World-Music Drummer Dan Piccolo Kicks Off Inaugural Global Spice Series at WWU Oct. 21

The Western Washington University Department of Music will host a performance by percussionist and composer Dan Piccolo at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 21. in the Performing Arts Center Concert Hall.

The performance inaugurates Western’s “Global Spice World Music Series” which will feature music that blends Western and non-Western musical traditions and explores the fusion of world music with contemporary, classical, jazz, and popular music styles.

 Piccolo performs throughout the U.S. and abroad in a variety of different settings. Since 2005, he has travelled several times to Varansi, India to study the drumming under Pandit Kuber Nath Mishra. Piccolo will be joined by Western percussion faculty Patrick Roulet, WWU alumnus Karl Olson, and Bellingham percussionists Kay Reilly, Melanie Sehman, and Steve Sehman.

“Meeting and working with musicians who bring cultural and musical diversity to their performance has been challenging and extremely rewarding for me,” said Roulet, the series organizer. Each program features a visiting guest performer joined by local artists from Bellingham and the Northwest.

“Through the Global Spice World Music Series, I am hoping to offer students at Western and the members of the Bellingham community the opportunity to learn and experience music from a global perspective,” he said.

Tickets for Dan Piccolo’s October performance are $10-16, with discounts available for students and seniors. For tickets, contact the WWU Box Office at (360) 650-6146, or visit tickets.wwu.edu. For more information about Piccolo and the Global Spice series, visit cfpa.wwu.edu/music.