VanderCook College of Music (IL) Percussion Professor James Yakas stops by to talk about his job, its unusual components, and teaching music education students of all ages (02:15), growing up in the Detroit (MI) area, learning drumset and getting into marching band, and his baseball background and Detroit Tigers fandom (28:05), going to the University of North Texas (UNT) for undergrad (51:00), Northern Illinois University for his master’s (58:45), taking faculty posts at the University of Central Florida and in Minneapolis before teaching at the University of Texas at Arlington and getting his doctorate at UNT (01:06:35), and finishing with the Random Ass Questions, with discussions of Martin Scorcese, Star Wars movies, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Detroit deep-dish pizza, and the PASIC 2022 climate change exhibit (01:21:00).
Finishing with a Rave on the 2018 documentary McQueen (01:48:15).
Links:
Cort McClaren on the podcast in 2022
VanderCook’s Continuing Education program (MECA)
“Good Times Bad Times” - Led Zeppelin
“The Right Time” - Ray Charles
Troy Hall on the podcast in 2020
Detroit Tigers win 1984 World Series
NY Yankees win 1977 World Series
Rich Holly on the podcast in 2020
Midlife: A Philosophical Guide - Kieran Setiya
Omar Carmenates on the podcast in 2018
Fernando Meza on the podcast in 2020
Andrew Eldridge on the podcast in 2022
“Concerto Piccolino” - Milton Babbitt
Star Wars: Episode Two - Attack of the Clones trailer
Clif Walker on the podcast in 2021
“Cocktails for Two” - Spike Jones
Keith Also on the podcast in 2020
Raves: