Western Rhythm Taught Through the Lens of Global Practice
The world's rhythmic traditions offer tools for organizing time at a level of detail rarely encountered in Western performance training — tools for understanding subdivision, grouping, displacement, groove, and meter with clarity and intention.
My research draws primarily on Indian Classical Music, one of the most highly developed rhythmic traditions in the world, as a base-point for exploring these ideas across global contexts. The goal is not stylistic fusion or imitation, but adaptation: taking the analytical strengths of these traditions and applying them where they illuminate something real — helping musicians develop stronger internal time, greater rhythmic flexibility, and a more expansive sense of phrasing and groove.
About Justin
Percussionist Justin Alexander is acclaimed for the versatility and musicality of his playing and for his commitment and focus as a teacher. He is Associate Professor of Music and Director of Percussion Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University and Director of The Richmond Symphony Youth Percussion Ensemble. Justin holds the Doctor of Music Degree in Percussion Performance from The Florida State University.
A percussionist who began on the drum set, Justin has made this instrument the center of his creative work. He has commissioned or premiered more than 20 works for percussion, including world premieres of Zipzap: Concerto for Drum Set and Wind Ensemble and The Rule of Five: Concerto for Two Percussionists and Wind Ensemble by Adam Silverman, and fade, a concerto for drum set and percussion ensemble by acclaimed percussionist and composer Clif Walker. He is featured on more than seven recordings, including the Grammy®-nominated album Children of Adam with the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, with additional releases with New Amsterdam Records, Navona Records, and Garnet House Records. His early affinity for both popular and classical music has enabled him to move fluidly between genres and styles — from collaborations with sound artist Stephen Vitiello to performing with national tours of Wicked, Mean Girls, TINA, and The Wiz.
As an orchestral musician, Justin served as Principal Percussionist with the Wintergreen Music Festival from 2015-2024. He is an alumnus of the Aspen Music Festival and served on faculty at the Eastern Music Festival in 2012. His orchestral credits include the Florida Orchestra, the Richmond Symphony, the Roanoke Symphony, the Tallahassee Symphony, the Arkansas Symphony, the Mobile Symphony, and the Pensacola Symphony, and his international performing career has taken him to Belgium, Australia, Sweden, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic.
Justin's teaching and scholarship are defined by a spirit of inquiry and a commitment to integration. His sustained engagement with non-western percussion traditions has profoundly shaped both his performing and his pedagogy. He is currently enrolled in the "Carnatic Approaches to Western Music" program at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, and his work in this area has led to presentations at the 2018 and 2024 National Conference on Percussion Pedagogy and a co-authored article in Percussive Notes (2020).
An active leader in the percussion community, Justin has presented at PASIC 2014, 2018, 2024, and 2025 and has served on the PAS World Percussion and Drum Set Committees. He is former President of the Virginia/D.C. Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society and has published articles in Percussive Notes and Rhythm Scene. He is proudly endorsed by Pearl/Adams Musical Instruments, Zildjian Cymbals, Vic Firth Sticks and Mallets, Grover Pro Percussion, and Remo, Inc.
