Percussion (and other things)
It’s PASIC 2022 time! We have Part 2 of our Annual Preview Episodes, focusing on presentations by Bri Wiegand (01:40), Becca Laurito (15:45), Ksenija Komljenovic and Liana Harron (Vesna Duo) (38:00), Aundre Wesley (54:20), Jillian Baxter (on behalf of the PAS Diversity Alliance Panel) (01:09:45), and Neil Grover (01:23:35).
Links:
It’s PASIC 2022 time! We have Part 1 of our Annual Preview Episodes, focusing on presentations by Rebecca Lloyd-Jones (02:10), Adam Groh (20:00), Karli Viña (35:00), Christopher Thompson (59:20), and Cameron Leach (01:17:50).
Links:
Percussive Arts Society’s PASIC website
Composer, Percussionist, and Educator Ivan Trevino returns to the podcast to update us on life since his previous appearance in 2017, including his family, teaching full-time at UT-Austin, and his composition project for Eastman (02:20), his current composing influences and experiences teaching composition (15:50), issues he ran into during the first 18 months of the pandemic as well as writing for non-percussion-specific genres (36:10), and goes for another round of the Random Ass Questions, including IDE issues, the upcoming Men’s Soccer World Cup, his San Antonio Spurs, and basketball coach Becky Hammon (44:10).
Finishing with a Rave on the 2022 film Tár (01:20:15).
Links:
Ivan Trevino’s 2017 interview on the podcast
Todd Meehan’s 2017 appearance on the podcast
Tom Burritt’s 2021 appearance on the podcast
Natalia LaFourcade’s 2017 NPR Tiny Desk concert
“Immigrant Song” - Ivan Trevino
“Libertango” - Astor Piazzolla/Sammut arr (from Pete’s 2022 recital)
Megan Arns on the podcast in 2017
“Asphalt Cocktail” - John Mackey
“My Lady White” - David Maslanka
Mark Boseman on the podcast in 2019
“My Pretend Music School” - Ivan Trevino, 2014
Victor Wembanyama vs. Scoot Henderson
Spurs vs. Mavs 2006 Game 7 Western Conference Semis
Spurs vs. Heat 2013 NBA Finals Game 6
Spurs vs. Heat 2014 NBA Finals Game 5
Raves:
University of Texas-Arlington Percussion Director Andrew Eldridge returns to talk about his doctoral studies at TCU, his research on crowdfunding, and the early years at UTA (03:15) and finishes with the Random Ass Questions, including segments on social media networking and breaks, mental health and the importance of family, and his love of Science Fiction movies and books (29:15).
Finishing with a Rave on the 2022 David Bowie documentary Moonage Daydream (01:04:20).
Links:
“Prelude to Paradise” - Jacob Remington
“Consider the Birds” - Ryan George
“Vespertine Formations” - Christopher Deane
“The Night Watch” - Joseph Blaha
“Palace of Nine Perfections”, Third Movement - Eric Ewazen
“Duo Chopinesque” - Michael Hennagin
“Crown of Thorns” - David Maslanka
Joe W. Moore III on the podcast in 2017
Alan Shinn on the podcast in 2017 (rebroadcast from 2021)
Our Pet’s Heds Are Falling Off Beer
Rendezvous with Rama - Arthur C. Clarke
Ender’s Game - Orson Scott Card
Wheel of Time series - Robert Jordan
The Belgariad series - David Eddings
The Martian Chronicles - Ray Bradbury
Dallas Mavericks 2011 NBA Finals highlights
Raves:
University of Texas at Arlington Coordinator of Percussion Studies Andrew Eldridge stops by to talk about his UTA job, “preplanning the job you want”, various local gigs, and the commissioning process (03:20), growing up in Germany and Texas, Texas weather, his steel pan experience, and growing up in the Texas band culture (28:30), and his undergrad years at Texas A&M-Commerce, master’s years at the University of Illinois, personal tragedy, band directing, and the stress of percussion specialists in Texas (53:00).
Finishing with a Rave/Appreciation of the life of composer Raymond Helble (01:22:45).
