Alum to Lead Prestigeous Percussion Research Center

East Texas A&M University alum Dr. Andrew Veit was recently named the new managing director for the Wells-Rapp Center for Mallet Percussion Research at Kutztown University in Kutztown, Penn. Veit earned a Master of Music degree from Texas A&M University-Commerce (now East Texas A&M) in 2012. He has spent the last two years as the director of percussion at the University of Texas Permian Basin.

Opened in Spring 2023, the Wells-Rapp Center for Mallet Percussion Research houses a growing collection of music, photos and artifacts, along with rare and valuable vintage collections of mallet percussion instruments. The building is named in honor of Dr. Richard Wells and Dr. Will Rapp, professors emeritus, two longtime faculty members in Kutztown University’s Department of Music.

“I'm honored to join Kutztown University as the managing director of the Wells-Rapp Center for Mallet Percussion Research,” Veit said in a statement released by Kutztown University. “The Center represents an extraordinary commitment to the preservation and advancement of the mallet percussion art form, and I'm excited to contribute to its next chapter. I look forward to working with the vibrant KU community and with percussionists from around the world to expand the Center's impact through research, outreach, and innovative programming.”

Veit is a 2012 Lion graduate | Photo courtesy of Kutztown University