Today we’d like to introduce you to Troy Jones.
Hi Troy, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am a self-employed musician. My trade is percussion. I perform regularly around town and throughout the region. I also just started my own business as a private percussion instructor. I rent a room from a state-of-the-art recording studio in south Greenville, SC. I teach kids from 8 years old thru adulthood. My oldest is 65 years old. I help kids who are in middle school or high school band. I help kids get into college music programs. I also teach other kids or adults who want to jam out on a drum set for fun.
How I got here is quite a long story, but I’ll try and trim the fat for you. I was born in Louisville, Ky. I started learning drum set at 15, which is late in life by all standards. I fell in love immediately. I studied the basics from Ray Rizzo, a local Jazz drummer. I eventually went to college at Eastern Kentucky University. I didn’t know what I was doing there. I did it because I felt it was what was expected of me; without disclosing the “how,” I will just say that I worked my tail off to be accepted to the music program at EKU. In 2006 I graduated with a Percussion Performance degree.
In 2007 I moved to Nashville, TN, to pursue my passion. Some of the best players in the world were there, so I should be as well. I worked in town, toured regionally, and recorded a bit. Nashville, as a town, wasn’t where I felt at home. I knew I wanted to be there, but I also knew I didn’t want to stay. Seven years was plenty.
In 2014 I moved to Greenville, SC. I chose it because I had old friends (musicians) from college who lived there. We’ve kept in contact since we graduated college, and they expressed interest in me moving to town. Greenville is a beautiful city with a thriving music scene. This place and its musicians welcomed me instantly. I’ve been gigging here regularly since 2014.
Keep in mind I’ve done many things in my life. While gigging as a musician, I also worked: serving tables in fine-dining restaurants. I’ve been a dishwasher in a crap bar/restaurant and built outdoor patios in the cold. I’ve been a ballroom dance instructor. I did the corporate catering. I even worked for Starbucks. You name it; I feel like I’ve done it. Every one of those jobs was soul-sucking to me. I always did music on the side. These jobs gave me the flexibility and time to do what I enjoyed. I never saw myself being in those places long-term.
Since I began learning percussion, I’ve always dreamed of doing this full-time. I didn’t care how I wanted to make a living playing music. In 2017 I decided to abandon the regular soul-sucking day job and pursue music full-time. I began teaching at a local studio. As of a month ago, I’ve gone out on my own and started my business, Troy Jones Percussion. I’ve got a fantastic studio with a complete lesson load of students, and I couldn’t be more pleased with where things are. I still perform regularly as well. I’m my own boss! I’m teaching full-time and playing whenever I want. I’m living my best life. I’m living “The Dream.” you would’ve never expected this is what I’d be doing. Buy hey.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The hardest thing was when I was working in the music program at EKU in the early 2000s. I only knew some of the information and skill sets that I should’ve by that point. I started late in life and didn’t do “band” in middle or high school. It was unheard of to go to college for music without doing those things. It just didn’t happen. When I began learning the drums, I could have been better. I was pretty bad. I got made fun of because I wasn’t schooled in the ways other people were. However, when I got to college, I was hungry! I wanted to learn as much as possible and had nothing but time to devote to my craft. I began to develop very quickly. I worked very hard. Often much more than others and later than most. By the end of my college career, I was one of their strongest players. Trust me when I say this, no one thought I would last one semester. No one! My advisor, the dean of the music program, told me himself. He didn’t think I was for real and damn sure didn’t think I’d last.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about Troy Jones Percussion?
I’m a private lesson percussion studio. The main instruments I teach are drum set, marimba, vibraphone, concert, marching snare drum, etc. I know it all and can teach it all. Most of my students are academically trained. I teach them to read music and prepare them for the musical obstacles they may face in band settings. I also teach the drum set for other youth or adult students that want to have a good time. Maybe they want a new hobby or to play in a band or at church or something. I have students that place very high in the region or all-state competitions and solo and ensemble competitions. Whatever they want to know in the world of percussion, they come to me, and I help put a plan together to help achieve said goals. My biggest asset is I get results! I’ve seen a massive improvement in my students who practice at it. I show them the path, and they walk down it. If the students walk the path, they improve immensely.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Listening!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @troyjonespercussion
- Facebook: Troy Jones Percussion
