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Jim Lower Adjunct Associate Professor

Percussion

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A Missouri native, Jim Lower has spent much of his life studying and performing in and around Kansas City. At the age of 12 Lower received his first drum set and quickly discovered his desire to become a jazz drummer. Self-taught until college, Lower would attend the University of Central Missouri earning a BA in Jazz Studies. At UCM Lower spent his time studying music performance and music pedagogy with Dr. Michael Sekelsky and Dr. David Aaberg, all while regularly performing throughout Kansas City. After taking some time away from school he discovered his passion—teaching music—and decided to finish his master’s at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, earning a Master’s in Jazz Studies.

As a performer, Lower is a regular on the Kansas City jazz scene and has been involved in everything including piano trio, big band, and organ trio. Lower also runs a 16-piece Jazz Orchestra dedicated to the music of the Terry Gibbs Dream Band, Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, and the post-Thad Jones music of the Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra.