About

Jon Hill is a drummer, educator, and performer based in Wilmington, North Carolina. Originally from Raleigh, NC, he began playing drums at the age of 5 inspired by his older brother who played the guitar. 

Jon continued playing drums through middle and high school, participating in the school ensembles playing in the percussion section. After school, Jon and his brother recorded drum cover videos to share on YouTube where their channel garnered over a million views and thousands of subscribers. 

After high school, Jon was accepted into the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA to pursue music performance. Under the guidance of the renowned drummer Alberto Netto, he studied and collaborated with exceptional musicians, contributing to numerous projects, recordings, and performances.

Following his time at Berklee, Jon transferred to the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) to continue his performance studies. Throughout his studies at UNCW, Jon played weekly gigs alongside esteemed musicians such as Benny Hill (saxophone) and well-known jazz educator Jerald Shynett (trombone), while also collaborating with local indie, rock, and hip-hop groups, and recording drums for local musicians. In 2018, Jon graduated from UNCW with a B.A. in Music, and the UNCW Department of Music invited Jon to join their faculty as a drum set instructor, where he taught regular weekly private lessons and masterclasses to undergraduate drummers.

Jon was accepted into the Jazz Performance Master's Program at North Carolina Central University in 2022 where he was awarded a graduate assistantship, which included a full tuition waiver and stipend. Relocating to Durham, NC, Jon attended the program while commuting and continuing his teaching duties at UNCW.

Joining the NCCU program opened doors for Jon to perform with jazz legends such as Branford Marsalis, Joey Calderazzo, and Antonio Hart in masterclasses and concerts, enriching his musical journey even further. Notably, in February 2023, the NCCU Big Band, with Jon on the drums, secured first place at the Jack Rudin Jazz Championship held at the Lincoln Center in New York City, triumphing over top college bands nationwide.

Since completing his Master's Degree in Spring 2024, Jon has continued as an adjunct professor at UNCW and Cape Fear Community College teaching drum lessons and music lecture classes at both colleges. He also hosts a local jazz jam, records drums for local projects, and films and edits content weekly to grow his educational content on YouTube.