Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 83 - Alice Pan

April 4, 2018 Pete Zambito

Recent Michigan State University DMA Graduate Alice Pan stops by to talk about what she’s doing since finishing her degree (02:00), growing up in Taiwan (12:00), going to Soochow University (Taiwan) for undergrad (27:30), getting her Master’s from Ithaca College (NY) (37:45), and getting the doctorate at MSU (52:00). She then tolerates the Random-Ass Questions (01:09:35).

Finishing with a rave on the movie “Band Aid” (01:21:25).

Links:

Method of Movement - L. H. Stevens

Keiko Abe

"Great Wall" - L. H. Stevens

"Crystal Butterfly" - Ben Wahlund

Marimba Concerto - Emmanuel Sejourne

Nancy Zeltsman

Bob Van Sice

Jonathan Haas

Mourning Dove Sonnet - Christopher Deane

"Shadow Chasers" - Michael Burritt

"Blues for Gilbert" - Mark Glentworth

Marco Schirripa

The Kraken Quartet

Velocities - Joseph Schwantner

"Everybody Talk About Freedom" - Julie Spencer

"Voice of Matsuri Drum" - Keiko Abe

Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion - Bela Bartok

Black Swan trailer

The Pixel Movie trailer

"Black or White" - Michael Jackson

Sailor Moon

"Tse Go La" - Andrea Clearfield

Lauren Teel

Raves:

Band Aid Trailer

Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 82 - Aarik Danielsen

March 28, 2018 Pete Zambito

Columbia Tribune (MO) Arts Writer Aarik Danielsen stops by (literally) to talk about his current work (02:45), some recent changes at the Tribune and his experiences interviewing authors (16:30), growing up in California and Arizona and his love of music and movies (29:00), his favorite music writing (37:45), getting to Missouri through SW Baptist College (46:45), his experiences with adoption and race (52:45), eventually getting his Master’s in Journalism from Mizzou (01:06:00), and experiences Random-Ass Questions (01:14:30), finishing with mutual gushing over James Baldwin (01:29:00).

Links:

Aarik Danielsen's Columbia Tribune Bio

Aarik Danielsen's Twitter feed

Fathom Magazine

Columbia One Read

Unbound Book Festival

The Mavericks

Leon Bridges

Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival

The Blue Note (MO)

Die Hard trailer

Wayne's World trailer

Meet Me in the Bathroom

Missouri School of Journalism

Groundhog Day trailer

Kazaam trailer

I Am Not Your Negro trailer

If Beale Street Could Talk - James Baldwin

Another Country - James Baldwin

Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 81 - Danny Frye

March 21, 2018 Pete Zambito

High Point University (NC) Director of Bands Danny Frye joins the podcast to talk about his current job and the history of the city of High Point (3:30), the convoluted path to finishing his doctorate from UNCG (19:15), growing up in Burlington, NC (32:00), his interest and (early) work in puppetry (41:00), his undergrad at East Carolina University and UNCG (45:30), his masters years at Manhattan SOM and UNCG (59:30), and deals with my Random-Ass Questions (01:30:15).

Finishing with a rave on the 2018 NCAA Tournament (01:40:55).

Links:

Danny Frye's High Point University page

Danny Frye's Innovative Percussion page

Kevin Bowen

High Point Market

"Let it Ride" - Bachman Turner Overdrive

"Sea Refractions" - Mitchell Peters

"Yellow After the Rain" - Mitchell Peters

Cort McClaren

John Locke

Chris Brown

"Torse III" - Akira Miyoshi

John H. Beck

"Canaries" - Elliot Carter

Lance Drege

"Different Voices" - Lynn Glassock

"5 Pieces for Clarinet and Percussion Orchestra" - Philip Parker

Kelly Burke

"Shadow Chasers" - Michael Burritt

"Spiral Passages" - Jan Metzger

Defending Your Life trailer

Turner and Hooch trailer

"Working Day and Night" - Michael Jackson

"As" - Jacob Collier and Becca Stevens

Raves:

The NCAA Tournament

Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 80 - Brandon Arvay, 2018

March 7, 2018 Pete Zambito

Episode 30 guest Brandon Arvay returns to talk about his changed life and percussion podcasts right now (01:15), social media (06:15), his thoughts on “actually doing stuff” (17:10), funding and athletics (28:30), whether ever school needs a concert band (38:10), his current work schedule (45:15), the percussion job market and turning down the UNC-Pembroke job (55:35), sports talk (01:12:00), and more teaching talk (01:17:30).

