Teacher, composer, and performer Eric Harper was the Director of Percussion Studies for Brazoswood High School and it's feeder programs in the area of Clute/Lake Jackson, Texas for thirteen Years. Eric is a graduate of Texas Tech University with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education, where he studied with Greg Koyle, Alan Shinn, and Dr. Lisa Rogers. He has performed in masterclasses with Evelyn Glennie at the 1996 PASIC Convention, as well as performed with percussion legends Leigh Howard Stevens, Michael Burritt, and Nexus. During his last two years in Lubbock, Eric was an instructor for the Texas Tech Drumline and a member of the Lubbock Symphony. When Eric moved to the Austin area in 2013, he worked for Austin ISD and Lake Travis ISD
In Eric’s years in Houston, Eric taught “Percussion One” ensembles and percussion camps with Lamar Burkhalter. Eric helped lead Percussion One in their performance and clinic at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in 1998. The same year, Eric was working for Westfield High School Band and helped them achieve 5A Texas State Marching Band Champion. In 2000, Eric traveled to Hanover Germany with Percussion One to perform at the World Expo.
Eric was a section leader of the Houston Texans Drumline for nine years, member of the Houston Rockets drum group known as "Big Bang" and also a member of a West African drum ensemble known as Drum Cafe. In 2003, 2006, and 2009 Brazoswood percussion ensemble performed at the renowned Percussive Arts Society International Convention in Louisville, Kentucky, Indianapolis, Indiana, and Austin, Texas through the call for tapes competition. Brazoswood High School Percussion Ensemble is the only high school group in history to have won the call-for- tapes process three times in a row. Percussion groups from all over the world were in competition with Brazoswood for this honor. The other ensembles listed with top marks were from Germany and Japan. The Brazoswood Drumline has been recognized in many Texas-based competitions and recently won second place in the PASIC international indoor drumline competition.
While working with the Brazoswood High School band program, the band was honored with several high level achievements, including finalists at Texas 5A State Marching Band Championships, Bands of America San Antonio Super Regional Finalists, and 2012 Texas 5A State Honor Band.
Eric is a family man and enjoys spending time with his wife Carrie and two daughters Jade and Cora. Eric is a proud endorser of Innovative Percussion and has two compositions, “Sands of Africa” and Drume” published with Drop 6.
