Director of Percussion
KnightFire Percussion Ensemble

Mr. Nichols is currently the Assistant Professor of Percussion at Western Illinois University, teaches applied percussion and percussion methods course, coaches jazz combos, and is the Drumline Instructor/Arranger for the Marching Leathernecks. Outside of WIU, he is active as a performer, director, clinician and adjudicator throughout the Midwest.

In the Fall of 2005, Mr. Nichols was the featured soloist with the WIU Symphony Orchestra performing the Concerto for Percussion and Small Orchestra by Darius Milhaud. In addition to being a member of the Peoria Symphony Orchestra, he was the featured percussionist on their performance of Darius Milhaud’s La Cration du Monde and Aaron Copland’s Music for Theatre. Other symphonic performance accomplishments include University of Iowa Symphony and Chamber Orchestras, Knox-Galesburg Symphony, and Galesburg Symphony Chorus.

Active on the drum set, he has entertained audiences as part of various Jazz, Rock, and Latin groups throughout Illinois. In particular, he enjoys performing music of the Caribbean with the Trinidad Tripoli Steel band and Steel Express. Other on-campus performances include solo recitals, the Faculty Chamber Series, and Summer Music Theatre; he is a founding member of the Hopper Jazztet.

Mr. Nichols has been a presenter for the I.M.E.A. All-State conference, WIU Jazz Festival, I.C.M.E.A. events, various schools and music retailers. As a director he is the former Director of the Central Illinois Youth Percussion Ensemble in Peoria, and has led Concert and Marching Percussion Ensembles throughout the state of Illinois. During the summer months, he is a Percussion Instructor for the WIU Summer Music Camps. In 2005, Mr. Nichols was an adjudicator for the Percussive Arts Society (PAS) International High School Percussion Ensemble competition. Additionally, he has adjudicated events for University of Missouri, Illinois High School Association and the Illinois Music Educators Association’s All-State Convention.

Mr. Nichols is currently completing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Iowa. In addition, he holds two Master of Music degrees from Northwestern University, in Jazz Pedagogy and Percussion Performance, as well as a Bachelor of Music degree in Percussion Performance from Illinois Wesleyan University. His teachers include Dan Moore, Jim Dreier, Al Payson, Terry Applebaum and Robert Bankert.

Mr. Nichols is a member of the PAS Drumset Committee and a former officer for the Illinois Chapter of PAS. He is a member of I.A.J.E., M.E.N.C., and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.

Mr. Nichols is an Educational Artist for the Avedis Zildjian Cymbal Company.

Office Location: 111 Sallee Hall
Office Phone: (309) 298-1235