A-State Percussion Faculty
Making A-State a Destination for Total Growth
Dr. Brian Graiser
Artist/Instructor of Percussion and Percussion Coordinator
Dr. Brian Graiser is a contemporary percussionist, composer, and teacher, and became Arkansas State University's Instructor of Percussion and Percussion Coordinator in 2022. As the head of A-State's percussion program, Dr. Graiser directs the Red Wolf Percussion Group and teaches Applied Percussion, Pedagogy and Performance, and Percussion Instrument Techniques, while also providing oversight to the A-State Drumline, Scarlet Steel, and University Percussion Ensemble. Prior to joining A-State, Dr. Graiser was the full-time Lecturer of Percussion and Marching Percussion Director at Sam Houston State University from 2016-2022.
While his musical exploits are diverse, he is best known as an advocate for the vibraphone, highlighted by his DMA Project "Concerto No. 1 [Lulu]: Creating the World's First Concerto for the Four-Octave Vibraphone," numerous compositions and commissions for the instrument, and his service as founder and current President of The Vibraphone Project (www.thevibraphoneproject.org) 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Dr. Graiser regularly tours with his wife, Dr. Alaina Graiser (also on faculty at A-State), as the REFLECT harp+percussion duo and is currently producing a harp/percussion transcription of Debussy’s complete La Mer, although the duo’s most important project is raising their two sons William and Jonathan.
Originally from Marietta, Georgia, Dr. Graiser's performances and clinics have taken him up and down the U.S., Canada, Panama, France, Italy, China, and Australia, with highlights including research presentations at Dél-Alföldi Ütőhangszeres Szakmai Nap és Konferenciasolo (University of Szeged, Hungary) and the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC), and solo/chamber performances at the APERIO—Music of the Americas Festival, PASIC, the Festival Alfredo Saint Malo (Panama), the American Harp Society Summer Institute, the 2022 Winter Vibe Fest at the Center for Mallet Percussion Research at Kutztown University, the 2023 Stuart Saunders Smith "Studies" Festival at the Hartt School in Connecticut, and the 2025 Spring VibeFest and Competition at CMPR. Other recent/upcoming performances of note include engagements with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, the Link Theatre, a solo recital tour across the Mid-South in Spring 2025, and a weeklong residency hosted by PAS-Mexico and ASU-Queretaro Fall 2025. His compositions have been similarly far-reaching, and has written for groups such as the TorQ percussion quartet, the Matchstick percussion quartet, the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, the Toronto Youth Wind Orchestra, the PAS-Panama Summer Percussion Ensemble, Classical Revolution Cincinnati, and numerous individual artists and university ensembles across North America.
Dr. Graiser earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in percussion performance (with a composition cognate) at the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music, with prior degrees in performance and composition from the University of Toronto and the University of Georgia.His former percussion and composition teachers include Allen Otte, Rusty Burge, Jim Culley, Russell Hartenberger, Beverly Johnston, John Rudolph, Tony McCutchen, Arvin Scott, Ellen Harrison, Stuart Saunders Smith, Michael Colgrass, Christos Hatzis, Chic Ball, and Adrian Childs. He is an endorser of Black Swamp Percussion, Dream Cymbals and Gongs, Remo Drumheads, and Salyers Percussion, and is the proud owner of a DeMorrow Instruments four-octave vibraphone. His compositions are available through Alfonce Productions, Keyboard Percussion Publications, Media Press Inc., Smith Publications, The Vibraphone Project, and self-publication.
Jarrett Robinett
Adjunct Instructor of Percussion and Music Industry
Jarrett Robinett joined the Arkansas State University Department of Music in 2023 as an Adjunct Instructor of Percussion, where he currently teaches Applied Percussion lessons, co-directs the University Percussion Ensemble, and teaches recording production classes within the Bachelor of Music Industry degree. Mr. Robinett's activities at A-State continue a career of over thirty years performing and recording with wind bands, orchestras, chamber music groups, jazz bands, percussion ensembles, rock and blues bands, ceremonial marching bands, and as a solo percussionist. During his long performance career, he has appeared on stage with an array of notable musicians, conductors and composers, including Marvin Stamm, Karel Husa, Frederick Fennell, Jack Stamp, and the legendary Ray Charles.
