Dr. Don N. Parker, a native of Washington D.C., is currently Associate Professor of Music/Percussion at Fayetteville State University. Don has performed in a variety of musical genres with artists such as Ellis Marsalis, Mark Whitfield, Ray Barretto, Oliver Lake, Buster Cooper, the Arianna String Quartet, and Jeff Jarvis to name a few.

He has served as a percussion clinician in South Dakota, Wyoming, Kansas, Iowa, Tennessee, Nebraska, Illinois, Indiana, Arkansas, Maryland, Washington D.C., Texas, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, West Indies (Grenada),Toronto, Canada, and Jordan (Middle East).  He was a faculty member of the United States Percussion Camp held at Eastern Illinois University (1988 -1999) and the UNLV Percussion Camp 2000, and the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Western Michigan (summer 2003).  In 2005, he presented clinics at the New Jersey Music Educators State Conference and the Mississippi Day of Percussion in Jackson, MS.  In 2006, he presented clinics at the North Central/Nebraska Music Educators Conference in Lincoln, NE. Dr. Parker served as the host and clinician during the Missouri Day of Percussion 2002 at UM-St. Louis featuring drum-set artist Ndugu Chancler and co-hosted North Carolina Day of Percussion 2007 with guest artists, Lalo Davila, Gifford Howarth, and Ginger Zyskowski.

Dr. Parker has appeared as a guest artist at the Augustana College Jazz Festival, The University of Nebraska at Omaha Jazz Festival, DePauw University, Greenville College, The University of Texas at San Antonio, and the Austin Jazz and Arts Festival. He performed with the African American Jazz Caucus (AAJC) Big Band at the Annual International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE) Conference from 2002-2008.   In April 2006 and 2007, he appeared as a guest artist and adjudicator at the Columbia Basin College Jazz Unlimited Festival in Pasco, Washington with Bill Watrous and Jeff Clayton.  Don has performed with the modern American music group out of St. Louis, Synchronia, which received 2000 ASCAP/Chamber Music America Award for adventurous programming and the St. Louis Brass Band which was awarded the 2001 NABBA Honors Championship. 

Don currently performs contemporary and traditional chamber literature with his trumpet/percussion duo, Double Take.  This chamber group has had the opportunity to present workshops and recitals in Illinois, Texas, South Dakota, Colorado, Wyoming, Missouri, Washington D.C., and Nebraska.  They have performed for the 1999 Premiere Performance Series at University of Missouri- St. Louis, Week of Percussion at Tennessee State University 2004, the 2004 Mississippi Day of Percussion and Fayetteville State University 2003-2004 and 2006-2007 Fine Arts Series.  Double Take released its first self-titled CD in 2001 (DT001), which was reviewed favorably by the Percussive Arts Society (PAS), the International Trumpet Guild (ITG), and the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors (NACWPI). In 2009, the duo was featured at the 10th Annual Tarleton State University Percussion Festival in Stephenville, Texas with the Third Coast Percussion Ensemble and Jeff Moore and the Eastern North Carolina Day of Percussion at University of North Carolina @ Pembroke.   The chamber music duo recently released its second CD entitled “Atmospheres”(DT002) in Feb. 2008 featuring commissioned works by Howard Buss and William Cahn.  He also performs contemporary and standard jazz vibes and piano arrangements with the Haydon/Parker Duo, which released a CD on the ACA Digital Recording Label, entitled “My Foolish Heart” (ACA JM10004).

Dr. Parker has played as a section and principal percussionist with the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra since 2003. In February 2006 Dr. Parker was the featured soloist with the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra performing the DePonte Marimba Concertino. He performed on the two recently CD releases “The 50th Anniversary Concert in fall 2006 and the Carmina Burana performance in Spring 2007.  In Spring 2008, he toured Jordan with the FSO presenting performances and clincs as part of an exchange with the National Music Conservatory of Jordan.  Recently Dr. Parker contributed a teacher resource guide to the book “Teaching Music through Performance in Jazz “ complied and edited by Richard Miles and Ronald Carter released in 2007 through GIA Publications.

Prior to his appointment at Fayetteville State University, he also held positions at the University of Missouri - St. Louis, Chadron State College (Nebraska) and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. After completing his B.M. in Performance and Music Business from DePauw University in Greencastle, IN., he completed his M.M. and a D.M.A. in Percussion Performance from the University of Texas at Austin.  Don pursued additional instruction at Eastern Illinois University, Full Sail Recording Workshop, and Berklee College of Music Summer Programs.

Don holds active membership in PAS, NACWPI, MENC, JEN, American Federation of Musicians, AAJC, and The Center for Black Music Research.  Many of the activities Don has undertaken have been supported by his endorsements from Sabian Cymbals, Mapex Drums, Mike Balter Mallets, Calato Regal Tip Sticks, Remo World Percussion, LP Music Group, and Jupiter/Majestic Mallet Instruments.