Glenn "Rusty" Gillette

🪔 About

Glenn "Rusty" Gillette is an American Carnatic percussionist recognized for his expertise in mridangam and ghatam. He was a prominent student of the esteemed mridangam specialist Tanjore Ranganathan, who taught Carnatic music at institutions such as the California Institute of the Arts and Wesleyan University. Gillette was among the non-Indian students who received training from Ranganathan, alongside notable musicians like Jon B. Higgins and John Bergamo. He is identified as one of the few American ghatam players. Gillette has a specialization in mridangam accompaniment for Bharatanatyam, a classical dance form from South India. His teaching experience includes imparting South Indian rhythmic skills and music for organizations such as The Center for World Music and The Balasarasvati School of Music. He served as an instructor of traditional South Indian music at San Diego State University in California, USA, until 2005. In 2019, Gillette participated in a performance of South Indian music and dance, playing mridangam and drums, as part of a centennial celebration for T. Balasaraswati, honoring artists who had studied directly with Balasaraswati and her brothers T. Ranganathan and T. Viswanathan.