Links:
Andrew Eldridge’s University of Texas at Arlington page
Joe W. Moore III on the podcast in 2017
Percussive Arts Society (PAS) in Lawton
“Lorena’s Tango” - Chucho Valdéz
Cort McClaren on the podcast in 2022
Dave Gerhart on the podcast in 2018
“Four Way Cross” - Texas A&M band
Brian Zator on the podcast in 2017
William Moersch on the podcast in 2019
Raves:
“Toccata Fantasy in E-Flat Minor” - Raymond Helble (performed by me)
St. Olaf College (MN) Percussion Professor Matt McClung returns to talk about transitioning into full-time percussion before and during his master’s at Cincinnati Conservatory of Music (02:45), going to Rice University (TX) for the doctorate (17:40), working for 3 years in the Honolulu Symphony (HI) (35:00), his job at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and leaving it to move to Minneapolis/St. Paul (49:00), and finishes with the Random Ass Questions, including segments on student impressions, “bad” Tom Hanks movies, great authors, and Michelangelo’s “David” (58:20).
Finishing with a Rave on musical acts from the 2022 Roots N Blues Music Festival (01:28:30).
Links:
“Music for Pieces of Wood” - Steve Reich
“George Washington Bridge” - William Schuman
“Five Scenes from the Snow Country” - Hans Werner Henze
“Time for Marimba” - Minoru Miki
Musser M31 4.0 Octave Windsor II Kelon Marimba
Todd Meehan’s 2017 appearance on the podcast
Eurhythmics at Cleveland Institute of Music
Presser Foundation Scholarship
Alexis C. Lamb on the podcast in 2021
Uffizi Gallery - Florence (Italy)
Raves:
St. Olaf College (MN) Percussion Educator and Performer Matt McClung stops by to talk about the St. Olaf job, stepping into band directing, and the wide range of students that attend the school (05:45), leaving his job at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, getting connected in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, his wife’s violin career, and moving during COVID (22:00), growing up near Chicago, his church music background in voice and percussion, and his early ensemble experiences (40:30), and his undergrad degree at the University of Cincinnati, where he majored in Engineering and did a lot of percussion on the side (01:02:20).
Finishing with a Rave on the 1976 film All the President’s Men (01:18:10).
Links:
Modern School for Xylophone, Marimba, and Vibraphone - Morris Goldenberg
Snare Drum in the Concert Hall - Al Payson
William Moersch on the podcast in 2019
Overture to Candide - Leonard Bernstein
Raves:
Colleen Bernstein returns to talk about her years at the University of Michigan for her Masters, working with the Contemporary Directions Ensemble, moving to Detroit, and her “Strength and Sensitivity” Concert Series (04:05), and contributes to the Random Ass Questions segment, with segments on Percussion Mastery, Diversity in Music, New York Sports fandom, her themed performances of “Afta-Stuba!” in high school, and the musical The Phantom of the Opera (26:30).
Finishing with a Rave on the jazz albumThelonious Monk plays Duke Ellington (01:11:00).
Links:
Contemporary Directions Ensemble
A Soldier’s Tale - Igor Stravinsky
“Strength and Sensitivity” Highlights
Nicole Patrick on the podcast in 2020
Raves:
New York City-based Freelancing Percussionist and Educator Colleen Bernstein stops by to talk about her portfolio career in New York and New Jersey, playing on Broadway, teaching K-12 and college, and the New Jersey Youth Symphony (04:45), her work with the Percussive Arts Society Diversity Alliance (26:15), growing up in Albany (NY), her piano background, and her experiences Empire State Youth Orchestra (34:00), and her undergrad experiences at Eastman (NY) and recording Robert Aldridge’s “From My Little Island” (54:00).
Finishing with a Rave and a Thank You for all those involved and who watched Pete’s September 19th recital (01:10:00).
Links:
William Paterson University Percussion Faculty
“Colas Breugnon” Xylophone Excerpt
Scheherazade -movement III - Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
“Third Construction” - John Cage
“Rebonds A+B” - Iannis Xenakis
“From My Little Island” - Robert Aldridge
Raves and Recital Link:
Pete Zambito Faculty Recital - 9-19-22
Pete’s Facebook Live Appearance on the PAS University Pedagogy Committee
University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) Percussion Professor Eric Willie stops by to talk about the job there (05:00), his time in Brazil studying Maracatu earlier this year on a Fulbright Fellowship (25:45), growing up in West Tennessee and his time in DCI (40:40), his undergrad career at the University of Tennessee-Martin and Austin Peay University (TN) (49:20), attempting the band director thing and eventually heading to the University of Kentucky for his masters (55:50), teaching in a challenging situation at Wisconsin-Whitewater for a year (01:08:45), heading to North Texas for his doctorate, working at Tennessee Tech, and the reasons he took the UNCG job (01:16:20), and finishes with the Random Ass Questions, including segments on percussion literature, the Indiana Jones movies and his love of popcorn (01:40:15).