Finishing with a rave on the documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” (01:28:40).

Links:

Brandon Arvay's website

Brandon Arvay's previous appearance on the podcast

Brian Zator

Discussions in Percussion

"The Gatekeepers" - Brandon Arvay

Casey Neistat's YouTube page

Colin Hill

The Bulletproof Musician

Drew Tucker's Young Percussionists Column

Raves:

Won't You Be My Neighbor trailer

Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 79 - Justin Johnson

February 28, 2018 Pete Zambito

Ragsdale (NC) High School Co-Band Director and Percussion Instructor Justin Johnson talks about his current percussion life after some time in the I.T. world (02:25), growing up in southern Virginia and playing drumset and organ in church (42:55), his high school life as a basketball and track star (51:40), going to Radford University (VA) for undergrad (01:01:00), doing the Master’s at UNCG along with Lamon Lawhorn (01:17:00), and holding on for the Random-Ass Questions (01:29:10).

Finishing with a Rave on the film Tell Them We Are Rising (01:47:10).

Links:

Justin Johnson's Homepage

"Merlin" - Andrew Thomas

"Wind in the Bamboo Grove" - Keiko Abe

"Wicca" - Casey Cangelosi

Concerto for Percussion - John Mackey

Black Panther trailer

Back to the Future trailer

Drumline: A New Beat trailer

"Shofukan" - Snarky Puppy

Raves:

Tell Them We Are Rising trailer

Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 78 - Josh Smith

February 21, 2018 Pete Zambito

Lexington (KY) area freelance percussionist and music publisher Josh Smith talks about his career right now (01:35), his long-time job at Bethel University (TN) (06:50), Tennessee's abundance of pecan trees (15:00), working at Tennessee-Martin and the grad school mentality on jobs (22:00), growing up in Kentucky (among many other places) (27:30), his love of Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, and skateboarding (32:30), going to the University of Kentucky for undergrad (41:10), his four years of teaching high school band near Louisville (55:26), doing a master's (and an adjunct teaching year) at James Madison University (VA) (01:01:00), finishing up the doctorate at North Texas (01:11:00), and tolerates the Random-Ass Questions (01:29:40).

Finishing with a Rave on "Harry Potter: Live in Concert" (01:35:15).

Links:

Josh's homepage

Ox and Lamb Percussion Publications

In A Gadda Da Vida - Iron Butterfly

Carmine Appice

"Wipe Out" - Surfaris

Led Zeppelin IV

"Shout at the Devil" - Motley Crue

BMG Music

J. Geils Band

Van Halen 1984

Metallica ...And Justice for All

"Jerry Was a Race Car Driver" - Primus

"Caritas" - Michael Burritt

5 Cirandas Brasileiras - Ney Rosauro

"Bongo-0" - Roberto Sierra

"Recital Suite for Djembe" - B. Michael Williams

Concerto No. 2 for Marimba - Ney Rosauro

"Homage to Max" - Rande Sanderbeck

"Astral Dance" - Gordon Stout

"Variations on Japanese Children's Songs" - Keiko Abe

UNT Percussion Faculty

Eugene Corporon

Dennis Fisher

"Piacer d'amore" - Keiko Abe

"Shadow Chasers" - Michael Burritt

"Mourning Dove Sonnet" - Christopher Deane

"Rhythmic Gradation" - T. Ichiyanagi

"Bodhran Dance" - B. Michael Williams

"Third Construction" - John Cage

1996 Kentucky Championship

"Thriller" - Michael Jackson

Looper trailer

Side Hustle School podcast

Don't Quit Your Day Job podcast

Raves:

Harry Potter in Concert

Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 77 - Andrea Brown (Part 2)

February 14, 2018 Pete Zambito

Andrea Brown (University of Michigan) returns to talk about the reality of being a woman in many facets of the band world (01:20), handling the “being a woman conductor” question (14:15), the influence of social media and the #MeToo movement (22:25), her years working as a clinician in DCI (26:30), and time for some Random-Ass Questions (39:50).

