The @Percussion Podcast

The @Percussion - Episode 72 Elisabeth Blair

072 - Elisabeth Blair

 



And now for something completely different! Casey came across the podcast Listening to Ladies in November 2016 and was curious to know more about it - and we're so glad its founder and host, Elisabeth Blair, could find the time to record an episode with us.

With Elisabeth we chat about her reasons and work for the Listening to Ladies podcast and how to balance its demands with the rest of life.  Women-specific composition festivals and opportunities are mentioned, as well as the current diversity between the sexes in the world of percussion. Closing quotes from Robert Schumann on Clara's music, and Sofia Gubaidulina.

Watch here. Listen below.

0:00 intro and hello
1:40 Listening to Ladies 
4:03 LtL - Call for Scores
4:36 Why create LtL?
22:58 The work behind LtL
29:37 Time and balance 
34:20 TomTom Magazine feature
40:44 Women Composer's Hartford festival
42:57 Women and Men in percussion 
1:02:30 Quotes - Schumann and Sofia Gubaidulina

The @Percussion - Episode 71 Brandon Arvay

071 - Brandon Arvay

Joining us for Episode 71 is Brandon Arvay: educator, percussionist, and curator of an active blog and website.

We talk about blogging strategies, skills musicians need besides just playing, the cross-discipline tradition and why on earth we don't do it anymore, and Ben presents on drummer Steve Gadd.

Watch here. Listen below.

0:00 hello
2:04 Brandon Arvay and Blogging 
14:28 Steve Gadd
21:18 Cross studies tradition/why don't we tapdance anymore?!!
28:00 What other skills musicians need

The @Percussion - Episode 70 Steven Snowden

070 - Steven Snowden

We were stoked to hang out with composer Steven Snowden for this episode.

We cover a variety of topics, including his compositional inspiration and practice, including electronics, and focus on specific works, such as Looner Eclipse.  Megan presents an article called "Decolonizing Our Music," and Laurel starts a new, quick weekly segment which highlights one musically relevant quote and its speaker.

Watch here. Listen below.

0:00 Intro and welcome
3:20 Creative Inspiration
5:20 Taos Hum
7:43 Podcasts
10:15 Sound creation
13:20 Why electronics? 
26:00 Performing background 
30:30 "Looner Eclipse"
32:45 "Decolonizing Our Music" article. Distribution, money, mainstream. 
54:00 Electronic influence on tradition 
1:00:06 Formal composition training or no? 
1:10:33 Laurel's quote

The @Percussion - Episode 69 Ricardo Flores

069 - Ricardo Flores

Joining us this week is one of Ben's former teachers: Ricardo Flores.

Ricardo regularly plays various styles of music and was gracious enough to chat with us about So Percussion's new A Gun Show and its director, Ain Gordon, as well as the topic of mindful self-motivation, an ever-present issue in the minds of today's teachers and mentors.

Watch here. Listen below.

0:00 Intro and hello
0:58 PASIC recap and highlights
4:41 Ricardo’s current projects
8:28 Megan: So Percussion's "A Gun Show"
13:17 Director Ain Gordon / music as a response to politics
17:57 Playing “Yellow After the Rain” for Keiko Abe at a young age
20:09 Ricardo’s circus gig
29:27 Laurel: Finding motivation / personal stories / incentivizing
51:19 Improvising from a young age
54:04 Ben’s giant duck call
55:25 The “Distraction Effect” and the “What the Hell Effect”
1:00:38 Wrap

 

The @Percussion Podcast - Episode 68 Kenyon Williams and Larnell Lewis

068 - Kenyon Williams and Larnell Lewis

Larnell Lewis

Kenyon Williams

A quick interview with Larnell Lewis (drummer of Snarky Puppy) and Kenyon Williams (Minnesota State University - Moorhead) during the MSUS Day of Percussion hosted by Kenyon Williams.

Watch here. Listen below.

0:00 Intro and hello
1:03 What is a Day of Percussion?
1:42 How to procure artists
3:10 Larnell’s clinic / session work / backing tracks
6:46 Shane Shanahan’s performance at the finale concert
8:53 How to put together a Day of Percussion: securing artists, sponsor support, working with local artists, and finding great performers who are also great educators
19:31 Larnell’s new debut album
23:40 Snarky Puppy
28:39 Working with multiple drummers
30:54 Wrap

The @Percussion - Episode 67 Andy Bliss

067 - Andy Bliss

This week we're joined by the professor of percussion at the University of Tennessee and co-founder of Nief Norf, Andy Bliss. Andy was the curator for Focus Day 2016, and he gives us some insight into the entire process.
Megan tells us about ICE (International Contemporary Ensemble) and founder Claire Chase's recent decision to step out of her administrative role.

Watch here. Listen below. 

