Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 493 - Jenna Duranko

Episode 493 - Jenna Duranko
Pete's Percussion Podcast

Maryland-based Freelancing Percussionist, Recording Artist, Composer, Author and Admissions Counselor Jenna Duranko stops by to talk about her career, her seminary studies, playing in senior-living spaces, and her recent album Mosaic (04:20), growing up in Frederick (MD), her early musical background in choir, piano and French horn, and her time in the girl scouts (24:00), attending Radford University (VA) for undergrad, recent podcast guest Meridythe Witt, becoming a percussion major and starting from scratch, and majoring in Music Business (34:20), her 7 years working in radio, creating a career through solo marimba performance, how the pandemic changed her career and called her towards ministry, and her current composition project (53:40), and settles in for the Random Ass Questions, including segments on why musicians always need to be paid, Tervis Tumblers, the band B*Witched, The Pittsburgh Steelers, library work, Macado’s Restaurant, and the Artemis II (01:12:40).

Finishing with a Rave on Pete’s experiences with the 2026 Missouri Day of Percussion and co-leading the Mass Steel Band (01:38:15).

Jenna Duranko links:

Jenna Duranko’s Facebook page

Jenna Duranko’s Instagram page

Mosaic - Jenna Duranko

Previous Podcast Guests Mentioned:

Meridythe Witt in 2026

Jeff Calissi in 2017

Megan Arns in 2017

Emily Lemmermann in 2019

Brian Zator in 2017

Connor Viets in 2024

Other Links:

Robert Sanderl

Lancaster Theological Seminary

Preaching and Music - Catherine Williams

“Michi” - Keiko Abe

“Wind in the Bamboo Grove” - Keiko Abe

Taubmann Museum of Art

National Ovarian Cancer Coalition

Rizpah

B*Witched

Tervis Tumblers

The Legend of Bagger Vance trailer

Gone with the Wind trailer

The Giver - Lois Lowry

Ben Roethlisberger highlights

Aaron Rodgers highlights

Mike Tomlin

Macado’s

Highlander Pizza

Raves:

2026 Missouri Day of Percussion