Michael C. Tompkins (b. 1985) is a freelance percussionist and composer from Columbiana, Ohio. He began his music career at age eight, starting with piano lessons and later throughout high school studied percussion and music theory. He went on to study percussion at Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio under Dr. Glenn Schaft and worked in his spare time on several compositions. In 2003, Michael became the Director of Percussion at Warren Local High School in Vincent, Ohio - where he remains to this day. As the Percussion Director, he is responsible for percussion composition and instruction of the marching band, co-instructs the percussion ensemble and gives private lessons. For the past six years, Michael has taught and composed for several south east and central Ohio ensembles. He is currently studying Culinary Arts, his second passion, at Hocking College in Nelsonville, Ohio - where he currently resides. He is also a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors, & Publishers and the Society of Composers, Inc and the Percussive Arts Society.