Cort McClaren is recently retired from being the Professor of Percussion Studies at UNCG. After teaching several years in the Kansas public schools and before accepting his current position at UNCG in 1983, he taught at The University of Oklahoma and Southwestern Oklahoma State University. He earned the a Bachelor and Masters degree from Wichita State University and the Ph.D. from The University of Oklahoma. Under his guidance, the percussion program has grown to become one of the most respected in the nation.

Dr. McClaren frequently appears at music educators' conventions, presenting clinics on his "Common Elements" approach to percussion pedagogy. His innovative approach to percussion pedagogy is evident in his many articles in scholarly journals and his book The Book of Percussion Pedagogy: A Step-by-Step Approach for Teachers and Performers. McClaren is also a very active performer. He served as percussionist in the Oklahoma Symphony Orchestra, the Wichita Symphony Orchestra, the North Carolina Symphony, and as principal percussionist with the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra and the New American Ragtime Ensemble.