DARRIUS
SWAIN

Darrius is the Assistant Director of Bands at Talladega College in Talladega, AL.He is from Atlanta, GA. Before his journey to Talladega College, while in high school, he was a part of the Atlanta Hawks Drumline and CREAM Drum Corps, based out of Atlanta, GA. He also has been able to be in many music videos displaying his talents and love for the field of percussion. 

Darrius started the band in 2001 in middle school and played the bass drum; with his incredible talent, he was chosen by his band director to play with the nearby high school. That sparked his interest in the band, and he never gave it up. Also, around that time, the movie Drumline came out. That movie impacted him to take things seriously and go to college.

During his time in the band at Talladega College, he was the head percussion section leader. While playing the tenor drum, he also played the bass drum while in college. Darrius was a part of the band's second year at Talladega College, which was in 2013. While in the section, he helped mold the percussion section to what it is now. Which is one of the most prominent HBCU percussion sections at this time. Thanks to the vision of  Dr. Miguel Bonds, he was the Director of Bands at the time. With the help of his leadership, the Talladega College percussion section has become a household name in the HBCU percussion world. In addition, Darrius has brought many fresh ideas to the section.

He has significantly impacted many lives since taking his role as the percussion instructor. Under his leadership, he has grown the percussion section to over 80 students. He has taken them all over to perform on many different stages. Such as playing for the New Orleans Pelicans NBA team for halftime. Under his leadership, he has put the Talladega College percussion section at the top of one of the most-watched HBCU percussion sections. Also, they have been known as one of the biggest as far. He strives to make sure all students have an opportunity to go to college; he prides himself on that. Darrius has judged many different percussion showcases and drum competitions because of his remarkable insight into the field of percussion. To this day, he continues to put his first foot forward to make percussion great. He is a member of Kappa Kappa Psi Honorary Band Fraternity; also, he is a part of Mu Phi Sigma National Percussion Fraternity Incorporated.