Taylor Barnes is an experienced and active educator, designer, producer, musician, and clinician in the southeast. Taylor is currently the Program Coordinator and Director of Percussion at Enka High School in Candler, North Carolina. The percussion program at Enka High School is competitive in the southeastern BOA and WGI circuit and also fields “The Blue Crew” ensemble which is a high-energy, NBA-style percussion, dance, and cheer production. This ensemble is sought after by many local performance venues. Taylor also works with the Western Carolina University “Pride of the Mountains” Marching Band as a percussion technician for both the Purple and Gold drumlines. Go Cats!
Taylor graduated from Western Carolina University in 2014 with a Bachelor’s Degree in criminal justice. Taylor participated in ensembles at WCU such as the “Pride of the Mountains” Marching Band and Purple Thunder. Taylor served on student staff from 2011-2013.
Other notable achievements of Taylor’s marching percussion career include 2012 WGI world class finalist Palmetto Percussion. The following summer, Taylor continued to march with the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps in 2012, where the corps famously returned to DCI finals for the first time in almost a decade.
Taylor has served as a percussion consultant and technician with numerous high schools in North Carolina, as well as a bass drum technician with WGI world class group Equinox Percussion in 2019. Taylor is a proud endorser of Remo drumheads, Vic Firth and Zildjian products, and a member of the Vic Firth Education Team.
