While most people listen to music all day, senior music performance major Mike Troianello creates it.

Troianello will showcase his abilities as a percussionist at his recital at 4:10 p.m. today in Kimbrough Concert Hall.

Apart from the required time commitment and skill, performance majors also have to give a recital during both their junior and senior year to show how WSU has transformed them as musicians, Troianello said.

Troianello will perform a combination of pieces for his junior recital today including “Marimba Dances” by Ross Edwards, “Prism” by Keiko Abe and “Four Pieces for Tympani” by John Bergamo, said Troianello’s percussion professor, Dave Jarvis.

Jarvis described the pieces Troianello has planned to perform as “very technical, exciting, and will make for a very intimate performance.”

Since he was 5 years old, Troianello said he has been playing music with the encouragement of his parents and band teachers. He started by playing the piano and the bells, but found his true passion playing drums when he was in high school. He said it wasn’t until he was 16 years old when he really began to get involved in music. Today, Jarvis said he is a particularly strong mallet player.

Following in his brother’s footsteps, Troianello said he left his hometown of Yakima to study at WSU. He was urged to try out for the percussion ensemble and received not only a spot, but a scholarship. Jarvis said he saw instant potential and talent within Troianello when he first arrived.

“He’s a fast learner and has a quick read on things. He adapts and absorbs things pretty quickly,” Jarvis said. “He ended up with a scholarship simply because he has such great potential.”

After becoming a performance major during his sophomore year, Troianello said he has a busy schedule that can be both draining and rewarding.

“I’m going nonstop from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,” he said. “I have orchestra or wind ensemble, in addition to practicing percussion solos and piano on the side.”

While practices are long and exhausting, finally finishing and performing a piece is rewarding, he said.

“By the time he leaves here, he will be a percussionist who is able to play in various areas of percussion and will be proficient and well-rounded in his music,” Jarvis said.

Troianello said he hopes to make a living off playing music and is also considering graduate school. He will continue to grow as a performer throughout his senior year with the guidance of his professor.

“While you are here, you become very good at what you’re playing and disciplining yourself,” Jarvis said. “The University is a great networking platform to open doors for the future.”

Despite his talent, Troianello remains very humble and in awe of how much WSU has taught him.

“Looking back and seeing how much my ability has grown is amazing,” Troianello said. “It’s the reason I stay in the program and work hard every day.”

Reporting by Brookelynn Graditi