Finishing with a rave on Antonio Sanchez and “Birdman Live!” (53:20).

Links:

Andrea Brown, Part 1

Natalie Portman at the Golden Globes

Dumb and Dumber trailer

Hidden Figures trailer

The Post trailer

Carlos Simon

Raves:

Antonio Sanchez - Birdman Live

Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 76 - Andrea Brown (Part 1)

February 7, 2018 Pete Zambito

University of Michigan Assistant Band Director Andrea Brown talks about getting the job at Michigan (01:50), her conducting research project “Maestra” (09:00), heading to UNCG for her doctorate after teaching at Austin Peay University (TN) (20:35), growing up in western TN (25:10), her years in Drum Corps (36:50), going to Austin Peay for undergrad (42:30) and studying at Brevard Summer Music Camp, eventually heading to UNCG for Master’s in Horn Performance and Music Education (56:20).

Finishing with a Rave on Ta-Nehisi Coates’ “We Were Eight Years in Power” (01:18:30)

Links:

Andrea Brown's Michigan page

Michigan's 2013 Final Four run

Raves:

We Were Eight Years in Power

Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 75 - Ed Hartman

January 31, 2018 Pete Zambito

Seattle-based percussionist, composer and former owner of the Drum Exchange Ed Hartman talks about his career right now (01:35), changes for YouTube channels (04:35), 25 years of owning the Drum Exchange (19:00), film scoring and finding your tribes (32:20), thoughts about college (53:50), growing up in Illinois (58:40), going to Indiana University in undergrad and studying with Richard Johnson (01:10:35), and answering some Random-Ass Questions (01:34:50).

Finishing with a Rave on Eva Cassidy’s version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” (01:54:05).

Links:

Ed Hartman's website

The Drum Exchange

Ed Hartman's YouTube page

World Rhythm Festival

Hummie Mann

Seattle Composers Alliance

The Third Man trailer

2001 trailer

Bernard Herrmann

Koyaanisqatsi trailer

Vladimir Horowitz

Colin Walcott

Corky Siegel

Raves:

"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" - Eva Cassidy

Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 74 - Josh Armstrong (2018)

January 24, 2018 Pete Zambito

Delta State University Percussion Professor Josh Armstrong returns to find something to talk about (01:35) before getting to his new life as a father (03:30), the renovations to Delta State’s music building (11:00), Mississippi winning the PAS Chapter Award (22:20), Texas Tech Basketball (28:05), other new projects (32:50) and he finally gets subjected some Random-Ass Questions (37:20).

Finishing with a Rave on the 2017 movie “Lucky” (55:15).

Links:

Josh Armstrong's Episode 10 Appearance

Josh Armstrong's Marimba One page

The Great British Bake Off

Shameless (TV Show)

Casino trailer

Jason Baker

Ionisation - Edgard Varese

"Left of the Dial" - Steven Snowden

Empire Records trailer

Dazed and Confused trailer

Shamwow

The Blair Witch Project trailer

Clerks 2 trailer

"Raspberry Beret" - Prince

"Your Song" - Elton John

Raves:

Lucky trailer

Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 73 - Amy Smith

January 18, 2018 Pete Zambito

Young Women’s Leadership Academy Music Teacher and Percussionist Amy Smith joins the show to talk about teaching and living in El Paso, TX (02:00), her experiences learning Music Therapy (14:30), her career with The Caixa Trio and their experiences being women in the percussion world (21:45), growing up all over the USA and Canada (36:15), going to Penn State to study with Dan Armstrong for undergrad (52:25), briefly studying with Cort McClaren before doing her master’s at UC-Boulder with Doug Walter (58:25), post-grad work and traveling to Ghana (01:03:20), teaching high school in TN and IN (01:11:40), and quickly making her way through the Random-Ass Questions (01:25:25).

Finishing with a brief snippet from Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter From a Birmingham Jail (01:32:05).

