BJ
JOHNSON

Brian “BJ” Johnson, started playing drums at an early age. What drew interest is when his grandfather bought his first drum set at the age of 2 years old, once he reached the pre-k age, BJ was introduced to “Strings”, (the violin), he was in a strings group at the age of four years old and participated with a strings quartet where the pre-k students would participate with the at the time the North Texas State University Jazz Band, currently named the University of North Texas. Once being introduced to those two instruments he knew that music was his passion. When BJ entered middle school, BJ started to take drumming serious, he even learned how to play and performed in school events playing the African Drums. After learning how to play and read music on an advanced level by 8th grade, BJ began to receive “All City Honors”. This was a good accomplishment, but he wanted more. 

      BJ attended the storied David W. Carter High School in Dallas, Texas, where he was a member of the “C.C. Marching Machine” drumline and concert band. While in high school his band traveled throughout Texas in various Battle of the Band competitions, often finishing with winning accolades. 

BJ graduated from high school in 2006 and went on to attend Texas Southern University, Houston, Texas, with a band scholarship. While at Texas Southern University BJ was a member of the infamous TSU “Funk Train” drumline. While in college BJ became an assistant drum instructor for one of the two Dallas, Texas, “All Star Band’s” (Pleasant Grove Powerhouse All Star Band). In 2009, BJ moved back to Dallas and began working in Dallas Independent School District at his beloved high school, David W. Carter High School, where he became Director of Percussions. As director he put together a strong team of drummers who participated in numerous drumline competitions throughout the Metro-Plex and the drum line usually came out on top. Many of the members who were on this line did go on to further their education with a band scholarship at Historical Black Colleges & Universities.

BJ left Dallas Carter and became the percussion instructor at Wilmer Hutchins High “Beat Machine” drum line in 2011. That end of the school year is when he became co-founder/assistant director for the Dallas Metroplex Alumni Band (DMAB). DMAB was started as a summer enrichment program for high school students, present college students and alumni from Dallas. DMAB travels to Houston, Mississippi, and Louisiana to compete in Battle of the Bands. That same summer, BJ joined the Vic Firth Drum Company as an endorser and marching education team. In 2019, BJ reunited with a former college classmate and band mate that is now the Band Director at Carter High School so now BJ is back as percussion instructor at Carter High School. Now in his third year at Carter, BJ is endorsed by Vic Firth/Zildjian, Dynasty and Remo Drum Company and looking forward to starting his own mallets and stick line.