ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Multi-percussionist Cory Hills thrives on breaking down musical barriers through creative, interdisciplinary projects. Currently, Hills is an active performer and recording artist in Los Angeles, as well as a member of the Grammy-nominated Los Angeles Percussion Quartet. An advocate for percussion as an artistic discipline, Hills has premiered over 100 works for percussion while also being artist-in-residence at Rocky Mountain National Park, Conservatorio de Las Rosas, a fellow at the OMI international artist’s colony, the first artist-in-residence with Eighth Blackbird, and the inaugural fellow for an Arts in Social Practice residency through the National Endowment for the Arts and the state of Colorado. Hills is the creator of Percussive Storytelling, a program that brings classical percussion and storytelling to kids in fun and accessible ways. To date, Hills has presented over 530 programs to more than 140,000 children in nine countries while also releasing a fully-illustrated children’s book, a children’s novel, and two national award-winning CDs.
ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE PIECE: Drum Factory by Cory Hills, John Henry by Cory Hills
Percussive Storytelling is a complete DIY percussion program. I have created, curated, and conceptualized all aspects of the program from artistic material to marketing to management to booking and production. While I am proud of this program and what I have accomplished in the last nine years, I am also excited to share my experiences with other and younger percussionists who may be seeking alternative approaches to a career in music.