Links:

Amy Smith's Evans page

Caixa Trio

Andy Smith

Gabby Giffords doing Music Therapy

"Billie Jean" - Michael Jackson

Lean In - Sheryl Sandburg

Rave:

Letter From a Birmingham Jail - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 72 - Teddy Hall, Jr.

January 10, 2018 Pete Zambito

Alabama State University Percussion Professor Teddy Hall, Jr. discusses how he got the ASU job and his career path to getting there (02:00), his research on Richard Johnson, Indiana University’s first Percussion Professor (25:55), growing up in Birmingham, AL and taking some important trips to the Northeast United States (46:25), the 2017 Alabama Senate Race (01:00:55), his varied undergrad career (01:06:20), doing his master’s at Ole Miss with Ricky Burkhead (01:31:30), and taking time to do some Random-Ass Questions (01:42:20).

Finishing with a Rave on the classic film “Two For the Road” (01:57:25).

Links:

Teddy Hall, Jr.'s Pearl Drums Page

Teddy Hall, Jr. at Alabama State

Ricky Burkhead

Lamon Lawhorn

Sean Daniels

Honda Battle of the Bands

Richard Davis Johnson

John Tafoya

David Baker

Warren Duncan

"Birdland" - Weather Report

Eric Hollenbeck

The Marimba Festival Orchestra

"Come Sunday" - Duke Ellington

"Fiesta Latina" - Lalo Davila

"Three Brothers" - Michael Colgrass

"Mirror From Another" - David Friedman

Larry Mathis

Jonathan Haas

"Classic African" - Joseph Aiello

"Variations on the Westminster Clock Theme" - James Latimer

Larry Jones

John Wooton

Zoro

Darkest Hour trailer

Star Wars: The Last Jedi trailer

Hannibal trailer

"I Would Die For You" - Prince

"Baby I'm A Star" - Prince

Raves:

Two For the Road trailer

Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 71 - Best of 2017!

January 5, 2018 Pete Zambito

CLIP SHOW! CLIP SHOW! This year's "Best of" features the new segment, "Random-Ass Questions". With answers to "Has anyone ever nailed an impression of you?" (02:30), "What's your biggest kitchen mess-up?" (09:15), "What's your highest/lowest sports moment?" (15:35), "What's the most impractical item of clothing you own?" (24:40), "What's your best non-monetizeable skill?" (27:05), "Where would you like to travel to?" (34:50), "What's a great movie and what's a terrible movie?" (41:40), "What's your favorite Michael Jackson song?" (54:30), "What's either your most embarrassing, funniest or strangest performance moment involving you?" (01:03:05), and "What one piece of art has impacted you the most recently?" (01:24:45).

Following with one of Pete's favorite Raves, on Tower of Power (01:45:10).

Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 70 - Chelsea Levine

December 27, 2017 Pete Zambito

Seavine Gloves Founder and CEO Chelsea Levine talks about the beginnings of the company (01:45), how the company has evolved over the years (11:30), her PASIC 2017 Clinic (25:50), growing up in Atlantic City (NJ) and getting involved in Drum Corps at a young age (31:50), growing up playing sports (44:50), her brief college career (50:20), teaching and being a female in WGI (01:01:00) and gives her time to answer some Random-Ass Questions (01:03:02).

Finishes with a Rave on Planes, Trains and Automobiles (01:19:00).

Links:

Seavine Website

PASIC 2017 Presentation

Seavine Cymbal Scholarship

"Release and Reloads"

The Catcher in the Rye

The Four Hour Workweek

The Tim Ferriss Podcast

David Sedaris

Raves:

Planes, Trains and Automobiles trailer

Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 69 - Joshua Simonds, post PASIC

December 20, 2017 Pete Zambito

The return of the Percussive Arts Society (PAS) Executive Director Joshua Simonds! Joshua talks about the success of PASIC 2017 (01:20), his schedule post-PASIC (08:20), the physical set up for the conference (16:20), Rhythm Discovery, PASIC surprises and getting ready for next year (23:00), other conferences he attends during the year (34:20), growing up in southern CA, watching space shuttles and sports (36:25), his high school experiences as percussionist and drum major (48:00), going to Long Beach State (CA) for undergrad (53:10), his college year abroad in the U.K. (57:20), getting his Master’s in Arts Management at American University (DC) (01:06:40), meeting his spouse (01:15:55), and has time for Random-Ass Questions (01:23:50).

