Phil Faini, a staple at the West Virginia University College of Creative Arts for more than 40 years, died on June 7, 2023 at the age of 91. 

Philip James Faini was born in Masontown, Penn., and by age 16, he played regularly with dance bands in the region. His work was featured on the radio shows during that time, 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. Once Phil finished his military service, he enrolled at WVU to study music; he also studied percussion with Roy Knapp, Jose Bethancourt, and Frank Lorince. Phil completed his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Music degrees at WVU before being hired to establish the first marching band at Potomac State College in Keyser.

Following his work at Potomac State, Phil 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 Dean Emeritus. Phil, 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. He worked with his students to create performances recognized across the country. They received an Emmy nomination for their work on Percussion Noel, still shown on PBS. The percussion ensembles performed on The Today Show and were chosen by the U.S. Department of State to represent the country in a concert tour of South America. Phil always remained loyal to West Virginia’s youth by taking his percussion ensembles on regular performance tours of 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, Phil 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. Phil continued to link music education across cultures by establishing the World Music Center at WVU. This work incorporated Ellie Mannette, who relocated his steel drum workshop from Trinidad to Morgantown with Phil’s assistance. Phil 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.

Phil produced hundreds of original compositions and arrangements for percussion ensembles. Additionally, Phil was recognized with a variety of honors and awards throughout his life from professional organizations, communities, educational institutions, and government entities. Phil gained a great deal of pleasure from former students who continued to stay in touch and visit him throughout his life. The number of students who maintained their connections to him over the years demonstrated the love and appreciation they felt for his teaching.

“Phil Faini helped to define an entire era for the College of Creative Arts and the School of Music,” said WVU 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.”