Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 466 - Mike Mixtacki

University of Tennessee-Knoxville Adjunct Professor of Percussion Mike Mixtacki stops by to talk about his new gig, his many jobs in the college world so far, and connecting to the Eastern Tennessee percussion community (02:10), growing up in Madison (WI), his percussion and piano background, earning his Eagle Scout badge, and playing in lots of bands in his early years (21:15), attending the University of Wisconsin for undergrad and Indiana University for his master’s (39:10), working at Northern Illinois University (01:02:50), the University of Texas at San Antonio (01:10:40), his years at Texas Tech University and the importance of having regular life and job discussions with one’s partner (01:17:30), and finishes with the Random Ass Questions, including segments on cooking situations, bad action movies, Star Wars culture, Culver’s, current events podcasts, and reflecting on the life of Alan Shinn (01:31:30).

Finishing with a Rave on the Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel Wicked (01:57:50).

Mike Mixtacki Links:

Mike Mixtacki’s website

Mike Mixtacki’s Innovative Percussion website

Previous Podcast Guests mentioned:

Andy Bliss from 2023

Erin Walker Bliss from 2024

Liam Teague from 2025

Sherry Rubins from 2016

Ben Wahlund from 2025

Lisa Rogers from 2017

Alan Shinn from 2021

Other Links:

Kevin Zetina

Keith Brown

Robert Chappell

Anthony Di Sanza

Vicki Jenks

“Down with the Sickness” - Disturbed

“Psychosocial” - Slipknot

“Bacalao Con Pan” - Irakere

Chucho Valdés Tiny Desk Concert

“Quimbara” - Celia Cruz & The Fania All Stars

Tito Puente on Sesame Street

Michael Spiro

Birch Creek Music Performance Center

Eugene Novotney

Joe Galvin

Brian Mueller

Steve Houghton

Jamie Ryan

Jesus Diaz

Raul Pineda

Ed Smith

Graeme Francis

Jesse Willis

Jonathan Tomasello

Ten Summoners Tales - Sting

Severance trailer

Andor trailer

Jason Statham

Liam Neeson

Zero Day trailer

Cuba and its Music - Ned Sublette

Culver’s

Mehdi Hasan and Mark Ruffalo

The Ezra Klein Show

Raves:

Wicked - Gregory Maguire