Kelly Jackson, Ph.D., Drums Alive Master Trainer / Contributing Author 

Kelly is a retired GA public school music educator, having taught classes in general/choral music, voice, piano, music theory, and musical theater to students from ages 4 through 70. She received her B.M. (Music Education) from Furman University, M.M. (Choral Conducting) from Eastman School of Music, and Ph.D. (Music Education) from Northwestern University. In addition, she has held qualifications in the fields of Elementary Education (P-5), English (6-12), ESOL, and Gifted. She currently lives in Western NC.

A self-proclaimed “perpetual student,” Kelly continually seeks to broaden her education through a variety of professional development experiences. In the years following her Ph.D., she has completed Level III Orff Schulwerk certification, adjudicated several choral music / theater / piano events, presented Drums Alive and folk dance sessions at educational conferences, conducted a pit orchestra at the Broadway Teachers Workshop Music Director Intensive, and served on the Editorial Board of the national peer-reviewed journal The Orff Echo. 

Kelly specializes in vocal and piano performance, and to that end, she enjoys staying active in various performing arenas. She sang with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus under the direction of Robert Shaw, resulting in performances at Carnegie Hall and the 1996 Olympics Opening Ceremony. She has been involved in numerous theatrical productions as artistic director / music director / accompanist / onstage performer in both GA and NC.

As an elementary music specialist, Kelly especially loved creating new opportunities to make connections between the arts and other academic subjects—and it was in searching for these opportunities that she discovered Drums Alive and its academic branch, DRUMTASTIC. After collaborating with her PE / Art teachers to successfully implement the Drums Alive curriculum in her school, Kelly hosted a Training Workshop for her colleagues throughout the district, several of whom are now utilizing the curriculum at their institutions. Kelly is passionate about spreading the Drums Alive message to schools, not only as a brain and body workout, but also as an exciting way for students and teachers to make connections among academic disciplines.

Registering for the workshop is simple and straightforward. Follow these easy steps to secure your spot:

Every choreography in the Membership library represents hours of creative work, and none of it should sit unused because of your equipment setup. In 60 minutes, Kelly will hand you the adaptation tools to make all of it teachable with a Single Drum Set, plus a live first look at brand-new Two Drum choreography adapted in real time.

Spaces are limited, so register today to ensure your place in this transformative workshop.