Johnny Lee Lane

Johnny Lee Lane lives in Indianapolis, Indiana. Lane is one of the Nation’s foremost college percussion educators and previously served as Professor of Music and Director of Percussion Studies at Eastern Illinois University for 28 years (1974-2002). He also spent three years at Indiana University School of Music at IUPUI (2002-2005), and two years at Tennessee State University (1972-1974). He is the former Director of Education at Remo(2005-2018). Is now Adjunct Professor at Butler University. At Eastern, Lane developed one of the finest total percussion programs in the nation.

His students are college teachers, performers, and educators throughout the world. In the 1980s, Lane toured Germany four times and most recently gave clinics and workshops in South Korea and Japan.  For 13 years, he was the Host and Founder of the UNITED STATES PERCUSSION CAMP. This camp was a total percussion camp with over 300 students and 37 faculty members. Lane and the camp appeared on ABC’s GOOD MORNING AMERICA SHOW in 1996. The percussion camp was held each summer at Eastern Illinois University. At Eastern, Lane taught undergraduate and graduate percussion majors, conducted the percussion ensemble, marimba orchestras, marimba rag bands, and the World percussion program. Johnny received Faculty Excellence Awards in 1989, 1994, and 1996.  Lane also led the 2004 Tournament of Roses Parade, playing the world’s tallest drum.

In 1979, Lane was elected to the PAS Board of Directors, where he served for nearly ten years. During that time, he started what was called the PAS 100% CLUB and also in charge of recruiting new members. Then again 20012-2018. He was inducted into the Conn-Selmer Institute Hall of Fame (2019).

Lane conducts clinics around the country for Zildjian, Remo, Vic Firth Sticks and Mallets,  and Conn-Selmer (Ludwig/Musser) His Marimba Book: FOUR MALLET INDEPENDENCE FOR MARIMBA by Johnny Lee Lane and Samuel A. Floyd, Jr. and RUDIMENTAL SNARE DRUM GROOVES by Johnny Lee Lane and Richard L. Walker, Jr. are both published by Hal Leonard Publications. Also HAND DRUM TRIOS by Johnny Lee Lane and Terence Mayhue, published by Row-Loff Productions.

Lane received the PAS Lifetime Achievement in Education Award at the 2007 International Percussive Arts Society Convention in Columbus, Ohio. Lane is also on the Board of Directors for 317 Performing Arts.