WSA Names Paul Kikuchi, Seattle Percussionist and Composer, 2011 Commencement Speaker

April 13, 2011 - PRLog -- West Sound Academy (WSA) is pleased to announce that Paul Kikuchi will be the speaker at the school’s tenth commencement exercises on Thursday, June 9, 2011.  Kiana Lodge in Poulsbo, Washington is the setting for this year’s ceremony.  Commencement exercises will also feature the presentation of four Community Awards – one each for service, arts education, character, and international education – to individuals chosen by the Senior Class for their outstanding contributions to the greater Poulsbo and Bainbridge Island communities.


Paul Kikuchi is a percussionist, composer, instrument builder, and music educator from
Indianola, Washington.  After playing in rock bands as a youth, Paul went on to study music at Bennington College (BFA) and California Institute of the Arts (MFA).  He currently works as a musician and educator in Seattle.  

Paul is involved in a wide variety of musical projects, including percussion ensembles,
Balkan brass and drum bands, toy instrument ensembles, and jazz quartets, as well as his
own groups that feature his compositions and invented instruments.  He has performed
internationally at festivals such as the Vancouver International Jazz Festival and the Pepsi
Sziget Festival (Budapest, Hungary), and his recorded music can be heard on a number of
record labels both in the United States and abroad.  Paul is the founder and artistic director of Prefecture Records, which supports musicians working with experimental percussion, unusual acoustic environments, and found and invented instruments.  

As a music educator Paul has taught at West Sound Academy, The American International School of Budapest, the Oakwood School (Los Angeles) and the Community Arts Partnership (Los Angeles).  He is currently audio faculty at the Art Institute of Seattle.

“The school and especially the senior class are thrilled that Paul Kikuchi will be this year's commencement speaker,” says WSA Head of School Joe Kennedy.  “Paul is a former teacher at the school and has worked closely with a number of the seniors on their music projects.  Paul's musical talents, his commitment to education, and his international work in the industry closely align with West Sound Academy's focus on Academics, the Arts, and International Education.  We are excited to hear what advice he has for the WSA Class of 2011. “

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West Sound Academy: an independent college preparatory school for grades 6-12 on the Kitsap Peninsula in Poulsbo, Washington, providing a rigorous academic and art curriculum and offering the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in grades 11-12.