Percussion One Foundation is a non-profit music education organization that serves middle and high school students. Its mission is to raise the bar for performance standards among school-age percussionists in the greater Houston area and encourage responsibility and personal growth.

Lamar Burkhalter, who is a Yamaha Percussion Artist, also serves as music director for the Houston Texans professional football team and has amassed considerable experience teaching percussion at the high school and university levels.

Lamar founded Percussion One in 1994 to help raise the bar for performance standards among school-age percussionists in the greater Houston area and encourage responsibility, self-confidence and self-discipline, hallmarks of top-tier music education programs.

From November to mid-July, the group practices at Lone Star College-CyFair, where they partake in three-hour rehearsals and perform all styles of music, including hand-drumming, ragtime, classical, novelty and marching percussion repertoire.

In addition to performing at Houston Texans home games and at college football bowl games, they have appeared on stage with the Houston Symphony Orchestra, Keith Urban and Shania Twain and have served as an opening act for Blue Man Group and Stomp. Percussion One ensembles have also toured Russia and Germany.

Troy Wollwage, marketing manager, Percussion Instruments, Yamaha Corporation of America, says:

"Lamar earned this Legacy Award for taking the initiative to establish one of the nation’s premier percussion education organizations that has enhanced the lives of all of the performers who passed through the program. He seamlessly meshes music education with life lessons, works tirelessly to improve his program every year and gives his performers the ability to play in venues that they would never be able to otherwise."