Yamaha helped celebrate the 30th anniversary of the University of Kentucky percussion program by presenting a new 9300 Series marching snare drum to James Campbell, director of percussion studies at the university and a Yamaha artist since 1993.
Over the past three decades, Campbell has helped build the program into one of the nation’s premier percussion studies departments in the country.
“A large number of students have come through Jim’s program and many of them have become accomplished educators and musicians who have made a major impact on the world of percussion,” said Troy Wollwage, marketing manager, percussion, Yamaha Corporation of America. “He is more than a Yamaha Artist, he is a great friend to the company. We value his input into our endeavors and use him as a sounding board for new projects and products.”
Campbell first started working with Yamaha in 1986, when he became active with the company’s marching percussion clinic staff. In addition to his work at the University of Kentucky, where he helped build their percussion program three decades ago, Campbell also serves as principal percussionist with the Lexington Philharmonic and plays drums with the Kentucky Jazz Repertory Orchestra. A past-president of the Percussive Arts Society, he became a member of the Drum Corps International Hall of Fame in 2008. He has also published a number of instructional books and percussion compositions that have helped shape the repertoire of the contemporary percussion ensemble.
