About Emily

Emily Ickes grew up in Kalamazoo, and attended Western Michigan University from 2003-2007, obtaining a Bachelor of Music in Percussion.  She went on to Ithaca College, where she studied with Gordon Stout, and received her Master of Music in Percussion performance in 2009.  After graduating, Emily remained in central New York, and was an adjunct faculty member at Ithaca College for several years.  There she taught music theory and aural skill classes, percussion methods class, and twice served as a long-term substitute percussion professor. Concurrent with her work at Ithaca College, Emily was also a private music instructor, providing piano, percussion, and music theory lessons throughout the Southern Tier region of New York.

Emily has been a member of Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes in Corning, NY since 2008, and became the orchestra’s principal timpanist in 2012.  She has performed extensively as a freelance percussionist and pianist throughout central New York. Since returning to her hometown in 2022, she has continued teaching both piano and percussion, as well as performing, appearing with such groups as the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra and the Southwest Michigan Symphony.

Emily is a member of the OXtet, a jazz fusion group heavily influenced by the music of Frank Zappa. She performs mallet percussion on the band’s latest album, The OXtet Does Hindemith.  Read more about it here: Parma Recordings: The OXtet Does Hindemith