Derrick Greene

Derrick Greene
A native of Chattanooga, TN, Derrick has always been involved in music. He began playing drum set in church and eventually joined the marching band in high school. His experiences in the high school marching band eventually led him to pursue his bachelor’s degree in music with a concentration in education from Tennessee State University, where he was a member of the Aristocrat of Bands. While at Tennessee State, Derrick received numerous awards including; 1st place in the 2013 PASIC collegiate Timpani Solo Competition, the Director’s Choice MVP award, the Top Hat award, and the 2016 Honda Battle of the Bands Ambassador Achievement Award.

Immediately after finishing at Tennessee State, Derrick enrolled at the University of Memphis where he earned his Master of Music degree in percussion performance. While in Memphis, Derrick was the principal percussionist of both the wind ensemble and orchestra. During his stay in Memphis, Derrick began teaching private lessons, and working with inner-city band programs.

Currently, Derrick Greene serves as one of the Assistant band directors of Tennessee State University’s Aristocrat of Bands and also serves as the head of percussion studies at Tennessee State. Mr. Greene is also pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Memphis. Moreover, Mr. Greene serves a teaching artist with the National Museum of African American Music. Mr. Greene is also the owner of an educational YouTube channel known as The Greene Beat where he posts educational videos about percussion as well as reference videos of various percussion pieces.

Outside of school, Derrick is a freelance performer, clinician and composer. He has been fortunate to perform with individuals and ensembles such as: The 105 Voices of History, Sinfonietta Memphis, Roy “Futereman” Wooten, The Nashville Symphony, Chester Thompson and Nicole C. Mullen. Mr. Greene has recorded for video games such as Mafia 3. He has also performed at the National Conference on Percussion Pedagogy and the National HBCU Consortium. He has given masterclasses at the University of Memphis, Tennessee State University, and local high schools in Nashville and Memphis.

Professor Greene
(615)963-5000