Finishing with a rave on the TV series GLOW (01:37:20).

Links:

Joshua Simonds on Pete's Percussion Podcast, part 1

Music For All Symposium

WGI

Chicago Drum Show

League of American Orchestras

DCI

Frank Zappa

Edwards Air Force Base

Sandy Hook Elementary Shooting

Raves:

GLOW Season 1 trailer

Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 68 - Kevin Bobo

December 13, 2017 Pete Zambito

Indiana University (IU) Percussion Professor Kevin Bobo talks about getting the IU job and his percussion colleagues (02:25), getting sick during his interview there (13:00), basketball madness at Wichita State, KU and IU (27:10), his publishing and composing career (33:45), what happens when you write really hard music (43:10), growing up in rural Kansas and Missouri (50:20), playing really hard lit as a teenager (01:00:45), securing practice space during his undergrad at Wichita State (01:07:35), going to Ithaca College for his master’s (01:17:50), funding a CD by playing marimba in bars (01:27:50), developing his performing sense of humor (01:37:00), and withstanding my Random-Ass Questions (01:47:50).

Finishing with a Rave on the Jose Saramago novels Blindness and Seeing (02:01:00)

Links:

Kevin Bobo's Indiana University website

Kevin Bobo's Mostly Marimba Music page

Kevin Bobo's Percmaster Works page

Cameleon - Eric Sammut

"Rumble Strips" - Gordon Stout

"Marriage of the Lamb" - Kevin Bobo

Indiana University Percussion Department

Dennis Rogers

Leigh Howard Stevens

"Northern Lights" - Eric Ewazen

Railmen Drum and Bugle Corps

Tom Wubbenhorst

"Method of Movement" = L.H. Stevens

"Yellow After The Rain" - Mitchell Peters

"Two Mexican Dances" - Gordon Stout

"Sea Refractions" - Mitchell Peters

"Night Rhapsody" - John Serry

"Velocities" - Joseph Schwantner

"Prelude and Fugue in B-Flat Major" - JS Bach

"Under the Bridge" - Red Hot Chili Peppers

"White Rabbit" - Jefferson Airplane

JC Combs

"Uneven Souls" - Nebojsa Zivkovic

"Four Episodes" - Gordon Stout

Mike Burritt

Greg Woodward

Dana Wilson

"Rhythmic Jambalaya" - Kevin Bobo

"Night Sketches" - Kevin Bobo

"Virginia Tate" - Paul Smadbeck

Billy Hill & The Hillbillies

Dave Hall

Steve Riley

Full Metal Jacket trailer

Platoon trailer

Forrest Gump trailer

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon trailer

The Circle trailer

The Happening trailer

Star Wars: Rogue One trailer

"Greatest Love of All" - Coming to America

The Shining recut

Raves:

Blindness - Jose Saramago

Seeing - Jose Saramago

Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 67 - Lamon Lawhorn, 2017 (part 2)

December 6, 2017 Pete Zambito

Lamon Lawhorn (NC A&T Professor and Episode 35 guest) returns to talk about Emmitt Smith (05:45), teaching at the Austrian Percussion Camp in August (07:30), summer traveling (27:50), his (then) upcoming PASIC clinic on The Evolution of Contemporary Gospel Drumming (34:45), his enjoyment of my podcast (58:20), great and so-so Dallas Cowboy running backs (01:02:50), his feelings on race and education (01:09:50) and how we were going to interrupt someone studying at PASIC (01:20:15).

Finishes with a rave on a photo exhibit on Surveillance (01:21:10).

