Belleville West H.S., Orchard Farm H.S., Althoff Catholic H.S., Jefferson City H.S., Hillsboro H.S. & M.S., DeSoto H.S., and Central Visual and Performing Arts H.S.

Chris Cooper currently serves as the Percussion Coordinator, Percussion Specialist, Jazz Specialist and/or Battery Tech of the following schools:
Belleville West H.S. in Belleville, Illinois
Orchard Farm H.S. in St. Charles, Missouri,
Althoff Catholic H.S. in Belleville, Illinois
Jefferson City H.S. in Jefferson City, Missouri
Hillsboro H.S. & M.S. in Hillsboro, Missouri
DeSoto H.S. in DeSoto, Missouri
Central Visual and Performing Arts H.S. in St. Louis, Missouri

At the age of 12, Chris “Coop” Cooper displayed skills in arranging and composing music. When he was 15 years old, the Music Minister at his church hand-selected him to lead a drumming ministry for beginners. Then at 18 years old, Chris leapt into teaching marching percussion.

Chris's drum corps performance experience marching spans six successful years. From 1995 to 1998, he marched with the Quiet Storm Drum and Bugle Corps. In 1999 he marched with the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps before he aged out in the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps in 2000. These ensembles allowed him the great privilege of studying under great percussion arrangers and instructors, including Thom Hannum, Colin McNutt, Brian Tinkel, and Dan Delong.  After a season of age-out withdrawal, Dan Delong added Mr. Cooper to the percussion instructional team for the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps for the 2002 and 2003 seasons.

In the indoor percussion idiom, Chris has been a staff member for several additional scholastic lines, including Parkway West, Francis Howell North, and Rockwood Summit. On the Independent Percussion side, Coop has been on staff with Gateway Indoor, WGI’s 2009 Bronze Medalist Voyager Intrepid Percussion, and WGI’s 2017 Bronze Medalists Freedom Percussion. He continues to be on staff for Freedom Percussion.

Mr. Cooper attended the University of Missouri-St. Louis where he studied under Matt Henry. Coop is active on drum set and electric bass with other jazz, fusion, R & B, rock, Christian/gospel, Latin, and country groups.

Since 2011, Coop has been an active performing member of the amazing, high-energy percussion performance group, StikYard (www.stikyard.com). Through a combination of the Missouri and Illinois school districts, independent ensembles, clinics and private percussion lessons, Chris instructs more than 250 students each year.

Chris Cooper proudly endorses Mapex/Majestic Percussion and Innovative Percussion Inc.