The @Percussion Podcast

The @Percussion - Episode 52 George Barrett

052 - George Barrett

 

George Barrett, CEO of Innovative Percussion and First Vice President of PAS, joined us this week from his office in Nashville, TN.  We're so glad he was able to make room for us in his busy schedule.

Topics: PAS, mentor example of UT Women's Head Coach Pat Summit, history of Innovative Percussion, industry

Watch here. Listen below.

0:00 Intro and hello
1:27 Current events at IP and leadership restructure of PAS
9:34 Why join PAS?
13:17 PASIC exhibit hall
17:41 New IP products
19:17 Laurel: Patricia Summit, late coach emeritus of U. of Tennessee
26:35 Ben: Erik Johnson, president of Innovative Percussion
38:20 The process of designing mallets
46:06 Hand wrapped vs. machine wrapped mallets
47:44 Changes in the percussion industry
51:51 Endorsement relationships
57:01 Responsibilities of a CEO of a percussion company
58:34 Caleb Pickering: Percussion companies seem to come and go in waves. What helped IP stand the test of time and become one of the powerhouse companies for sticks and mallets?
1:01:54 Wrap

 

The @Percussion - A quick question with Jennifer Higdon

A Quick Minute with Jennifer Higdon

Our excitement and enjoyment of sitting down for a 90-minute interview with composer Jennifer Higdon was cut short when we realized that, after signing off, a technical error caused us to lose the bulk of the interview.  We managed to save the last few minutes, and have her permission to release them.

In this short clip, Jennifer speaks about her piece, Blue Cathedral.  

Watch here. Listen below.

The @Percussion - Episode 51 Mike Compitello

051 - Mike Compitello

 

During her residence at Avaloch Farm, Megan sat down with Mike Compitello, part of New Morse Code, the cello/perc duo that coordinates Avaloch Farm's New Music Initiative.  Mike is an active chamber and orchestral player, and teaches at the University of Kansas. 

Topics: artist retreats, scientific research about the "chills" when you listen to music

Watch here. Listen below.

 

0:00 Intro and hello
1:03 Avaloch Farms – chamber ensemble residency
5:13 Megan: listing and review of additional artist retreats
14:20 Benefits of Avaloch and other artist residencies
21:17 Facilities and focus at Avaloch
28:25 Playing Baroque timpani
32:26 Laurel: Frisson – the science behind the ‘chills’ you get when listening to music
52:36 New Morse Code – cello and percussion duo
58:26 Professional websites
1:00:45 University interview process and advice
1:16:11 Wrap

 

The @Percussion - Episode 50 Fernando Meza

050 - Fernando Meza

Here's the milestone 50th episode!

Who else to showcase but someone like Fernando Meza, whose passion for percussion is surpassed only by the great energy and warmth he brings to every project and person lucky enough to cross his path. At the time of this interview, we caught him at home in Minnesota between international engagements.

Topics: YOA, Keiko Abe, maintaining high energy, plagiarism in pop music, Biolley instruments, Nebojsa Jovan Zivkovic, 2010 Marimba Festival

Watch here. Listen below.

 

0:00 Intro and hello
1:57 Current projects with the Minnesota Orchestra
4:05 YOA - Orchestra of the Americas / Global Leaders Program
6:52 Rosendo Suarez: What is your experience with Venezuelan students?
8:45 Brad Broomfield: You performed with the original Lion King cast, performed with Keiko Abe, were the former principal percussionist of the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica, arranged one of the greatest marimba gatherings ever, teach at the university, mentor students throughout the Americas. What aging cream do you use?
12:25 Experiences performing with Keiko Abe
21:05 O Biolley Instrumentos Musicales
30:17 Avaloch Farm Music Institute / Owen Weaver surprise visit!
32:22 Owen’s projects
37:35 Laurel: Led Zeppelin plagiarism case
55:17 Ben: Nebojsa Jovan Zivkovic
1:12:53 Catherine Yuriel: In your opinion, what is one of the most important things a young percussionist should keep in mind as they enter the professional arena?
1:21:13 Ted Jackson: What piece of the well-roundedness do you think programs are missing, if any?
1:24:50 Fernando’s marimba festival
1:27:07 Wrap

The @Percussion - Episode 49 Ben Fraley

049 - Ben Fraley

Ben Fraley, part of the faculty at Troy University, joined us this week.  What could have been a pessimistic chat about the rise of adjunct positions proved more positive than anything. His passions for frame drumming and John Luther Adams' Inuksuit are bookends to this episode.

Topics: Inuksuit, various viewpoints on adjunct teaching, frame drumming, MakeMusic.org, from Walking in This World: allocating and budgeting your creative energy

0:00 Intro and hello
1:35 John Luther Adams’ “Inuksuit” in Boston
17:37 Adjunct teaching
44:03 Megan: Make Music Day / La fete de la Musique
55:10 Laurel: Walking in this World / Discovering a Sense of Personal Territory
1:14:39 Frame drumming and composing
1:19:56 Wrap

The @Percussion - Episode 48 Rob Knopper

048 - Rob Knopper

Joining us this week is Rob Knopper: creator of auditionhacker and percussionhacker, as well as percussionist with the Met Opera Orchestra.  We talk a lot about auditions and the meaning of "perfect time."

