John R. Beck is the professor of percussion at the UNC School of the Arts. He also teaches percussion and Afro-Cuban drumming at Wake Forest University. John's interest in the intersection of the arts and medicine began while he was president of the Percussive Arts Society through visits with music therapists at the Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis and work with the Wake Forest Baptist Health in the Arts for Life program. He facilitates weekly group drumming with the Pediatric Behavioral Health and Cancer Patient Support Programs at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and at the Gateway YWCA. John is currently involved in a hospital research project drumming with stem cell transplant recipients and organizing group drumming programs through Senior Services in Winston-Salem, NC. He is a performer with the Winston-Salem and Greensboro Symphony Orchestras and holds degrees from Oberlin College and the Eastman School of Music.