Chris Thompson, among others.

As an educator, Ethan has been invited to perform and present clinics nationally at institutions such as Vanderbilt University, Virginia State University, Fort Hays State University and Shenandoah Conservatory. Ethan has performed with artists from groups such as Bang on a Can All-Stars, Heartland Marimba, Sō Percussion, New Morse Code, the Arx Duo, and the Percussion Collective. His current research is entitled, “Vulnerability and A Word”, which focuses on how a particular emotion can influence the creation of percussion works through collaboration between composers and performers.

Ethan earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Michigan State University and his Masters in Music Performance at the University of Kansas. Receiving his Bachelor of Music in Percussion Performance at Reinhardt University, Ethan was the 2019 Reinhardt University Concerto Competition winner as well as the recipient of the Sal Gentile Jazz Scholarship. Ethan’s previous teachers include Professor Gwendolyn Dease, Dr. Jon Weber, Professor Kevin Jones, Dr. Sam Um, Dr. Olivia Kieffer, and Dr. Nathaniel Lee.