Biography
Wes McDowell is a percussionist, educator, and composer from Huntington, West Virginia. He received his BFA in Jazz Studies from Marshall University in 2022 and his MA in Jazz Studies in 2024. Mr. McDowell can be heard performing throughout the local community. He is a proud member of the Jewel City Jazz Orchestra, 304Underground, and various other groups. He is frequently performs with Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. (America’s Got Talent). He is also an active arranger and composer, writing original music for his own groups, as well as making arrangements for some of the MU Jazz Ensembles. He spends time recording these works with several MU faculty and alumni. Mr. McDowell teaches percussion lessons at MU, specializing in drum set and vibraphone study. He teaches courses in pop music history and jazz history. He coaches one of the university’s jazz combos and conducts the MU Jazz Ensemble II. Mr. McDowell also serves as faculty for the Jazz-MU-Tazz Summer Jazz Workshop.