West Virginia University Director of the School of Music and Director of the World Music Performance Center Mike Vercelli stops by to talk about his work at WVU along with their incredible percussion inventory (03:10), his work navigating the new financial reality for colleges and the importance of developing entrepreneurship in students (18:00), growing up in New Hampshire, his percussion and music background, his unusual lessons background, and playing in rock bands and youth orchestra (29:50), attending UConn for undergrad, his various teachers at the program, and the growth of men’s and women’s college basketball there (38:30), his master’s degree at Bowling Green State (OH) and his first prominent experiences in world percussion, including his first trip to Ghana (45:05), taking time away from school, teaching and freelancing in Ohio and Arizona, heading to the University of Arizona for his doctorate, and his 6 months of study in Ghana (54:05), and finishing with the Random Ass Questions, including segments on the inclusion of world percussion in a western arts curriculum, making hot sauce and spicy foods, travel writer Paul Theroux, New England seafood, bad jobs, wild performance situations, and the Smithsonian African American History Museum (01:19:15).

Finishing with a Rave on the 2026 film Project: Hail Mary (01:52:15).

Mike Vercelli Links:

Learning Gyil - Mike Vercelli

Previous Podcast Guests Mentioned:

Jason Baker in 2020

Alex Weir in 2026

Norman Weinberg in 2017

Josh Armstrong in 2018

Daniel Smithiger in 2017

Megan Arns in 2017

Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 489 - Mike Vercelli