Links:

Lamon Lawhorn's previous Podcast appearance

Lamon Lawhorn's homepage

Lamon Lawhorn's PASIC page

Emmitt Smith

Austrian Percussion Camp

Studio Percussion Graz

Zildjian "Inspirational" Cymbal Pack

Raves:

The Wichita Art Museum Exhibitions

Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 66 - Emily Tannert Patterson

November 29, 2017 Pete Zambito

Leander, TX area High School/Middle School Percussion Director Emily Tannert Patterson compares the podcast to “60 Minutes” and some cat-related content (03:05), her (then upcoming) PASIC presentation (04:20), percussion specialists throughout Texas (15:55), women in percussion (20:25), the twists and turns of her career so far (28:30), growing up in Knoxville, TN (51:00), her love of Phil Collins (01:00:45), her alternate career in broadcast journalism and speech/debate (01:07:10), her undergrad years at Northwestern and her eventual second undergrad degree at LSU (01:12:10), the drum corps years (01:18:30), learning under Brett Dietz and Tom Burritt (01:23:40), her masters degree recital (01:27:45) and the Random-Ass Questions segment (01:31:30).

Finishing with a Rave on the concert film “Sign ‘O’ The Times” (01:47:45).

Links:

Emily Tannert Patterson's Homepage

Emily Tannert Patterson's PASIC page

Emily Tannert Patterson's Innovative Percussion Page

Rick Rodriguez

"Another Day in Paradise", "Easy Lover", "Sussudio" - Phil Collins

Third Coast Percussion

Pioneer Drum & Bugle Corps

Glassmen

Music City Mystique

Brett Dietz

"Six Marimbas" - Steve Reich

"Ionization" - Edgard Varese

"Three Shells" - Christopher Deane

"Vertical River" - Blake Tyson

"Conversation" - Akira Miyoshi

When Harry Met Sally trailer

Idiocracy "Electrolytes"

"Thriller" - Michael Jackson

Raves:

Sign 'O' The Times trailer

Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 65 - Haley Nutt

November 22, 2017 Pete Zambito

Florida State University Historical Musicology doctoral student Haley Nutt talks about her (then upcoming) 2017 PASIC presentation on Women Composers (03:40), growing up near Dallas, TX, and her backgrounds in piano and tennis (22:25), band in high school (33:40), going to Texas Christian University for undergrad (38:50), the differences between Historical and Ethno-Musicology (43:50), her recital programs at TCU (52:20), studying with Brian West and John Parks (55:10), working with and directing FSU's Rock Ensemble (01:00:25), and working through the Random-Ass Questions (01:06:35).

Finishing with a Rave on "The Problem with Apu" (01:17:45).

Links:

Haley Nutt's PASIC 2017 page

Haley Nutt's Twitter page

"Pathetique" Sonata - Beethoven

"Moonlight" Sonata - Beethoven

The Inner Game of Tennis

Nadal vs. Federer

"Charleston Capers" - G. H. Green

"Clair de Lune" - Debussy (vibraphone arrangement)

"Charon" - Jonathon Anderson

"Hittade" - Maria Finkelmeier

Brian West

Michael Bakan

Across the Universe trailer

"Revolution" - Beatles

"Black or White" - Michael Jackson

Rave:

The Problem With Apu trailer

Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 64 - Gwen Dease

November 15, 2017 Pete Zambito

Michigan State University Percussion Professor Gwen Dease talks about getting the job at MSU (02:50), her connection to Bob Van Sice (10:20), the challenges of keeping the program up while also being a female tenured percussion professor with a family (13:10), the PASIC experience (19:00), growing up in St. Louis and playing violin (26:00), doing high school at Interlochen Arts Academy (33:00), going to Eastman for undergrad (40:40), her interest in pottery (43:00), going to Peabody for Master’s Degree No. 1 (53:00), going to Yale for Master’s Degree No. 2 (01:05:50), getting used to the institutional size of Michigan State (01:16:15), and getting through the Random-Ass Questions (01:19:45).

Finishing with a Rave on the documentary “George Michael: Freedom” (01:29:00).

Links:

Gwen Dease's Michigan State page

Gwen Dease's Pearl page

Gwen Dease performs "Khan Variations"

"Luminescent Experiment" - Josh Trentadue

"Pillar IV" - Andy Akiho

"Symphonie Espagnole" - Edward Lalo