Will Cooley (apprentice 2) is working on a master’s degree in percussion performance at NIU, where he studies with Robert Chappell. He received his bachelor’s degree in music education in 2007 from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He has performed with a number of professional orchestras, including the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra, as well as with the Philharmonic, the Latin Jazz Ensemble, and the Percussion Ensemble, all at NIU. He has done teaching in schools at all age levels and also taught private lessons at a community school.