EP53: Justin Varnes - Percussionist, Educator

If you were putting together a jazz combo for the evening—or for the ages—you’d be well served by Justin Varnes on drums. And if you wanted your son or daughter to study with someone who will help them learn to love music as well as play it, again there is Justin Varnes. Based in Atlanta, Justin studied at the University of North Florida and the New School in New York. He has played with a long list of jazz greats, including our host Kevin Bales, and teaches at Georgia State University. In 2015, he created a program called the Jazz Legacy Project that combines education with entertainment. In Episode 53 of Music Life and Times, Justin talks with Kevin and Mike about the Jazz Legacy Project, as well as about learning to play, his approach to helping others do the same, and how learning to play has impacted his life and those of his students.