Dojo Percussion

08/05/2025

Hey everyone! I hope you all are doing fabulous! If any of you are able to volunteer for NOMAFEST it would be greatly appreciated! Please let me know -Dana

VOLUNTEERS we need you! Saturday August 9th, Day 1 of NOMAFEST 2025 we need volunteers for 2 shifts. 7am Load-in shift, & 10pm Load-out shift.
Email: [email protected] for those interested.

12/27/2023

Wishing HAPPY HOLIDAYS to the entire Dojo Percussion family! I miss all of you! -Dana

11/12/2016

We would like to congratulate the students and staff of Bellevue West HS for making it to the Semi-Final Round of the BOA Grand Nationals Championship today! Your hard work and success is an inspiration to us all in the Omaha area.

Good Luck Tomorrow!

11/03/2016

Staff Member Spotlight: Dana Murray (Executive Director)

As a high school student, drummer Dana Murray immersed himself in music. He spent countless hours in the "woodshed" studying the masters and honing his skills. A native of Omaha, this "young lion" naturally began gigging wherever and whenever he could, which included street corner performances. In the mid 90’s, Dana moved to Boston to attend the renowned Berklee School of Music on scholarship. Shortly thereafter, on the advice of jazz legends Max Roach and Victor Lewis, Dana moved to the center of the jazz universe, New York City. From the mid 90’s to the early 00's, Dana was a big part of the city’s scene. He toured the world with Wynton Marsalis and began gigging and recording with the likes of Donald Byrd, Jimmy Witherspoon, Roy Hargrove, Sherman Irby, and James Hurt, to name a few. Dana also played several Broadway shows, including the rock opera “Tommy”. Unlike many jazz musicians, Dana didnot limit himself to jazz. Dana toured with the Soul Trance band Topaz and in support of jam band stalwarts Widespread Panic, performed with Atlantic records’ WaxPoetic alongside Norah Jones and Steely Dan singer Carolyn Leonhardt. Along with Malike Burke, Dana founded Reallive, a cutting-edge hip-hop group. Dana is also an A-list Producer who has produced records for a variety of labels including BlueNote. Dana recently produced Eric Revis’ new release "Tales of the Stuttering Mime".

Currently, Dana is one of the most in demand educators in the Mid-West. Holding head percussion positions at Bellevue East and Burke High Schools for the last several years, his programs have been top performers in the State as well as winning multiple out of state contests. As founder of Dojo Percussion and its parent company DMgroove Drum Dojo, Dana aims to reach the masses through the power of music and percussive art.

11/02/2016

Staff Member Spotlight: Alex Albertson (Director & Arranger)

Alex Albertson is currently a music teacher at Logan-Magnolia Community Schools in Logan, IA. His curricular responsibilities include teaching the 5th, 6th, Junior High, and High School concert bands. He also directs the Panther Marching Band, Jazz Band and the Pep Band.

In addition to teaching full-time in a public school, Alex will be starting his third year as a percussion educator in the Omaha, NE area for Bellevue East High School. Beginning in the 2016 season, he has assumed the role of Director and Arranger for Dojo Indoor Percussion. He has also founded the Omaha Beef Football Drumline, which will begin its inaugural season in 2017. Prior to teaching in this area, he worked as a percussion instructor at Lincoln-Way East High School and Pioneer Indoor Percussion in Chicago's south suburbs. Alex has spent several years on staff with the C**t Cadets and will return as the Percussion Caption Head in 2017. Additionally, Alex will enter his second season as Percussion Arranger for the C**t Cadets.

Alex earned his bachelor's degree in music education from Western Illinois University. during his time there, he was named a winner of the School of Music 2013 Concerto/Composition Competition, where he performed with the university's orchestra. He is also proud to be an alumnus of the C**ts Drum and Bugle Corps and Rhythm X Indoor Percussion.

11/02/2016

"The goal is to fill young minds with knowledge, but more importantly..give those minds a compass." auditions Part 2 this Sunday!

10/31/2016

"Only those who have the patience to do simple things perfectly, will acquire the skills to do difficult things easily." Round 2 of auditions this upcoming Sunday!

10/30/2016

Round 1 of 2017 auditions is in the books! Thank you to everyone who came out, we're eager to see what you bring next week!

10/29/2016

Tomorrow is the day! 2017 auditions here we come.

10/28/2016

Staff Member Spotlight: Patrick McCarty

Mr. Patrick McCarty has been the Director of Bands at Bellevue East High School in Bellevue, NE since 2014.
Prior to his work at Bellevue East High School, Mr. McCarty served as the Director of Athletic Bands and Instrumental Studies at Avila University in Kansas City, MO, from 2011 to 2014. There he directed the athletic bands and musical pit orchestra, taught music appreciation, music education courses, and private studio lessons. Prior to Avila University, Patrick was the Assistant Director of Bands at Lawrence (KS) High School from 2005-2010, where he conducted the LHS Concert Band, assisted with other ensembles, guided the percussion program, instructed beginning band classes, and helped assist the award winning LHS Marching Lions in several very successful years. He was also the permanent percussion instructor at Lawrence High School from 2003-2014.

A native of Lawrence, KS and Emporia, KS, Mr. McCarty has been an active participant in all mediums of instrumental music, including concert band, marching band, pep band, jazz band, orchestra, and percussion. Patrick is a graduate of The University of Kansas, where he earned his Bachelors of Music Education and Masters of Music Education and was a very active member of the KU Band Department. He enjoyed his membership in the KU Marching Jayhawks, KU Wind Ensemble, and back-to-back NCAA Final Four appearances with the KU Basketball Band in 2002 and 2003. Patrick was also a member of the C**ts Drum & Bugle Corps in the summer of 1999.
Patrick has been a band and percussion clinician throughout Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois for several years. He has also become well-known throughout the area for his marching band and pep band arrangements, which have been performed by various bands around Kansas, including Lawrence High School, Olathe East High School, Buhler High School and university groups such as The University of Kansas Basketball Bands & Marching Jayhawks, and also the Arizona State University Sun Devil Marching Band & Pep Bands.