0:00 Intro and hello
1:03 Halloween, current projects, sushi buddies
6:55 Mike Truesdell: Dear Dr. Bliss – How can one person be such a great percussionist and pedagogue, but still lack every fundamental skill for NBA jam?
8:25 nief-norf performance at PASIC Focus Day
11:25 Megan: Claire Chase and the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE)
27:21 Genesis of nief-norf and nn Summer Festival
39:14 Organizing a PASIC Focus Day
45:17 Focus Day artist bookings
48:17 Applying to play on Focus Day
56:01 What is “new music” and how do we approach it pedagogically?
1:12:43 Working with living composers
1:18:32 Wrap

The @Percussion - Episode 66 Pedro Fernandez

066 - Pedro Fernandez guest interview

In this episode, Casey shares a recorded interview with Pedro Fernandez, the organizer of Portugal's Groove Alentejo festival. He also talks about the Chapel of Bones in Evora, made of exactly what it sounds like.
We also chat about Wonder Woman being named an Honorary Ambassador to the UN, as well as the creation story behind the comic books.
Megan quizzes our ears with a recording of an Alpine cattle descent, and into about almglocken.

Watch here. Listen below.

0:00 Intro and hello
2:29 Wonder Woman is named an Honorary Ambassador to the UN
21:17 Bob Dylan and the Beatles
28:07 Pedro Fernandes and the International Percussion Festival in Portugal
34:10 Studying percussion in Portugal
38:35 Benefits for students from a big international festival
40:36 Recap from Pedro’s interview
45:02 Experiencing culture at festivals abroad
54:46 Organizing a large festival
56:12 Alpine Cattle Descent and places to purchase almglocken
1:04:24 Blacksmithing and anvils
1:06:59 Wrap

The @Percussion - Episode 65 Matthew Henry

065 - Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry, creator of the community outreach program Specdrum, joined us for this episode.  He opens up about the inspiration for creating the organization.

Other topics include the oldest man-made instrument ever found and artist Mark Rooker's project of sending art to the moon.

Watch here. Listen below. 

0:00 Intro and hello
1:43 Current projects
5:14 Upcoming PASIC clinic: Side-by-side comparison of djembe/conga technique
8:48 Megan: Live-streaming at PASIC
13:49 Developing conga technique
16:00 Bourbon and friendship
18:39 Casey’s Arts 100 class: Mark Rooker and works of art on the moon
31:31 SpecDrum – community outreach drumming program
39:09 Protests in Ferguson / Upcoming PASIC panel discussion: Rhythm and Race
49:28 Laurel: The oldest instrument ever found
1:03:08 Advice for people who want to make a difference in their own communities
1:09:24 Wrap

The @Percussion - Episode 64 Julia Gaines

064 - Julia Gaines

For this episode, Megan invited her department director, percussionist Dr. Julia Gaines, to join us.  Julia and Megan were both willing to give us an insider's perspective on last year's Mizzou protests. Julia also talks about the transition from percussion professor to administration, as well as the process of creating her marimba method book and 4-mallet level system.

We also talk about our experiences teaching Percussion Methods classes, as graduate assistants and professors.

Watch here. Listen below.

0:00 Intro and hello
1:46 James Doyle: There have been so many wonderful percussion educators who have successfully transitioned to administration. I’d be interested in your thoughts on why you chose a similar path, and if you have thoughts as to why percussion educators seem to find success in administration.
4:43 Challenges of being an administrator
9:38 Protests on the Mizzou Campus, department responses, resulting dialogue
20:02 Laurel: Percussion Methods teaching strategies
38:17 Ted Jackson: Would you mind speaking about the idea behind your “Sequential Studies” series and how you are trying to give percussionists the concise structure that we lack unlike pianists and violinist?
51:08 Megan: R!S October / Jojo Mayer, R!Solos, new Executive Director Joshua Simonds
58:31 Julia’s new CD “Tiger Dance”
1:03:23 Wrap

The @Percussion - Episode 63 Anthony Cirone

063 - Tony Cirone

Tony Cirone was kind enough to join us for this episode of @ percussion.  He's not only the author of Portraits in Rhythm and its many "sequels," but also a distinguished orchestral player, performing with the San Francisco Symphony for nearly 40 years.  We were particularly excited to hear his take on the orchestra strikes in Pennsylvania, which began just before taping this episode.

Topics: his new book, Buster Bailey, inner workings of being in an orchestra, the PA strikes

Watch here. Listen below.

0:00 Intro and hello

1:20 “Portraits in Rhythm” 50^th Anniversary

7:18 “The Logic of It All”

8:45 Mike Cerreto: How did self-confidence in yourself as a performer and person help you overcome professional challenges in your long, distinguished career?

12:52 Orchestra members gaining control of auditions

17:45 The changing audition scene

21:40 Caleb Pickering: Can you and the panel share your thoughts about what is going on at the Philadelphia Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra?

22:40 Megan: Philadelphia Orchestra goes on strike

30:31 Negotiating with Orchestra Management

38:18 Ben: Buster Bailey

51:37 Teaching at San Jose State and Indiana University

58:16 Tony’s love story

1:00:22 Wrap and final comments about “Portraits in Rhythm”