KSU Percussion Faculty

Kurt Gartner

Kurt Gartner, Professor of Music, teaches applied percussion and percussion methods. Also, he directs the Percussion Ensemble, Keyboard Percussion Quartets, and the Latin Jazz Ensemble. As a Tilford Fellow, he coordinated an interdisciplinary study of Cuban arts. In the past, he was a Big 12 Faculty Fellow, collaborating with the percussion studio and jazz program at the University of Missouri. There, he provided instruction and performances in Afro-Cuban music and applications of technology in music. He has served as Associate Director of the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, Special Assistant to the Provost, and Coordinator of the university's Peer Review of Teaching Program.

Gartner's orchestral experience includes the principal timpani position with the Blue Lake Festival Orchestra (as well as band) in Michigan, and percussion/timpani positions in the Chamber Orchestra of the Smoky Valley, the Lafayette (IN) Symphony Orchestra, the Danville (IL) Symphony, the Lawrence (KS) Symphony, the Lawrence (KS) Chamber Orchestra, and the Topeka Symphony. As a jazz musician, Gartner has shared the stage with luminaries such as "Blue" Lou Marini and Mike Mainieri; in world music, he has toured and recorded with tabla master Sandip Burman, and commercial venues included cruise ship drumming. He has performed on a showcase concert and presented additional clinics and performances at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention. He is an educational consultant for Remo, Sabian, and Vic Firth.

Prior to his appointment at KSU, Gartner served as Associate Professor of Bands at Purdue University. In 2001, he completed his Doctor of Arts degree at the University of Northern Colorado. At UNC, he directed ensembles, taught jazz history, and was the Assistant Director of the UNC/Greeley Jazz Festival. Also, he received the Graduate Dean's Citation for Outstanding Dissertation for his research of the late percussion legend, Tito Puente. Gartner is a founding member and contributing composer of the Indiana-based Los Blancos Latin Jazz Band. He is the technology editor for the journal Percussive Notes.

Neil Dunn

Neil is the Production Coordinator and Instructor for K-State dance, teaching Rhythmic Notation, Composition I for Dancers, Dance and Technology, West African Music and Dance, and Dance Musician Training. Neil also teaches applied percussion lessons, West African drumming, and coaches percussion ensembles in the Kansas State Percussion Studio. Neil earned a Master of Music with Percussion Emphasis from the University of Arizona in 2002 and is Principal Timpanist for the Arizona Opera Company and the Topeka Symphony.

Neil has worked as a dance accompanist since 1994 and has performed with dance at ACDFA, PASIC, and Jazz Dance World Congress, in addition to international venues. Neil's current research involves the study of West African Social Dance and Music on traditional drums and the African xylophone. E-mail Neil Dunn

Javi Garza

Javi Garza is the Graduate Teaching Assistant in Percussion. He began his musical career in his hometown of Edinburg, TX. Throughout his musical career, Javi has been a part of many world renowned musical ensembles and has learned from some of the world’s best in the musical field. Javi first began his DCI career in 2019 when he received a contract to perform with Genesis Drum and Bugle Corps. During that season, Javi’s main interest in front ensemble approach and keyboard pedagogy began to take place. In 2021, Javi was the center marimba for the Colts Drum and Bugle Corps where he earned 5th place in DCI’s Individual and Ensemble keyboard competition. Javi aged out with the Blue Knights DBC in 2022. His WGI experience includes aging out as one of the center marimba performers at Broken City indoor percussion in Lake Elsinore, CA, in which they re- ceived 4th place in the national indoor competition.

In 2025, Javi graduated with his degree in both Percussion Performance and Music Education from Texas Tech University. Javi has performed in many ensembles associated with Texas Tech including the Percussion Ensemble I, Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, and the nationally renowned steel band ensemble “Apocalypse Now.” Javi has also had the honor of performing with the Lubbock Sympho- ny Orchestra. In 2024, Javi was awarded 2nd place in the ENKOR international winds and percussion competition as well as received 3rd place in the national collegiate keyboard competition held by the Percussion Arts Society in Indianapolis, IN.

Since 2019, Javi has taught front ensemble and percussion lessons in schools in TX and CA and has served as a front ensemble instructor for the Blue Knights since 2023. He credits most of his success to his past teachers. He has had studied under Brian Sexton, Eduar- do Trevino, Randy Sifuentes, Alan Shinn, Dr. Lisa Rogers, Dr. Michael Mixtacki, Ty- ler Gerson, Josh & Meagan Nelson, Kyle Hammock, John Gaal, Julian Davidson, Phil Idell, Kevin Shah, and Mike Jackson.