Michael Gould

There are some players who just radiate the joy they get from playing drums, and Mike Gould is a shining example of that. He’s an educator, a performer, a producer and an author, and he takes great pleasure in all those roles. Look at any of his teaching videos and you’ll see patience, enjoyment and energy all working together.

Michael Gould is an Associate Professor of Music at the University of Michigan -- a faculty member of the Jazz and Contemporary Improvisation Department and Percussion Department in the School of Music and the Residential College. He’s received international recognition as a performer and scholar in the field of drumset, contemporary percussion performance and teaching.  Mike has performed with artists ranging from Alison Krauss to the Moody Blues and from the Las Vegas Percussion Quartet to the Lexington Philharmonic – plus John Wubbenhorst and Facing East, Pauline Oliveros, Joe Williams, Steve Rush and Quartex, Ed Sarath and Timescape, and many others. He’s a member of the Alberto Rojo Trio, and the founder of the quartet CASHEW and the trio E/N/D. He’s collaborated with choreographers, poets, visual artists and scientists, chaired the Percussive Arts Society’s College Pedagogy Committee for four years, and taught creative processes to corporations. In his spare time, he manages to produce dozens of instructional videos and e-books, as well as compose original works.

From basic kit technique to the nuances of contemporary jazz, Mike is clearly doing what he loves every day. That kind of delight is contagious – to his students, to his audiences, and to us.