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Department of Music College of Arts and Sciences

Gene Fambrough

Gene Fambrough. Publicity BioProfessor
Assistant Director of Bands
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203 Hulsey Center
(205) 975-5823

Research and Teaching Interests: Percussion Ensemble, Marching Percussion, Steel Drum Band, Marimba

Office Hours: By appointment

Education:
  • BM, University of Georgia, Music Education
  • MM, East Carolina University, Music Performance
  • DMA, The University of Alabama, Music Performance

Gene Fambrough directs the UAB Percussion Ensemble, Steel Band, Electro-Acoustic Percussion Group, and Blazer Band, serves as percussion arranger and instructor for the UAB Marching Blazers, and is assistant conductor for the UAB Wind Symphony and Symphony Band. His compositions are published by Innovative Percussion and T.A.P. Publications.

As a performer, he has appeared with the Alabama Symphony, the North Carolina Symphony, Panama Steel, The Bizarre Arte Ensemble, and the Spirit of Atlanta drum and bugle corps. Dr. Fambrough’s articles have appeared in Percussive Notes and The Instrumentalist. He has performed and presented clinics at the Alabama PAS Day of Percussion, the AMEA Convention, the National MTNA Conference, and the Percussive Arts Society International Conference (PASIC). He is an Associate Editor for Percussive Notes.

Prior to his appointment at UAB, he spent three years in public school education as both assistant band director and band director at Oak Grove High School in Bessemer, Alabama. His professional affiliations include the Percussive Arts Society, Music Educators National Conference, Kappa Kappa Psi, and Pi Kappa Lambda. He is a clinician/endorser for Pearl/Adams percussion, Sabian cymbals, Innovative Percussion sticks and mallets, Evans drumheads, and Black Swamp accessories.

He recently released "Occam's Razor," a new CD featuring six of his latest compositions. Featuring diverse instrumentation, a variety of moods are captured with works for soloist and soloist with percussion quartet. The Birmingham based “Iron Giant Percussion” provides percussion quartet accompaniment on two of the tracks. The CD is available through the UAB Department of Music eStore, and digital downloads are available on iTunes, Amazon, and many other streaming services worldwide.


  • Recent Courses
    • MUP 136: Class Percussion
    • MUP 234: Percussion Ensemble
    • MUP 237: Blazer Band
    • MUP 180, 280, 380, 480, 580: Applied Percussion
  • Select Performances
  • Select Publications
    • “The Gigging Steel Drum Band,” Percussive Notes 52 (No. 3, May 2014).
    • “Integrating the Front Ensemble with Battery Exercises,” Percussive Notes 51 (No. 3, May 2013).
    • “Improving your Mental Focus,” Percussive Notes 48 (No. 6, November 2010).
    • “Survey of Percussion Ensemble Programming,” Percussive Notes 48 (No. 4, May 2010).
    • “Creating a Smarter Drumline,” Percussive Notes 48 (No. 3, March 2010).
  • Academic Distinctions & Professional Societies
    • Percussive Arts Society, Associate Editor of Percussive Notes journal
    • Music Educators National Conference
    • Pi Kappa Lambda
    • Kappa Kappa Psi
  • Student Groups
    • UAB Marching Blazers
    • UAB Blazer Band
    • Kappa Kappa Psi