Charles Brooks, D.M.A. is a classically trained professional percussionist and
vibraphonist, and an accomplished jazz musician and studio drummer currently living
and performing in the Muscle Shoals area of North Alabama. He is also a clinician,
composer, consultant, audio engineer, and college educator. Dr. Brooks is the Assistant
Professor of Audio Engineering in the Department of Entertainment Industry at the
University of North Alabama, where he mentors students while teaching and equipping
them with the necessary skills to understand how to seek out, recognize, and be fully
prepared for professional opportunities in live sound and studio recording, and
additionally, he mentors budding musicians in performance and application. He is
proficient in orchestral performance, jazz studies and performance, percussion studies
and performance, and audio engineering.
Chuck composes, performs, records, mixes, and masters his own original music and
plays every string and percussion instrument heard on his albums, which run the gamut
from jazz and experimental to hand drumming and meditation. He is known for his
improvisational talents and personalized high-energy performances, where he
captivates audiences with his wildly innovative drum set and four-mallet vibraphone
techniques. He is a nationally featured jazz performer at the University of North
Alabama, Louisiana State University, Belmont University, the University of Minnesota-
Duluth, Austin Peay State University, the University of Louisville, Western Kentucky
University, the Mid-City Jazz Festival (Baton Rouge, La.), and the Duluth Jazz Festival.
In 2023, he placed 2 nd in the London International Music Competition in Percussion.
Dr. Brooks has over 35 years’ experience in performance, composition, and education,
and over 25 years’ experience recording live shows. He holds a Doctorate in Musical
Arts with a Composition minor from Louisiana State University, and he is a graduate of
the Berklee College of Music Summer Jazz Series.
www.TheCharlesBrooks.com