Alan D. Shinnis Professor of Percussion  and Associate Director for Undergraduate Studies at Texas Tech University. He holds the Bachelor of Music Education degree from the  University of Missouri and the Master of Music degree from Texas Tech  University. His primary teachers were Tim Lautzenheiser and Ron Dyer. He served as Chair of the  Winds/Percussion Area from 2004-2007. Shinn was the Director of Jazz Studies at  Tech from 1985-2005 and continues to lead the summer jazz program. Prior to  coming to Texas Tech in 1982 as faculty percussionist, he served as Instructor  of Percussion and Jazz at Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos,  TX.  Over 120 percussion students have  graduated with music degrees at TTU since 1982 and are enjoying careers in  education (all levels) and performance as well as music business and industry.  Shinn is Principal Timpanist with the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra and a former  member of the Austin Symphony Orchestra. He has also served as Principal  Timpanist/Percussionist with the Roswell, NM Symphony and has performed a  number of times with the chamber orchestras of Santa Fe Pro Musica and 20th  Century Unlimited. As a member of these  organizations and the musical communities in which he lives, he has performed  with Itzhak Perlman, Christopher O’Riley, Henry Mancini, Peter Nero, Roger  Williams, Doc Severinsen, The Fifth Dimension, Rita Moreno, Michael Martin  Murphy, Tony Bennett, William Warfield, Mark O'Connor, Jose Feliciano, The New  York Voices, Ralna English, Mitzi Gaynor, Engelbert Humperdinck, Cathy Rigby in  Peter Pan and Carol Channing in Hello Dolly.   Alan Shinn is also a busy drum set artist as well as an active  clinician and adjudicator throughout the Southwest and Midwest and has served  as an Educational/Product Consultant for REMO, Inc. and Innovative Percussion.  He is currently an Artist Endorser of Pro-Mark, Paiste, and Bergerault.

Under the direction of Alan Shinn, Texas Tech’s  Jazz Ensemble 1 has taken honors at many jazz festivals. The group has  performed with such renowned jazz artists as Louie Bellson, Frank Mantooth,  Kevin Mahogany, Willie Hill, Clay Jenkins, Kim Richmond, Denis DiBlasio, Tony  Campise, Phil Wilson, Bob Mintzer, Tuck and Patti, Dave Pietro, Ed Calle, Ernie  Watts, Mike Mainieri, Brad Leali, Bobby Watson, Carla Helmbrecht, Peter  Horvath, Nelson Rangell, Marvin Stamm and Les DeMerle. The Tech Jazz Ensemble  has opened shows for Spyro Gyra, the Yellowjackets and Jay Leno. In 1996 the  ensemble was invited to open for Arturo Sandoval and the UNC Jazz Lab Band 1 at  the UNC/Greeley, Colorado Jazz Festival. Other major performances have included  the Beaches Jazz Festival in Toronto (July, 2004) and the Meyerson Symphony  Center in Dallas (March, 2005).

Their CD Seein’ the Light...Hearin’ the Hub-Tones (Sea Breeze  Jazz) received a Grammy nomination in 1998. The ensemble’s second CD was  released in August of 2007. Entitled Glimmer  of Night and Day (Sea Breeze Jazz), it features the sax, flute and vocal  talents of Austin jazz legend Tony Campise. He has  recorded as a percussionist on many of his own projects as well as on albums by  Lubbock artists Terry Allen and The Maines Brothers. Alan Shinn was the 2009  recipient of the William Kerns Performing Arts Award for his contribution to  the performing arts in Lubbock.

To contact Alan Shinn, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. "> This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .