Vicki Peterson Jenks, a native North Dakotan, received her musical training at Minot State University, the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and Baylor University. In 1976, she founded the percussion program at The University of Texas at El Paso as well as Repercussion, a professional marimba band.
Upon her move to Madison, Wisconsin in 1980, Vicki created and developed the education department at Ward-Brodt Music Store, one of the Midwest's premiere retail music stores. Under her guidance, student enrollment increased from 20 to 400 in just three years.
As an active freelance percussionist, Vicki performed for 10 years with the Madison Symphony Orchestra and 22 years as Principal Timpanist with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra. She serves as Master Adjudicator for the Wisconsin School Music Association.
From 1985-2005, Vicki owned and operated Jenks Music Studio, Wisconsin's largest private percussion studio. As a result of studying Vicki's "Total Percussive Musicianship" curriculum, her students perennially filled the percussion sections of Wisconsin honors bands and orchestras, Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras and Carnegie Hall's National Wind Ensemble. Jenks Music Studio alumni hold top positions in orchestras and at universities around the globe.
One of Vicki's greatest teaching passions is serving as conductor for the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras (WYSO), where she has served for dozens of years. Under Vicki's direction, her ensembles have received national recognition from the Percussive Arts Society, National Association for Music Education, National Band Association, Wisconsin Music Educators Association and the prestigious Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference. Her ensembles have performed throughout Great Britain, Scandinavia, Western Europe, Japan and Taiwan.
In 2008, Vicki received the Percussive Arts Society's Lifetime Achievement in Education Award, the highest recognition presented to any percussion educator in the world, and was inducted into the PAS Hall of Fame.
Since 2007, Vicki has served as a Disaster Action Team volunteer for Waushara, Green Lake, Marquette and Waupaca counties. D.A.T. teams respond to all manner of disasters. In the fall of 2011, she received the Clara Barton Honor Award, the most esteemed award presented to any American Red Cross volunteer. Heroes Musicales, co-founded by Vicki, has raised thousands of dollars for local disaster relief in Northeast Wisconsin.
Vicki is a Yamaha Performing Artist. She is also an artist clinician for Sabian Cymbals, Mike Balter Mallets and Vic Firth Sticks.
