Percussion Faculty

Justison, Brian

Brian Justison is Associate Professor of Music and Coordinator of Percussion Studies at Millikin University.  His responsibilities include directing the chamber and world percussion ensembles and teaching courses in percussion pedagogy and drum set styles.  His students include recent winners of the MTNA National Solo Percussion Competition and the Percussive Arts Society International Percussion Ensemble Competition.  His performance credits include the: Illinois Symphony and Chamber Orchestras, Canadian Brass, and the Brass of Illinois.  He has also performed with a variety of leading jazz, Latin, and pop artists including: Gene Bertoncini, Brian Bromberg, Warren Chiasson, Jeremy Davenport, Dardanelle, Cathy Garcia, John McNeil, and Marcus Roberts.  He is currently the drummer for the Jane Hartman trio.  Mr. Justison is active as an adjudicator and clinician throughout the region with recent appearances at the United States Percussion Camp, the Midwest Percussion Camp, the IMEA/MENC All State Festival, and the Percussive Arts Society Illinois Day of Percussion (1998, 2000, 2006). 

Brunk, Jeremy

Jeremy Brunk (MM, University of Oklahoma) is currently a doctoral candidate in percussion at the University of Illinois, where he has received a Creative and Performing Arts Fellowship to support his studies. He teaches music theory, with a special emphasis on the late twentieth century, composition, and as a percussionist is very active in the performance of contemporary music. His most recent professional activities as a percussionist include a European tour with the 2000 International Music Program of the North Carolina Schools of the Arts and the world premiere recording project of Carolyn Bremer's "Theory of Evolution." Mr. Brunk also performs regularly with orchestras in central Illinois such as the Illinois Symphony and Chamber Orchestra, Sinfonia da Camera, the Champaign-Urbana Symphony, and the Millikin-Decatur Symphony. At the 2000 Percussive Arts Society International Convention in Dallas, he presented a research poster entitled, "Motive, Interval, and Form in Jacob Druckman's Reflections on the Nature of Water."  His most recent work for large percussion ensemble, Evolution , was recently performed at the 2003 PASIC in Louisville, KY.

Legner, Amanda

Amanda Legner holds a baccalaureate degree in Music Business from Millikin University and a MM in performance from The Boston Conservatory. She has studied with Brian Justison at Millikin University, Pat Hollenbeck and Dean Anderson of the Boston Pops, Eugie Castrillo formerly of the Arturo Sandoval band, and renown marimba artist Nancy Zeltsman among others. Additionally, Ms. Legner has been involved in master classes and seminars with such distinguished percussionists as Jack Van Geem, Nebojsa Zivkovic, and the percussion group Nexus.

Ms. Legner’s performance experiences have given her the opportunity to perform with Vic Firth, timpanist for the Boston Symphony; drum set artist, Dave Mancini; marimba artist, Nanae Mimura; and the Boston Musica Viva. As a student and professional she has performed with the Millikin-Decatur Symphony Orchestra and the Illinois Welseyan Orchestra. Performance credits also include the Knights of Quad City Drum and Bugle Corps, Berklee Percussion Ensemble, Boston Civic Orchestra, Newton Symphony, Illinois Symphony, and principal percussionist for the New England Philharmonic.