Topics: Delecluse, auditions, blogging, Alan Abel, symphony vs opera playing

0:00 Intro and hello
2:12 Current projects and the upcoming Met season
6:05 Ted Jackson: Would you talk about your schooling and how you developed a passion for orchestral playing?
9:05 State of orchestras in the U.S.
13:02 Coldplay and Dudamel / Pop vs. Classical music
20:25 Ben: Alan Abel
27:22 Rob’s blog
32:45 Delecluse project
40:10 Individualized plan of study vs. generic / supplemental blogs
47:59 Eli Geruschat: It’s one thing to win a job, but what was it like when you stepped into your first rehearsal with the Met? Can you tell us a little about this first experience and how those early rehearsals helped shape how you perform with the ensemble today?
54:24 What is playing in time
1:05:56 Audition Talk, episode 1
1:07:53 Percussion Hacker Studio Class
1:10:08 Tracking auditions
1:14:58 Wrap

The @Percussion - Episode 47 TAPS at The New England Music Camp

047 - TAPS at New England Music Camp

This episode was recorded during TAPS East Coast held at Snow Pond - the facilities of the New England Music Camp (NEMC).  We managed to include everyone, both faculty and participants, in this episode. Ted Atkatz and Shaun Tilburg are familiar faces, and we're lucky that Fiona Bryan, Director of Outreach and Communications of Snow Pond, could join us too. She's a trained violinist, and with all of our Bach conversation, she had some really interesting points to make.

 

Topics: NEMC, TAPS, Julia Cameron's Walking in This World, adapting Bach to marimba, orchestral auditions

 

0:00 Intro and hello
1:40 History of Snow Pond Music Festival / New England Music Camp
8:58 Bringing TAPS to SPMF
10:45 Collaborating with the composition seminar
14:18 Faculty at TAPS
16:28 Touring the Vic Firth factory, Ted’s sticks, stick-making process and aesthetics
25:37 Sean Tilburg’s stick/gear preferences
29:38 Laurel: Julia Cameron – “Walking in This World”
38:27 Ted Jackson: How has TAPS changed since I attended and how do you foresee the seminar in the future?
45:46 Will Marinelli: What’s your favorite memory of New England Music Camp?
51:33 Taking Bach down an octave on marimba
1:07:33 Is it necessary to choose a path in percussion?
1:16:11 Stretches for percussionists
1:22:55 Wrap

The @Percussion Podcast - Episode Baljinder Sakhon

046 - Baljinder Sekhon

Composer Baljinder Sekhon joined us from Tampa, FL for this episode.  He serves as an Assistant Professor of Composition at the University of South Florida.  Baljinder's music has been performed worldwide, and there's even a special link on his website that directs straight to the percussion works.

Topics: Baljinder's music, "The Next Rembrandt" replication project, David Cope's music replication projects, and the sound/art installation Gamelatron

0:00 Intro and hello
1:13 “Gradient” and “Gradient 2.0”
6:34 Chopsticks, Andy Akiho, Foundry, and “Passageways”
10:33 Casey: “The Next Rembrandt” replication project / David Cope’s music replication
41:59 Megan: Gamelatron – Sonic Kinetic Sculptures / Robotic gamelan orchestra
53:15 Baljinder’s recent projects
1:03:02 Wrap

The @Percussion - Episode 45 Amy Garapic

045 - Amy Garapic

Megan snagged NY percussionist Amy Garapic for this week's episode.  The two share similar experiences, and Amy is known for her involvement in the TIGUE Percussion Trio and organization of large-scale performances like John Luther Adams' Inuksuit. 

We talk about her recent concerts, community/inner city drumlines, Brooklyn United, PICK (Pushing Inner City Kids), ORCHKids.

 

0:00 Intro and hello
1:47 Megan and Amy’s friendship
4:14 Tigue at Sofar Sounds
7:15 Formation of Tigue, Robert Honstein’s “Index of Possibility”
13:04 Job announcements
16:44 Balancing teaching with performing and administration / NY and NH
21:13 Micah Detweiller: What’s the composition process like for Tigue? Is it collaborative? Is anything notated?
28:27 Alan Lange: What are some tips you would give a person who is starting out in their own producing career? What did you do to get started on that portion of your own career?
42:47 Megan: Community/inner city youth drumlines – Brooklyn United, PICK (Pushing Inner City Kids) Percussion, and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s OrchKids
49:02 Amy’s teaching in public schools / Brooklyn Conservatory of Music
50:37 Funding community arts programs / volunteering / teaching experience
1:01:43 Wrap

 

The @Percussion - Episode 44 Terry Longshore

044 - Terry Longshore

In addition to teaching at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Terry Longshore currently heads up three chamber groups: Left Edge, Caballito Negro, and Duo Flamenco.  He's equal parts contemporary and world music.

Topics: passing of Remo Belli, percussion music of Mark Applebaum including Composition Machine no.1 (Terry's commission)

0:00 Intro and hello
2:30 Current projects, Max MSP, collaboration
6:38 PASIC 2014 Focus Day
12:09 Ben: Remo Belli
25:39 Jared Brown: How did your business training roll into music?
32:06 Left Edge / performing with our students
34:56 Ted Jackson: When Mark Applebaum was on the show, he stated that he had learned a lot about writing for percussion from Terry Longshore. Could you explain your process of working with Mark Applebaum?
37:08 Composition Machine #1
44:06 Mark Applebaum’s music
47:25 Jared Brown: With the internet and readily available software, anyone can doodle and compose these days. This has yielded many wonderful and interesting ideas in music that may have not have been exposed. However, can you think of a way in which this might be negative in any way?
50:31 Language, aesthetic, utility
59:37 North Indian and Spanish Flamenco studies
1:04:20 Wrap