
Faculty

Meet the educators of the Florida Percussion Academy

Co-Founder and Instructor
Nick Bahr
specializes in:
marching battery, front ensemble technique and pedagogy, marimba, snare drum, multi percussion, world percussion
Nick Bahr is a passionate performer and educator whose work bridges performance, pedagogy, and the historical study of percussion traditions. He is active as a performer across solo, chamber, and large ensemble settings, with experience spanning contemporary concert percussion, orchestral repertoire, and music rooted in Afro-diasporic traditions. Nick is heavily invested in the marching arts, having marched 10+ years on the marching tenors at different organizations including Iowa State University's Drumline and Crossroads Percussion, where he was a section leader and drumline captain. Nick was also a member of the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps front ensemble in 2021. Nick has an active presence among the performing communities of the Midwest and Florida Pan-Handle area. He has performed with ensembles such as the Panama City Symphony Orchestra (including as a featured flex-atone soloist), Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, Central Iowa Wind Ensemble, Toledo Symphony Band, and has regulated world-premiered contemporary percussion pieces, most recently premiering something visceral, and electronic-multi percussion solo by rising contemporary composer and fellow BGSU alum, Elijah Stewart. Nick Bahr is currently pursuing his Doctor of Music in Percussion Performance at Florida State University studying under Dr. John Parks IV, where he serves as a graduate teaching assistant for the percussion studio. Nick has had the immense honor to study with the some of the leading and foremost minds of percussion pedagogy, including Dr. John Parks IV, Johnathan Ovalle, Dr. Dan Piccolo, Dr. Austin Pellela, and Dr. Jonathan Sharp. Nick holds degrees from Iowa State University (BM), and Bowling Green State University (MM).

Co-Founder and Instructor
Matt Korloch
specializes in:
drumset, orchestral percussion, entrepreneurship, piano, music theory, Latin percussion
Matthew Korloch is a percussionist, educator, and entrepreneur whose work is defined by a rare synthesis of high-level performance, conceptual artistry, and practical musicianship. As Co-Founder of DON’T practice, a music-focused equipment and apparel brand, Korloch brings a performer’s insight and a creator’s philosophy to products designed to challenge traditional approaches to musical development. Korloch is currently pursuing a Masters of Music in Percussion Performance at Florida State University, where he studies under Dr. John Parks and serves as a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the percussion studio. He holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Percussion Performance and Music Studies (Jazz Drumset concentration) from the University of South Florida, graduating summa cum laude. His training spans orchestral percussion, world percussion, drumset performance, and improvisation, giving him a uniquely comprehensive perspective on the modern percussionist’s demands. As a performer, Korloch maintains an active presence across orchestral and contemporary settings. He has appeared with ensembles including the Panama City Symphony Orchestra and the Tallahassee Ballet, and regularly performs with the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra as a substitute percussionist and timpanist. He previously served as Principal Percussionist and Assistant Principal Timpanist with the Gulf Coast Symphony Orchestra, where he combined performance responsibilities with leadership roles in equipment management and ensemble coordination. Behind the drumset, he has performed with multiple national touring productions, such as Stardew Valley: Symphony of the Seasons and Trinity: Classically Irish. His performance résumé also includes appearances at major orchestral festivals such as the National Music Festival and the Miami Beach Classical Music Festival, as well as performance at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention. Korloch is particularly committed to the performance and advancement of new music. He is an active member of the Polymorphia New Music Ensemble and a regular participant in the CAMPground International New Music Festival, where he has collaborated with composers and performers on numerous world premieres. His work in this space reflects a broader artistic priority: engaging directly with evolving musical languages rather than simply preserving established traditions. His accomplishments have been recognized through honors including the Presser Scholar Award, the second prize in the Open Duo division of the Great Plains International Marimba Competition, and election to the Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society. Beyond the concert stage, Korloch is a dedicated educator, having taught extensively in both classroom and applied settings. This teaching experience directly informs his entrepreneurial work, providing firsthand understanding of the challenges students face in developing consistency, efficiency, and confidence in their playing. This philosophy is the foundation of DON’T practice. Co-founded with his partner Wyatt Hatch, the brand rethinks the culture of practice itself—designing tools and apparel that prioritize intentional playing, awareness, and musical efficiency over rote repetition. Rather than rejecting discipline, the project reframes it, offering percussionists a more focused and modern approach to improvement. Parallel to his classical career, Korloch is the creator of Ten Cent Tom, an ongoing conceptual music project that blends pop sensibility with long-form narrative and philosophical inquiry. While distinct from his entrepreneurial work, it reflects the same underlying drive: to question established systems, build cohesive artistic worlds, and create work that resonates on both an emotional and structural level. Across performance, education, and business, Korloch’s work is unified by a single principle—music should not only be mastered, but understood, challenged, and reimagined.