Prior to joining A-State, Mr. Robinett served for twenty years as a percussionist with the United States Air Force Band of Mid-America and the United States Air Force Heartland of America Band until his retirement in 2021. During his military career, he performed with the USAF Concert Bands, Jazz Ensembles, Ceremonial Bands, Brass Quintets, Chamber Ensembles, Commercial/Rock/Pop bands, and as a solo ceremonial drummer for military events. As a bandsman he has performed on television, radio and the internet for millions of people in broadcast audiences and at live concert events across 29 American states. Mr. Robinett has performed for U.S. Presidents, Vice Presidents, foreign dignitaries, Federal and State Political Representatives, Chiefs of Staff for the Armed Services and foreign military leaders during public and official military events. From 2002-2005 he was a founding member of the Air Force Band Chamber Percussion Duo Resonant Elements that performed public recitals and taught clinics at numerous PAS Days of Percussion throughout the Midwestern United States.
During his assignment with the United States Air Force Band of Mid-America, Mr. Robinett was awarded Air Force certifications as an Audio Engineer and as a Percussionist for the band program. Following this achievement, he continued to both perform on stage and work off-stage for the Concert Band, stage bands and at various special concert events. Additionally, he programmed lighting shows, automated lighting effects and incorporated synchronized videos into numerous concerts across the Great Plains. These experiences led to him being named as the Producer/Director for the 32nd and 33rd annual Holiday Concert Programs for the United States Air Force Heartland of America Band. He oversaw the musical and visual design as well as the live performance elements of this popular concert series.
Mr. Robinett has been a faculty member of the ASU Band Camp, the Dixie Band Camp, and the Corning Public School District. He performed frequently with the Pine Bluff Symphony, the Fort Smith Symphony, the Conway Symphony and the Northeast Arkansas Symphony (now the Delta Symphony Orchestra). Mr. Robinett graduated from Arkansas State University with a Bachelor of Music Education Degree in 1999. His primary percussion instructors were Sherri Dees, Craig Collison, and Dr. Thomas Burritt. Mr. Robinett is endorsed by Salyers Percussion drumsticks and mallets as well as by Sabian cymbals. He is an alumni member of Phi Mu Alpha music fraternity and a member of the Percussive Arts Society.
Dr. Joshua Watkins
Adjunct Instructor of Percussion
Dr. Joshua Watkins has joined the Arkansas State University Department of Music in 2025 as an Adjunct Instructor of Percussion following nearly a decade of teaching at the University of Trinidad and Tobago. A respected percussionist and esteemed music educator with a global reputation, his versatile talents encompass a diverse range of musical genres, including jazz, Latin, rock, country, Caribbean drumming, world music, Steelpan, marching arts, chamber music, and orchestral music. Throughout his career, Watkins has performed on prestigious stages and shared his knowledge with students and fellow musicians alike.
Watkins refined his skills under the direction of prominent mentors, including Dr. Christopher Norton, Todd London, Dr. Julia Gaines, Zoro, Mark Lowry, Loyd Warden, and Dr. Lisa Rogers. His passion for academic research led him to explore and document traditional Caribbean percussion, with a particular focus on Trinidad traditional drumming. He remains dedicated to applying these rich traditions in modern contexts.
As a guest artist and clinician, Josh Watkins has conducted engaging seminars for both professional and student percussionists. He has collaborated with esteemed music institutes, leaving a lasting impact on institutions such as Fine Arts Summer Academy, University of Tennessee – Martin, Virginia Tech, and Barbados Community College. Additionally, he had the privilege of representing the U.S. Embassy to the Eastern Caribbean during a goodwill and educational tour with the Ibis Ensemble. More recently, he was invited as a guest artist for the 11th Poland National Workshop in Gdańsk, further cementing his international influence.
Watkins' passion for performance and education extends to his participation in the Percussive Arts Society (PAS), College Music Society (CMS), American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and as a Vic Firth Educator. Furthermore, he is recognized as the founding president of the Trinidad and Tobago Chapter of PAS, demonstrating his commitment to fostering percussion excellence within the region. Actively involved in the PAS International Committee and the PAS Diversity Alliance, Dr. Watkins advocates for diversity and inclusivity in the world of percussion.
As a recording artist, Watkins has recorded albums such as "Remembering John Denver," "Jab Molassie," and "River of Freedom." His commissions, performances, and premieres of compositions by Caribbean, American, and English composers have earned him a reputation as an enthusiastic supporter of new musical works.
Josh Watkins' impact on percussion education, his commitment to preserving and revitalizing traditional Caribbean percussion, and his dedication to promoting contemporary percussion compositions make him a distinctive figure in the world of music.
Student Leadership
Leading the Pack
In addition to the leadership of the percussion faculty, the student leaders of the A-State Drumline and Percussion Studio play a vital role in the overall program's ongoing pursuit of excellence, community, and integrity. Take a look below to learn more about the team.
