Chip Hancock was born in Marietta, Georgia, and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He began playing drums in the third grade and soon realized a love for percussion that would ultimately become his life's passion. Chip started teaching drum lessons at the age of 15. At 16 he auditioned for the Marines and performed with the USMC Band in San Diego, California.

Following military service, in 1983 he founded the School of Percussive Arts in Chattanooga, TN. Since then his students have won hundreds of percussion auditions in regional and all-state bands and orchestras in Georgia and Tennessee. In addition to private instruction, Chip taught 27 years as the Director of Percussion at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School and Lakeview Middle School, 4 years as Director of Percussion at Ridgeland High School and Rossville Middle School, 6 years as Director of Percussion, Pep Band, and Jazz Band at The Baylor School, and 14 years as Director of Percussion at Ringgold High School and Ringgold Middle School. Chip has taught camps, clinics, and percussion programs in Hamilton and Marion Counties in TN, as well as Cobb, Paulding, Douglas, Bartow, Gordon, and Whitfield Counties in GA.

Chip is also an accomplished and seasoned performer as principle percussion and drum set with the USMC Band San Diego, and has traveled Europe with the Beauty and the Beast European Tour and the Evita European Tour. For 27 years, Chip performed with the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra as a section percussionist and drum set. During his career he has been fortunate to perform with artists to include: Bela Flek, Michael McDonald, Moody Blues, Patti LuPone, America, Al Jarreau, Three Dog Night, Travis Tritt, Mary Wilson, Roberta Flack, Art Garfunkel, The Machine (with Jeff Coffin), The Temptations, Melba Moore, Jennifer Holliday, Robert Goulet, Dave Brubeck, Victor Borge, Ben E. King, and The Smothers Brothers. Chip studied at the Armed Forces School of Music and has a BS Degree in Music Education from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. For more information about lessons, ensembles, and classes please visit SchoolOfPercussiveArts.com.