Pete's Percussion Podcast - Pete Zambito

Pete Zambito
  • 5.0 (17)
  • Arts
  • Updated Biweekly

A place for long form talk with percussionists and other compelling people.

  1. 3d ago

    Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 514 - Steph Davis

    Episode 514 - Steph Davis Pete's Percussion Podcast Boston-based marimbist, educator, collaborator, composer, arranger, and Africana historian Steph Davis stops by to talk about with entrepreneurial and performance career, his teaching at Boston Conservatory, living and working in Boston, and playing gyil (03:35), growing up in Orlando (FL), getting into percussion, his years as a gymnast, and his love of reading (28:50), attending Boston Conservatory for his undergrad and masters, studying with Nancy Zeltsman, moving to a new city, and getting into the foodie culture (46:05), and settles in for the Random Ass Questions, including segments on making a career on marimba, maintaining physical and mental health, the Twilight movies, Toni Morrison, and Lauryn Hill (01:13:40). Finishes with a Rave on the 2026 film Is God Is (01:42:20). Steph Davis links: Steph Davis’ website Steph Davis’ Boston Conservatory page Steph Davis’ Marimba One page Castle of Our Skins “Of Thoughts and Thinking” - Tony Lymon Previous Podcast Guests mentioned: Britton-René Collins in 2023 Julie Spencer in 2021 Other Links: Matt Sharrock Vicente Lusitano Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges Gabriela Lena Frank New Gallery Concert Series Valerie Naranjo Nancy Zeltsman Harry Potter The Twilight Saga Ender’s Game - Orson Scott Card Sweet Song - Nancy Zeltsman “Variations on Lost Love” - David Maslanka “Scenes from Mexico” - Alice Gomez Samuel Solomon Marti Epstein John Murphree Moonlight trailer Twilight trailer Song of Solomon - Toni Morrison The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill - Ms. Lauryn Hill Nicki Minaj Close Up - SBB & DBR Zora Neale Hurston’s Anthropological Legacy Raves: Is God Is trailer

  2. Sep 24

    Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 513 - Mackenna Tolfa

    Episode 513 - Mackenna Tolfa Pete's Percussion Podcast Percussionist and Freelancer Mackenna Tolfa stops by to talk about her long run with the Blue Man Group, getting the job and the physical and acting demands of the role, the daily schedule, and cooking on tour (02:10), growing up in Green Bay (WI), surrounded by music at an early age, her extensive piano and percussion background, and her fondness for the composer Sergei Rachmaninov (30:50), her undergrad years at the University of Minnesota and studying with Fernando Meza (47:30), her post-undergrad years, the Blue Man Group auditions, the importance of social media for her success, and her Broadway gigs and the Dust Bowl Radio Hour (59:25), and finishes with the Random Ass Questions, including segments on mental health in school programs, social media, thrifting, traveling, great books and music, her love of sports, and the importance of the music of AURORA (01:14:00). Finishing with a Rave on the 2000 film Miss Congeniality (01:49:30). MacKenna Tolfa links: MacKenna Tolfa’s website MacKenna Tolfa’s Instagram MacKenna Tolfa’s Facebook Previous Podcast Guests mentioned: Fernando Meza in 2020 Britton-René Collins in 2023 Eriko Daimo in 2025 Nicole Patrick in 2020 Julie Spencer in 2021 Other Links: Blue Man Group Clayton Craddock David Anania Philip Mayer Keiko Abe Kansas Billy Joel Rush Yes Josh Groban “Prelude in G minor” - Sergei Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2 - Sergei Rachmaninov Concerto in F - George Gershwin Mean Girls The Lion King Chris Cerreto Kasey Dillon Patrick Newton Disclosure Day trailer The Odyssey trailer Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - JK Rowling The Courage to be Disliked - Ichiro Kishimi Alexander Scriabin Graystone Ale House Erling Haaland Jordan Love AURORA Raves: Miss Congeniality trailer

