Dr. Diana Loomer is an active percussionist and music educator, currently teaching and performing in the Eastern TN and Western NC areas. In addition to her private lesson studio, she is a percussion instructor at Milligan University, and the director of the “Steely Pan Steel Band” at Appalachian State University.
Dr. Loomer has a D.M.A. from the University of Texas at Austin, a M.M. from Indiana University and a B.M. from Appalachian State University in Percussion Performance. She has a passion for “Melodic Timpani” playing, and is currently working to explore the potential of the instrument, as well as to expand the repertoire for this style.
Dr. Loomer has performing experience in many different areas of percussion. She is the principal timpanist for the Johnson City Symphony, and regularly performs with a number of professional orchestras across North Carolina and Tennessee. She has an extensive background in Non-Western percussion, including steel pan, tabla, Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, and West African percussion. She has found a love for teaching music to community members, as bringing people together through music is an important part of her faith journey. She and her partner, Morgan Tao, form the Blue Iron Percussion Duo. Together, they perform and teach steel pans across Western North Carolina and Tennessee.