Meet The Winter Percussion Staff

Winter Percussion

Mike Wasielewski, Associate Director

Mr. Wasielewski has performed with various marching percussion ensembles over the past 15 years including the Spartans Drum and Bugle Corps, the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps, and the University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band. Mike joined the percussion staff of the Spartans Drum and Bugle Corps in 2000 as the tenor technician. He has also worked with the Gardner High School Marching Band and the King Phillip Regional High School Marching Band and Winter Percussion Ensemble.

Mr. Wasielewsk graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering. He is currently employed by a Civil Engineering consultant in Boston as a Traffic Engineer.
Michael Barsano, Program Administrator

Mr. Barsano hails from Douglas, Massachusetts and recently graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. While at UMass, Mr. Barsano played an integral role in the University's Residence Life Program serving as an Assistant Resident Director during his final year at the University.

Having been involved with marching bands for most of his life, Mr. Barsano brings a wealth of experience to the BU Bands program. From 2002 through 2005, Mr. Barsano was a member of the Spartans Drum and Bugle Corps winning the DCI World Championship with them in 2004. He was later invited to join their staff as a Visual Instructor and helped lead the Spartans to their 4th DCI title in 2007. In addition to his many appointments, Mr. Barsano also teaches with the well-known Shepherd Hill Marching Band from Dudley, Massachusetts.
Chris Whyte, Batterie Instructor

Percussionist and Timpanist Christopher Whyte hails from Portland, Oregon. He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Boston University, where he is a student of Boston Symphony Principal Timpanist Timothy Genis. He also earned degrees at the University of Oregon while studying with Charles Dowd. He has performed with the Boston Civic Symphony Orchestra, Eugene Symphony, Oregon Festival of American Music, and is active as a freelance performer, recitalist, and clinician on both coasts. While studying in Oregon, Whyte won the 2006 University of Oregon Concerto Competition, was a featured soloist with the symphony orchestra and percussion ensembles, and served as principal timpanist and principal percussionist with the symphony orchestra, wind ensemble, The Oregon Percussion Ensemble, and The Praxis Marimba Quartet. Whyte has works published through MSC and Matrix publishing companies, and can be heard on forthcoming recordings from the Soundspells New York label. With an extensive background in rudimental drumming, Chris has performed with the Cascades, Bluecoats, and Blue Devils drum corps, and has arranged and taught for the Oregon Crusaders and Cascades. In addition, he is in demand as an arranger, clinician, and consultant throughout the United States. Chris proudly endorses Dynasty Drums, Promark Drumsticks, and Remo Drumheads.
Kenny Kominic, Front Ensemble Instructor

Kenny Kominic is a graduate of the University of South Carolina where he received his Bachelorʼs Degree in Music Education, studying under Dr. Scott Herring. While at USC, he performed with the USC Percussion ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, Palmetto Pans Steel Drum Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Marching Band, and the USC Opera. His performance experience also includes 3 years as a member of Carolina Crown, where he played Snare Drum from 2004-2006. Since graduating, Kominic has been active as an educator and arranger. He has served on the Percussion staff for several award-winning high school band programs in South Carolina and Virginia, including the 2009 Atlantic Indoor Association Gold Medalist Jefferson Forest High School, for whom he has also written original music since 2003. He was a snare tech for Verdigris Indoor Percussion in 2007 and for Open-class WGI Finalist Palmetto Percussion in 2008. Most recently, he served as a Battery Consultant for Carolina Gold Drum and Bugle Corps before moving to Boston in April of 2009.
Phil Perry, Visual Instructor

Phillip Perry, a native of East Bridgewater, Massachusetts, has been an active in the marching arts since 1995. Currently in his third year with BU Bands, Phil has been involved with several successful ensembles in Massachusetts and Florida including Charles W. Flanagan High School, Dartmouth High School, Cypress Bay High School Indoor Percussion Theatre and Stryke Percussion. Phil has also served as a FMBA adjudicator, a USSBA Show Coordinator, a member of the administration staff of the Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps, and has worked with a variety of ensembles as an independent clinician.

As a performer, Phil marched with the 9-time DCI World Champion Cadets of Bergen County, as well as with 2-time Div. II World Champion East Coast Jazz. Phil also performed with a variety of ensembles at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the University of Miami as both an orchestral and jazz trombonist. Phil is a graduate of the University of Miami (FL), and holds a Bachelors of Business Administration in Business Law and currently works in the financial services industry.