Finishing with a Rave on attending live events (02:03:00).
Links:
Megan Arns’ 2016 appearance on the podcast
Alexandros Fragiskatos’ 2019 appearance on the podcast
Cort McClaren’s 2022 appearance on the podcast
David Steinquest’s 2022 appearance on the podcast
John R. Beck’s 2022 appearance on the podcast
Juan Álamo’s 2021 appearance on the podcast
Lamon Lawhorn’s 2020 appearance on the podcast
Julie Hill’s 2019 appearance on the podcast
Four Movements For Marimba - Michael Burritt
“Children’s Songs” - Chick Corea
Kennesaw State University (GA) Percussion Professor and Freelance Percussionist John Lawless stops by to talk about his teaching gigs, the local gigging scene, and the Atlanta Percussion Trio (03:30), growing up in the Atlanta area, getting started in percussion, and training for triathlons (23:45), his college years at Georgia State and years after undergrad teaching college, performing, his golf background, and more about the Percussion Trio (48:20), and finishes with the Random Ass Questions (01:07:45).
Finishing with a Rave on the 1999 novel Girl With a Pearl Earring (01:23:25).
Links:
John Lawless’s Kennesaw State page
John Lawless’s Innovative Percussion page
Marcus Hawkins’ appearance on the podcast in 2022
Steve Hemphill’s appearance on the podcast in 2020
The Joy of Music - Leonard Bernstein
Pictures at an Exhibition - Modest Mussorgsky
Silent Night - Kevin Puts and Mark Campbell
Raves:
University of South Carolina Percussion Professor Scott Herring stops by to talk about the USC position, doubled-up performances at PASIC, the promotion process, and the Sympatico Percussion Group (03:00), growing up in NC, early drumset and percussion years, and time spent playing tennis (24:15), going to East Carolina University for undergrad (35:40), getting his Masters and Doctorate at Northwestern University (IL), teaching at Emporia State (KS), and getting to USC (44:25), and finishing with the Random Ass Questions segment, including sections on challenging marimba literature, Star Wars, golf, and Malcolm Gladwell (01:10:25).
Finishing with a Rave on the 2021 documentary Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song (01:38:30).
Links:
Emily Lemmerman on the podcast in 2019
“Girls, Girls, Girls” - Mötley Crüe
Even in the Odds - Ralph Humphrey
A Change of Seasons - Dream Theater
Dave Albert playing “Sing Sing Sing”
“Yellow After The Rain” - Mitchell Peters
North Carolina Teaching Fellows
Thomas Burritt’s 2021 appearance on the podcast
Thom Hasenplug’s 2019 appearance on the podcast
The Beatles in Hamburg, Germany
“Three Shells” - Christopher Deane
Raves:
Recent Mizzou Masters of Percussion Performance Graduate Emily Miclon returns to talk about her upcoming studies in India and what it took to get to go (02:00) and takes a turn through the Random Ass Questions, including commentary on women in percussion, reading for fun, and listening to podcasts by comedians (20:45).
Finishing with a Rave on the 2019 documentary film Billie (41:00).
Links:
Emily Miclon’s Wildlight Publications page
Emily Miclon’s 2022 Masters Recital
The Frank Huntington Beebe Fund
Johnny Cash: The Life - Robert Hilburn
Raves:
Mizzou Masters Degree in Percussion Performance Graduate Emily Miclon stops by to talk about her Masters recital, Assistantship, teaching Percussion Techniques and Percussion Ensemble, and organizing the So Percussion residency (05:00), leading the Mizzou Student IDE Collective, performing outside of Mizzou, and playing a lot of new music (20:00), growing up in Connecticut, her piano background, having a life outside of music, being High School Class President, and her theater background (30:45), going to Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU) for her undergrad and studying with Jeff Calissi (51:15), and getting to Mizzou, working under Megan Arns, and staying for a third year with other Masters graduates (01:09:00).
Finishing with a Rave on the 2022 film Marcel the Shell With Shoes On (01:25:45).
