The @Percussion Podcast

The @Percussion Podcast - Episode 161 - Ross Karre

161 - Ross Karre

Joining us this week is Ross Karre: a per­cus­sionist, arts admin­is­trator, and inter­media artist. He works with a variety of media and prac­tices ranging from con­tem­po­rary clas­sical music to exper­i­mental mul­ti­media per­for­mance incor­po­rating video, sound, lighting, and the­ater. He has played per­cus­sion with the Inter­na­tional Con­tem­po­rary Ensemble (ICE) since 2011 where he is the co-artistic director.

Watch here. Listen below.

0:00 Intro and hello, banter and IRS scam
4:00 In Plain Air at Christ Church Philadelphia
11:14 Co-Artistic Director?
19:25 Any tips for people who are hesitent towards contemporary percussion ?
26:44 Some thoughts on experimental music
31:13 Ben: some recent sad news in percussion: Ellie Mannette & Vida Chenoweth
38:40 Casey: What's the sound?  Acoustic Levitation
45:35 What has been the most unusal question you've used with the International Contemporary Ensemble?
54:54 Podcast speed trivia

The @Percussion - Episode 1 - Brian Calhoon

160 - Adam Silverman

Joining us this week is composer and Professor at West Chester University: Adam Silverman.  He's especially known for some of his percussion works, including Quick Blood, Carbon Paper and Nitrogen Ink, Sparklefrog, and stars, cars, bars.  (The title game is strong with this one, no?)
He teaches composition, music theory, and orchestration, and runs a site dedicated to his musings of teaching the theoretical side of music at musictheoryprof.com.

Watch here. Listen below.

0:00 Intro and hello
1:34 Casey: What's the sound?  Prudie Shuffle and RIP Aretha
Franklin
6:04 Intro and hello to Adam Silverman
7:10 Approaching composing for unfamiliar instruments?  
18:11 Texture use and approach?
20:04 None western scales?  Quarter tones?
25:23 Adam's piece, "Stars Cars Bars"
32:15 New solo pieces?  Little prog. rock tangent    
38:20 How did you get so involved in the percussion community and
 into composing for percussion?
45:10 Importance of community?
52:11 Commissions vs "writing for yourself" ?  
58:30 Todd Meehan's Liquidrum Practice Journal
1:03:05 Podcast speed trivia

The @Percussion - Episode 159 - David Robinson

159 - David Robinson

Joining us this week is Dr. David Robinson, the new Director of Bands at Tarleton State University, where Ben currently directs the percussion program. David taught public school in Arkansas for four years before beginning his career in higher education. He studied at Arkansas State University, University of Missouri, and the University of North Texas.

Watch here. Listen below.

0:00 Intro and hello
2:40 New Band Director at Tarleton University.  DMA to job.  
10:55 100th year of the Tarleton Band?  
12:35 Laurel:  Anatomy of Drumming - Sitting, foot technique.  A bit
 on Casey's recent travels (Northwestern University Percussion
 Seminar, Beta Percussion Seminar, Theodore Milkov summer
 camp)
30:03 Best way for a composer to get their work preformed by a wind ensemble?
34:00 Ben: Vincent Persichetti: “Symphony No. 6 For Band,“ Op. 69.  Percussion writing in wind ensemble.  
57:15 Good percussion orchestration?
1:03:08 Podcast speed trivia

The @Percussion - Episode 158 - Robert Chapman

158 - Robert Chapman

Our next guest is Robert Chapman, recent first prize winner of the 2018 Great Plains International Marimba Competition! Robert is an active educator in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and has studied with Mark Ford, Christopher Deane, Ed Smith, She-e Wu, and Tom Burritt, among others. He also takes an interest in world music, having pursued studies in steel pan and tabla.

Watch here. Listen below.
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0:00 Intro and hello
3:25 Great Plains Marimba Competition.  Preparation, and experience at the competition.
9:09 Copyrightist at Lonestar?
13:30 Casey: what's the sound? Anechoic Chamber
19:50 Balancing your teaching and performing? Burnout
31:10 World music influence on your marimba playing?
44:25 Megan: NPR's Hidden Brain - The Edge Effect.  Study shows correlation between creativity and cultural diversity.
1:01:48 Podcast Speed Trivia

The @Percussion - Episode 157 - Lynn Vartan

157 - Lynn Vartan

Joining us this week is percussionist Lynn Vartan, Director of Percussion at Southern Utah University. A common thread in her various projects is the idea of cultural exchange, whether she is founding duos or engaging in other large scale projects. She is featured on several Grammy-nominated CDs. 

Watch here. Listen below.

0:00 Intro and hello
4:40 Influence of Evelyn Glennie?  Visual performance persona and look.  
15:30 Your signature mallets
20:50 Laurel: The Lemming Conspiracy
41:30 APEX - Lynn's podcast at the Southern Utah University
51:05 Into yoga?
53:30 Working with Michael Colgrass?
57:13 Approach to running percussion ensemble rehearsal?  Balance, being efficient, economy of words.  
1:02:13 Podcast Speed Trivia

 

The @Percussion - Episode 156 - William Moersch

156 - William Moersch

Our guest this week hardly needs an introduction from us.  We really enjoyed speaking with William Moersch on topics old and new.

