Boyce Jeffries, Jr. is in his second year as a faculty member at the Sam Houston State School of Music, where he teaches percussion, music theory, musicianship, and directs the Percussion Ensemble, Second Steel Band, and Bearkat Drumline. A West Coast native, he earned three degrees from California State University–Sacramento and later completed his DMA at the University of Toronto, where his dissertation explored the “YouTube effect” on percussion performance, interpretation, and education.
As a performer and composer, Boyce describes himself as a “percussive chameleon,” embracing eclectic styles and approaches. While in Canada, he performed with the Toronto Tabla Ensemble (2017–2020) under Ritesh Das, studying the syllabic language of tabla and adapting its compositions for concert percussion instruments such as marimba, vibraphone, and drum set. He encourages musicians to contextualize digital content, like YouTube videos, and reflect on its relevance to their personal practice.