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 Diane
Downs, a teacher at an elementary school in Louisville, Kentucky, created
an ensemble group called The Fabulous Leopard Percussionists in November
1993. After 10 years, the group became a non-profit community
based organization and was renamed to the Louisville Leopard Percussionists.
The product of her labor, which began modestly, has matured in size,
musical range, ability and accomplishment. During the last 17 years,
the Leopards have performed throughout Louisville and Kentucky at events
including the Kentucky Derby Festival, at University of Louisville
sporting events, with the rock band My Morning Jacket, for the U.S.
Women's World Cup Champion Soccer Team, for the International Jump
Rope Championship Team at Morehead State University, Eastern Kentucky
University, and with the Louisville Orchestra.
On the national level, Downs's students have performed at the Atlanta
International Band & Orchestra Convention, the Indiana, Kentucky
and Florida State Music Educator's conventions, WGI Percussion Finals
in Dayton, The Midwest Clinic in Chicago, the International Association
of Jazz Educators Conferences in Chicago, New Orleans and New York
City, the American Orff-Schulwerk Association National Conference,
the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival in Washington, DC and 3 times at the
Percussive Arts Society International
Convention.
During these performances, Downs and her students have had the privilege
of performing with some of the world's leading percussionists including
Jerry
Steinholtz, Victor Mendoza, Ruben Alvarez, Ndugu
Chancler, Louie
Bellson, Joe Morello, Brad Dutz, Emil Richards, Zoro, and Dave Samuels.
They have also performed for such luminaries as Coretta Scott King,
Evelyn
Glennie, and Wynton Marsalis.
The Leopards were featured in an HBO special, "The Leopards Take
Manhattan: The Little Band That Roared" as part of the acclaimed "Music
In Me" series. The documentary follows the Leopards to New York
City to perform before the Chick Corea Trio (Chick Corea, Jack
DeJohnette,
and Eddie Gomez) at the 2006 IAJE Convention.
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