Links:
Emily Miclon’s Wildlight Publications page
Emily Miclon’s Master’s Degree Recital in 2022
Drew Worden’s 2016 appearance on the podcast
Jeff Calissi’s 2017 appearance on the podcast
“Revolutionary Etude” - Frederic Chopin
“Liebstraum No.3” - Franz Liszt
Concerto for Vibraphone - Nathan Daughtrey
Megan Arns on the podcast in 2016
Cort McClaren on the podcast in 2022
Stephen Landy on the podcast in 2022
Jordan Nielsen on the podcast in 2022
Raves:
Percussionist, Composer, Podcaster, and Northwest Missouri State University (NWMSU) Percussion and Theory Professor Caleb Pickering stops by to talk about his school responsibilities, living in Missouri, and NWMSU’s sports powerhouses (02:40), his composition career and getting into self-publishing (24:00), his work with the @Percussion Podcast (35:00), growing up in Paris ,TX, Texas band, video gaming, and playing in punk and metal bands in high school (43:25), undergrad years at Texas A&M-Commerce (59:34), master’s degree time at UNLV and living in Las Vegas (01:05:50), teaching in Texas after his master’s, then heading to James Madison University (VA) for his doctorate, along with discussions of his dissertation on Percussion Methods classes (01:19:45), and finally finishing with the Random Ass Questions (01:40:35).
Finishing with a Rave on the 2022 film Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (01:57:45).
Links:
Casey Cangelosi’s 2017 appearance on the podcast
Karli Viña’s 2019 appearance on the podcast
Ben Charles’ 2017 appearance on the podcast
Ksenija Komljenovic’s 2020 appearance on the podcast
Pearl Export Snare Drum Series
NWMSU’s men’s basketball program
So Percussion Summer Institute
“Dreadnought” - Caleb Pickering
“Post Sunrise” - Caleb Pickering
Nathan Daughtrey’s 2021 appearance on the podcast
Brian Zator’s 2017 appearance on the podcast
“You’re So Last Summer” - Taking Back Sunday
“I’m Not Okay” - My Chemical Romance
“All the Small Things” - blink-182
“Master of Puppets” - Metallica
Aaron Ragsdale’s 2017 appearance on the podcast
Teaching Percussion - Gary Cook
Book of Percussion Pedagogy - Cort McClaren
Percussion Essentials - John H. Beck
Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2022 trailer
Performing in the Zone - Jon Gorrie
“Raise the Roof” - Michael Daugherty
Raves:
Lee University (TN) Percussion Professor Andy Harnsberger stops by to talk about his job responsibilities, programming and practicing for 40+ solo concerts a year while also composing, and the importance of sightreading (02:30), more about the students who come to Lee and the challenges of recruiting there (24:30), the importance of physical and mental health for percussionists (31:00), growing up in Roanoke, VA, listening and playing drumset to Classic Rock, and his sports background (43:20), attending Virginia Commonwealth for his undergrad and master’s degrees (52:25), getting his doctorate at Eastman (01:11:15), and settles in for the Random Ass Questions, including more about sightreading, the evolution of marimba literature, kitchen accidents, and beating cancer (01:18:20).
Finishing with a Rave of appreciation on the life and career of Bill Russell (01:48:50).
Links:
Caitlin Jones on the podcast in 2022
“Toccata in E-Flat Minor” - Raymond Helble
“Words Unspoken” - Andy Harnsberger
Mr. Jack Daniel’s Silver Cornet Band
John R. Beck on the podcast in 2022
“Stretching for Pain-Free Performance” - Andy Harnsberger
“Dance, Dance, Dance” - The Beach Boys
“Swinging at the Haven” - Ellis Marsalis
William Moersch on the podcast in 2019
“Yellow After the Rain” - Mitchell Peters
“Two Mexican Dances” - Gordon Stout
Julie Spencer on the podcast in 2021
“Variations on Lost Love” - David Maslanka
“Grand Fantasy in C Major” - Raymond Helble
“Two Movements for Marimba” - Toshimitsu Tanaka
“Time for Marimba” - Minoru Miki
“Wind in the Bamboo Grove” - Keiko Abe
“Velocities” - Joseph Schwantner
Overture to “Colas Bruegnon” - Dmitri Kabalevsky
Ivan Trevino on the podcast in 2017
“Khan Variations” - Alejandro Viñao
Cort McClaren on the podcast in 2022
“Northern Lights” - Eric Ewazen
“Reflections on the Nature of Water” - Jacob Druckman
“Gordon’s Bicycle” - Kevin Bobo
Brian Nozny on the podcast in 2018
Harry Potter novels - JK Rowling
“Palmetto Moon” - Andy Harnsberger
Raves:
Northern Michigan University’s Percussion Professor Jim Strain returns to talk about the links between his degree programs at Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and Eastman, some of his early gigs, and writing a full dissertation on xylophone (01:45), his years teaching at Kansas State University prior to heading to Indiana University (21:20), and the Random Ass Questions, including sections on equipment management, impressions of him during Band Day, old marching uniforms, Ben Franklin, Joe Montana, and his daughter’s artwork (29:45).
