Aaron Jackson started the Master of Music in Percussion Performance in the fall of 2025. He studies with Dr. Christian Swafford. He is originally from Kingsport, Tennessee and got his Bachelor's degree in Media Production at High Point University. In Tennessee, Aaron performed with the Dobyns-Bennett High School Marching Band as a Bands of American National finalist two years in a row. At High Point, he remained on the Dean’s List every semester as well as keeping a 4.0 GPA for multiple semesters. Aaron has been involved with music every year since 6th grade. He was the principal percussionist for the HPU Wind Ensemble and participated in many other ensembles including the HPU Percussion Ensemble, Community Orchestra, and the Marching Band. In the summer of 2024, Aaron marched in the Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps where he traveled the country competing with other world class drum corps and playing marimba.
He has instructed the front ensemble at many high schools in the Winston-Salem, North Carolina area, including Atkins High School, Ronald Wilson Reagan High School, and Jay M Robinson High School. Aaron traveled with the HPU Percussion Ensemble to PASIC, the largest percussion convention in the world, to compete in the chamber ensemble competition in 2024. Also in 2024, he won the High Point University concerto competition for the Wind Ensemble and played a Marimba Concerto for their February Concert. Aaron traveled with the HPU Wind Ensemble to play in Austria, Czechia, and Germany for a music tour. He has extensive experience in creating music videos of new percussion pieces. He wants to continue teaching percussion and create music videos for performers using his degree in media production.