Nathan Elliot Siegel is an active performer, educator and composer. He earned his bachelor’s degree in percussion performance with a minor in jazz studies at Indiana University and his master’s degree in percussion performance from the University of Colorado Boulder. He is currently finishing his DMA at the University of North Texas. His teachers include Dave Hall, Paul Rennick, Kevin Bobo, Mark Ford, Ed Smith, Jose Aponte, Doug Walter, John Tafoya, Michael Spiro, Steve Houghton, Brian West and Stuart Spoon.

His recent performance experience includes playing with the One O’Clock Lab Band, North Texas Wind Texas Wind Symphony, UNT Percussion Ensemble and Afro-Cuban and Brazilian Ensembles at UNT. Nathan has shared the stage with many amazing musicians including Evelyn Glennie, Paquito D’Rivera, Andy Narell, Mark Walker, the Barcelona Clarinet Quartet and many others. This year, Nathan toured Poland with the UNT percussion ensemble as a soloist and member.

Nathan has been involved in the marching arts for several years, performing with Vigilantes Indoor Percussion in 2014, Rhythm X (‘16,’17) and the Bluecoats (‘18). He has taught the Front Ensemble at Legends Drum and Bugle corps and most recently Genesis drum and Bugle Corps. Nathan continues to create online content for members of front ensembles across the nation and has cultivated a community built around four mallet technical exploration and exercises.

Nathan writes and arranges percussion music for groups across the metroplex. He has arranged pop tunes for front ensembles and high school percussion ensemble concerts. Most recently, he composed a percussion ensemble piece for 18 musicians titled Ark, which tells the story of Noah and the flood, and a collection of six marimba etudes titled Creatures of the Wood, both premiered at UNT.

Nathan’s primary specialties are solo marimba improvisational research and performance and Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Brazilian percussion. He creates online content geared for young keyboard players and those who are interested in technique and improvisation. Nathan presented his clinic titled “Fun with Improvisin’” at the PASIC 2023 in Indianapolis. His dissertation topic is a method for improvisation designed for high school percussionists which uses existing four-mallet literature as a point of departure for improvisational exploration.