Diane Downs

Award

• $40,000 Jazz Road Creative Residencies Grant
• Year of Award: 2023

About the Project

In April 2024, Diane and The Louisville Leopard Percussionists will present a series of performances in and around Atlanta, GA, consisting of new works and arrangements of traditional repertoire for percussion ensemble. The creation of these works, their rehearsal, and presentation will promote the field of jazz to a wider audience, instill an appreciation for jazz to the next generation of musicians, uplift local talents, and create a body of printed materials available to educators.

About the Recipient

Diane Downs is the founder of The Louisville Leopard Percussionists from Louisville, KY. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in elementary education from Morehead State University and a Rank 1 status from the University of Louisville in gifted education and jazz pedagogy. She was a teacher in the Jefferson County Public School System for 28 years, teaching 2nd & 3rd grade at ML King Elementary (1989-2003) and music at Norton Elementary (2003-2018). She founded The Fabulous Leopard Percussionists in 1993 and created The Louisville Leopard Percussionists. She also supports the "We Got The Beat" percussion ensemble in Fresno, CA and serves as a consultant to numerous elementary percussion ensemble programs.

Recognition

• 1996 WHAS TV/PNC Bank ExCel Award
• 2001 Governor's Award for Excellence in Arts Education
• 2004 Louisville Arts Council Community Arts Award in Music
• 2005 Today's Woman Magazine Most Admired Woman in Louisville in Education Award
• 2008 National Cable Leaders in Learning Award
• 2015 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Living the Vision Award
• 2018 John LaPorta Jazz Educator of the Year Award through The Jazz Education Network and Berklee College of Music
• 2019 Percussive Arts Society Outstanding Supporter Award

Memberships

• The Percussive Arts Society
• The Jazz Education Network
• National Association for Music Education
• Hit Like A Girl