Phil Faini, a staple at the West Virginia University College of Creative Arts for more than 40 years, passed away Wednesday (June 7) at the age of 91. 

Faini, a native of Masontown, Pennsylvania, started his musical journey at age 16. He excelled as a drummer and played regularly with dance bands in the region. His work was featured on radio shows and he was recruited to become part of the 4th Army Band in San Antonio, Texas, where he played official ceremonies including a visit from President Dwight D. Eisenhower. 

After finishing his military service, Faini enrolled at WVU to study music, studying percussion with Roy Knapp, Jose Bethancourt, and Frank Lorince. He completed his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Music at WVU before being hired to establish the first marching band at Potomac State College in Keyser. 

Following his work at Potomac State, Faini was hired to teach in the Music Department at WVU. He served as a Graduate Assistant then moved through the ranks of Assistant, Associate, Full Professor, Dean of the College of Creative Arts and ultimately Dean Emeritus.

Faini, referred to as “The Chief” by his students, launched the careers of hundreds of students as they contributed to the field of music in countless ways. Some of the highlights of Faini’s include an Emmy nomination for the School’s work on Percussion Noel, still shown on PBS; the Percussion Ensemble’s performance on the Today Show; and their selection by the U.S. Department of State to represent the country in a concert tour of South America. 

Faini always remained loyal to the state of West Virginia’s youth by taking his Percussion Ensembles on a performance tour to the state high schools, introducing the music programs of the College of Creative Arts to young students around West Virginia. 

During his tenure at WVU, Faini conducted research into the traditional instruments and notation of African music from the oral traditions in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, and Ghana. His groundbreaking transcriptions, study of instruments, and resultant teaching served as one of the first frameworks for an international curriculum in multicultural and world music in music education textbooks. Faini continued to link music education across cultures by establishing the World Music Center at WVU. This work incorporated the founder of Steel Drums, Ellie Mannette, who relocated his workshop from Trinidad to Morgantown with Faini’s assistance. He also integrated the instruments and musical styles of Indonesia with the incorporation of the Gamelan as well as the royal drums of Japan to the World Music Center at WVU.

Faini produced hundreds of original compositions and arrangements for percussion ensembles. He would regularly receive messages from musicians around the world interested in his percussion ensemble compositions. Additionally, Faini was recognized with a variety of honors and awards throughout his life from professional organizations, communities, educational institutions, and government entities. International Percussion Associations have honored his innovative work and musical compositions.

“Phil Faini helped to define an entire era for the College of Creative Arts and the School of Music,” said Dean Keith Jackson. “His abilities as a percussion professor are legendary and he was a visionary as one of the leading national figures in bringing ‘world music’ into academia. His legacy as Dean includes a significant expansion of internationalizing the college.

“However, what is most special about ‘Chief’ was how he left a lasting impression on generations of students and colleagues. His warmth was infectious, and he always made you feel special with that good-natured chuckle. We will miss him, but we are dedicated to honoring his legacy.” 

In honor of Faini, his family asks any donations be made to WVU for The Philip Faini Scholarship; The Jeanne and Philip Faini Visiting Artist Fund; The Philip Faini and Falbo Family Endowed Deanship at the College of Creative Arts, or The Philip and Jeanne Faini World Music Library Endowment.

To read Faini’s full obituary, visit https://www.dominionpost.com/2023/06/10/philip-faini-2/.