Finishing with a Rave on the 2020 novel Deacon King Kong (01:09:50).
Links:
Jim Strain’s Northern Michigan page
“Knocking Piece” - Ben Johnston
“Getaway” - Earth, Wind and Fire
“Go Down Gamblin’” - Blood, Sweat, & Tears
Raves:
University of Northern Michigan Percussion Professor Jim Strain stops by to talk about his current job, working with local performing groups, the challenges of recruiting to his university, and his time as the Historian for the Percussive Arts Society (03:15), his first PAS Experiences, the National Conference on Percussion Pedagogy, and “when someone opens a door for you, walk through it” (25:00), growing up throughout the southern U.S., the impact of the Boy Scouts on his life, his musical beginnings, and the Texas band experience (36:00), and his undergrad and grad career at Arkansas State and the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, along with his high school teaching job in Arkansas (01:00:30).
Finishing with a Rave on the 2022 film The Batman (01:22:45).
Links:
Jim Strain’s Northern Michigan page
National Conference on Percussion Pedagogy
Percussive Arts Society history
Kathy Kastner on the podcast in 2017
Lisa Rogers on the podcast in 2017
Cort McClaren on the podcast in 2022
Chal Ragsdale on the podcast in 2017
Exploring Posts through the Boy Scouts
Raves:
Cort McClaren returns to talk about his middle school and high school teaching and his teaching philosophies (02:15), the teaching expectations in front of an ensemble, not playing your “hottest Licks”, my recent performance at NCPP 2022, and “how to bow and accept applause” (15:00), graduate student rep class, dissertation coaching, and learning how to write and think (30:00), starting the National Conference on Percussion Pedagogy (NCPP) (41:40), studying and teaching at Oklahoma University with Richard Gipson and having to buy a computer in the mid-1980s (54:20), and finishing with the Random Ass Questions, including sections on impressions (of him, by me), swimming during his childhood, and the author CJ Box (01:13:15).
Finishing with a Rave on the 2022 film The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (01:33:20).
Links:
Nathan Daughtrey’s most recent podcast appearance
Laura Franklin’s 2016 podcast appearance
Jeff Calissi’s 2017 podcast appearance
Danny Frye’s 2017 podcast appearance
Lisa Rogers 2017 podcast appearance
Lance Drege’s 2017 podcast appearance
“Send in the Clowns” - Stephen Sondheim
The Joe Pickett series - CJ Box
“Misty” - Oscar Peterson and Clark Terry
Raves:
A Landmark Episode means a Landmark Guest! Pete’s Grad School (UNCG) Mentor Cort McClaren stops by to talk about his text The Book of Percussion Pedagogy and its beginnings (04:30), his effective way of running repertoire class (21:40), how his ideas of pedagogy and musicianship developed from his musical training in Hutchinson, Kansas, studying at Wichita State (KS) with J.C. Combs, teaching swimming lessons in high school, and watching other types of musical ensembles rehearse (33:00), the “push down” principle to performance and music learning, and the “four levels” (52:00), the beginnings of C. Alan Publications (01:03:15), and moving away from his active performing career while seeing that he was “born to be a teacher” (01:16:00).
Finishing with a professional Announcement and a Request (01:25:55).
Links:
Cort McClaren’s composer page at C. Alan Publications
The Book of Percussion Pedagogy - Cort McClaren
National Conference on Percussion Pedagogy (NCPP)
Nathan Daughtrey on the podcast in 2020
Laura Franklin on the podcast in 2016
Teaching Percussion - Gary Cook
Percussion in the School Music Program - Al Payson
“Yellow After the Rain” - Mitchell Peters
Concertino for Marimba - Paul Creston
Manhattanville Music Curriculum Project (MMCP)
An Actor Prepares - Constantin Stanislavski
Diabolic Variations - Raymond Helble
Paschal Dances - David Gillingham
Stained Glass - David Gillingham
Heroes, Lost and Fallen - David Gillingham
Concerto for Marimba, Third Movement - David Long
Mosaic (Professional Composer)
Raves:
