Personal Statement

Jay Ware is an award-winning performing artist, educator, composer, and arranger whose consummate versatility has garnered the praise of musical giants such as David Baker and Eric Ewazen. His performing/recording credits include: Grammy Award winner Dee Stewart, Pulitzer-Prize winner Gunther Schuller, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Mary Wilson and The Supremes, Emmy winner and Jazz legend David Baker, Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame member Bob Becker, Grammy Award nominees Jack Wilkins and Chuck Owen, opera diva and Grammy Award contributing artist Marietta Simpson, the New York Brass Quintet, the Broyhill Chamber Orchestra, the Buselli/Wallarab Jazz Orchestra, Mike Vax, Rick Simerly, Steve Houghton, Carroll Dashiell Jr., Tom Walsh, Everett Greene, Pat Harbison, Dominic Spera, Dalores King Williams, Luke Gillespie, the Bloomington Pops Orchestra, and many others. He has performed at conventions and festivals including the American Bandmasters Association, Music Educators National Conference, Percussive Arts Society Days of Percussion, New Trier Jazz Festival, Spoleto Music Festival, Appalachian Summer Music Festival, as well as special appearances on various television and radio broadcasts. In 2007, he founded the Jay Ware Quintet (JWQ) which has performed throughout the nation, including residencies at the Williamston Jazz Gala and the Tri-State Select Honor Jazz Ensemble. . He is the Director of Percussion Studies at South Carolina State University (Orangeburg, SC) and is an endorsing artist for Yamaha drums and concert percussion, Remo drumheads, Innovative Percussion sticks and mallets, and Latin Percussion (LP) World Percussion instruments.

Education / Training

MMJ - Jazz Studies - Indiana University
MM - Music Performance - Percussion - Appalachian State University
BM - Music Performance & Music Education - Mars Hill College