Andrew Simonette

Mr. Andrew Simonette is currently the Interim Coordinator for the Community Music Program at WVU where he recently graduated with a Master of Arts in Musicology. A West Virginia native originally from Parkersburg, he moved to and grew up in the South Hills of Pennsylvania in 2006.

Andrew returned to West Virginia in 2018 where he completed his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education at West Virginia Univeristy in 2022. At WVU he studied classical and world percussion along with drum set with Professor George Willis, Dr. Michael Vercelli, and Professor Brian Wolfe. Andrew’s teaching background is diverse as he has worked both with K-12 and University students. He student taught in both the Monongalia County and Lewis County school districts, and he currently holds a professional teaching certification in Mon County. Within the county he has taught a 2 week summer ukulele program at North Elementary in the summer of 2022. 

Outside of the school system, he has taught for BOPARC Wiles Hill Community Center offering a summer African Drum and Dance class to K-5 students for the past two years as well as assistant teacher with Chanler Bailey at a steel band camp at Wiles Hill. Within the University, Andrew served as the world music faculty member for the WVU Summer Percussion Academy working with middle and high school students in the summers of 2023 and 2024. As the graduate assistant to the World Music Performance Center, he was the primary instructor for the WVU Beginner Steel Band for the 2023-2024 academic year. 

Beyond that Andrew has taught private students since graduating high school. Andrew is also an active performer playing drum set, world percussion, and bass guitar in many different groups. His current gigs include Cassidy Paige and the Lucien Schroyer Trio. Andrew is an alumnus of the Pride of West Virginia, Fife and Drum Corp, World Music ensembles, and Wind Symphony. He has performed with WVU ensmebles at international conventions such as the Percussive Arts Society. Andrew has also studied abroad in Switzerland (2019) and Ghana (2023 and 2024).