Based in Boone, North Carolina, Dr. Brady Spitz is a versatile percussionist, timpanist, and educator who serves as the Coordinator of Percussion at Appalachian State University. His extensive performance career includes appearances with the Houston, Hawaii, and Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestras, as well as with artists like The Who and "Weird Al" Yankovic. A specialist in world music, Dr. Spitz is a former artist-in-residence at the Indonesian Consulate in Houston, has directed gamelan ensembles at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC), and maintains an active research interest in the American Gamelan movement. Previously, he led the Northshore High School Indoor Percussion Program to multiple state and WGI championships. Dr. Spitz holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts from Rice University, where he was a Benjamin Armistead Shepherd Teaching Fellow, and is an endorsed artist for Innovative Percussion and Black Swamp Percussion.