Watch here. Listen below.

0:00 Intro and hello
1:30 NYC freelancer?  Pirates of Penzance
11:50 Percussion Literature class
19:20 Ben: Jonathan Hass
37:44 Being an advocate for percussion
50:03 Knowing what you don't know.  Being able to say "yes", and some advice
58:05 Will Marinelli:  How have you seen Andrew Thomas' work change since you've started working together?
1:05:50 Studying with Charlie Owen?
1:14:28 Podcast Speed Trivia

The @Percussion Podcast - Episode 3 - Keith Aleo

155 - Jerome Balsab and Emmanuel Agbeli

While in Ghana, Megan sat down with Jerome Balsab and Emmanuel Agbeli, two master musicians and directors of the Dagara Music Center and Dagbe Cultural Institute, respectively.

Watch here. Listen below.

0:00 Intro and hello
1:32 Jerome’s history playing the gyil
5:26 Bernard and Jerome’s history
9:13 Bernard’s final weeks
23:04 Saakumu Dance Troupe’s U.S. tours
28:26 Wrap
32:24 History of Dagbe Cultural Institute
40:34 Godwin’s passing and legacy
43:21 Description of the Dagbe grounds
45:09 Agbeli family tree
55:03 Sankofa Roots I, II, III
59:21 Art and farming
1:03:02 Wrap

The @Percussion - Episode 154 - Josh Jones

154 - Josh Jones

Joining us this week is Principal Percussionist of the Calgary Philharmonic: Josh Jones. Originally from Chicago, he has won several orchestral fellowships and is currently writing a series of books about streamlined playing with ease. The first is 'Spatial Studies,' available for pre-order on July 15, and for purchase on September 1.

Josh was featured on UPROXX's Uncharted series, he also has released a series of educational videos you can find on his website: drummojo.com. 

 

Watch here.  Listen below.

 

0:00 Intro and hello, and a bit about the Josh's new book series
12:25 Brandon Arvay: Using social media, it's value? 
14:50 Casey: What's the sound?  
29:30 Application of Alexander Technique?  Feldenkrais Method 
39:34 Laurel: Anatomy of Drumming (book) by John Lamb - part 2
58:40 Drew Tucker and Teddy Hall Jr.: Do you feel a certain weight being an African American in the orchestra?  What can we do to encourage more minorities to pursue orchestral performance careers, as well as show the need for diversity in the orchestras?

The @Percussion - Episode 153 - James Doyle

153 - James Doyle

Joining us this week is James Doyle, Associate Professor of Music at Adams State University, where he directs the Rocky Mountain Pan Handlers Steel Band and the ASU Percussion Ensemble. He previously served as principal percussionist with the United States Air Force Band of the Golden West. James is a member of the Music in the Mountains Festival Orchestra and is the principal percussionist with the San Juan Symphony. As a chamber musician, he's a member of the Doyle-Kane Duo, the Kokoro Trio, and the Animas Percussion Quartet.  He has also toured the world performing more commercial music.

Watch here. Listen below

0:00 Intro and Hello
0:50 Megan back from 3 weeks in Ghana
6:30 James Doyle introduction
7:50 100 days of practice?  Summer practice time
11:41 Practice journals
13:50 Casey: What's the sound?
24:27 Programming and composer diversity
41:10 Caleb: Experiments in work environment productivity
1:02:05 Working with Valerie Naranjo?
1:06:01 James' colleague, Angela Winter and dissolving the marching band
1:11:30 Upcoming for James?

The @Percussion - Episode 152 - Katy Elman

152 - Katy Elman

Katy Elman runs the largest percussion retailer in the UK (instruments, sticks/mallets, sheet music etc.): Southern Percussion, located in southeast England, in Essex.

Also a very active performer and educator, Katy performs with the Concordia Foundation with whom she has performed several solo recitals at venues, including St. Martin in the Fields and St. James’s Piccadilly. She also works extensively with Concordia’s Educational program taking workshops and playing an integral part in the children’s productions of The Rhythm of Life and The Spotted Cow and the Piano Forte. She has been the focus for a BBC documentary and performed live on BBC radio 3. Currently Katy is a member of the Aurelian Ensemble and very much in demand as a guest timpanist and percussionist with several orchestras based in London and the Home Counties.

Watch here. Listen below

0:00 Intro and Hello
1:50 How's business?
5:10 How could a young composer get their music into your store?
9:50 In becoming the Director of Southern Percussion (UK's largest percussion retailer), what new business skills/lessons did you have to learn?
18:20  Casey: What's the sound?  
31:58 Any particular odd items you have to keep in stock?
34:38 Caleb: from "Performing in The Zone". Thoughts on performance anxiety
52:58 Trends in compositions and retail circulation?