BME, Auburn University; MM, University of Louisiana—Lafayette; DMA, University of Southern Mississippi
Dr. Jason Mathena is director of the Jazz Ensemble. He is also currently instructor of music and assistant band director at Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Wesson, Mississippi. Before coming to Co-Lin and Millsaps, Mathena taught at Southwest Mississippi Community College for three years.
In addition to teaching, Mathena maintains a rigorous performance schedule as a member of the Mississippi Symphony, Gulf Coast Symphony, and Meridian Symphony. From the vibraphone, he leads two jazz combos, the Vibe Doctors and the Plus 1 Jazz Trio, both of which perform regularly in the metro Jackson area. He has many years of experience on drum set in many different professional settings, such as rock bands, jazz bands, and musicals, and currently freelances in that capacity in central and south Mississippi. Besides ensemble playing, Dr. Mathena has presented numerous recitals both academic and public and has also performed a soloist with various ensembles.
Jason Mathena holds a DMA in Percussion performance and Pedagogy with secondary emphases in Music Theory and Music History from the University of Southern Mississippi; an MM in Percussion Performance from the university of Louisiana—Lafayette; and a bachelor of music education from Auburn University. His primary percussion teachers have included John Wooton, Jeff Prosperie, She-e Wu, Troy Breaux, Greg Byrne, Harrell Bosarge, Bud Berthold, Glenn Carter, Kent Morrow, and William Hochkeppel.