  3. Sep 17

    Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 512 - Michelle Colton

    Episode 512- Michelle Colton Pete's Percussion Podcast Toronto-based Percussion Educator, Composer, and Freelancer Michelle Colton stops by to talk about her sessional teaching work at the University of Toronto, teaching in the local school district, and the freelancing scene there (03:25), her time as the Ontario Chapter President of PAS (19:15), growing up in Marion (IA), her musical family, soul and funk music, marching band, and marathon running (25:50), attending the University of Iowa for undergrad, her wide variety of experiences there, and eventually meeting her husband Alejandro Cespedes (41:50), going to the University of Toronto for her grad degrees, studying with lots of great professors, and her dissertation on percussion gestures (50:25), and finishes with the Random Ass Questions, including segments on developing well-rounded percussionists, being a woman in the percussion world, keeping up her mental and physical health, great food, audiobooks, and her compositional inspirations (01:09:20). Finishing with a Rave on a recent University of Missouri Faculty Music Recital (01:38:00). Michelle Colton Links: Michelle Colton’s website Michelle Colton’s YouTube page Michelle Colton’s University of Toronto page Previous Podcast guests mentioned: Victoria Sparks in 2018 She-e Wu in 2025 Michael Schutz in 2025 Todd Meehan in 2017 Other Links: Alejandro Céspedes Community Music Schools of Toronto NewJeans “Havana” - Camila Cabello “Tom Sawyer” - Rush Canadian Percussion Network Tom Mackey Pure Funk “Natural Woman” - Aretha Franklin “Stay” - Lisa Loeb “If I Ain’t Got You” - Alicia Keys “If” - Janet Jackson Keiko Abe Iowa Flood of 2008 John Rudolph Dan Moore Dane Richeson Anthony Di Sanza Orlando Cotto NEXUS Beverley Johnston Christopher Lamb Margaret Atwood Russell Hartenberger Steve Reich Christos Hatzis Mississauga Children’s Choir Liquidrum’s Marimba Moves Tomaso’s Pizza Me - Elton John The Woman in Me - Britney Spears Becoming - Michelle Obama Spare - Prince Harry Born a Crime - Trevor Noah “Uninvited” - Alanis Morisette and Brandi Carlile “Adia” - Sarah McLaughlin Unsuk Chin Raves: Mizzou School of Music Faculty

  4. Sep 10

    Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 511 - Domenico Zarro

    Episode 511 - Domenico Zarro Pete's Percussion Podcast New Jersey-based percussionist, educator and researcher Domenico Zarro stops by to talk about our Italian names, living and teaching in New Jersey, his college teaching doctorate and his research interests (06:45), the Percussion Student Blog and Pete’s experience with it (28:30), growing up in Bergen County (NJ), his early percussion experiences and his connections to many great percussion educators, marching in VFW parades, improvisation in performance, and his thoughts on the current state of percussion education (40:15), his wide-ranging teaching career and further considerations for future percussion teachers (01:19:40), and settles in for the Random Ass Questions, including segments on clothing, Turner Classic Movies and classic film stars and directors, Ron Chernow books, New York sports, and the art of Americana (01:31:00). Finishing with a Rave on the 2026 film Obsession (02:01:10). Domenico Zarro links: Zarro Percussion Foundations Series for Band Perspectives of Percussion Pedagogues Domenico’s article on Ney Rosauro’s Marimba Concerto No. 1 Music for Percussion - Domenico Zarro Previous Podcast Guests mentioned: Neil Grover in 2023 Other Links: John H. Beck Murray Houllif James L. Moore John S. Pratt Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra Ed Uribe Modern Method for Timpani - Saul Goodman Modern School for Xylophone, Marimba, and Vibraphone - Morris Goldenberg Portraits in Rhythm - Tony Cirone Twelve Studies for Snare Drum - Frederic Delecluse Buster Bailey Ray DesRoches National Conference on Percussion Pedagogy Gordon Gottlieb Leonard Bernstein Georg Solti Bill Cahn Percussion Instruments and Their History - James Blades Geary Larrick Man of La Mancha Alan Abel Stanley Leonard Danny Gottlieb Jonathan Haas Tom Stubbs Douglas Howard Benjamin Herman Arnie Lang The Thin Man trailer The Searchers trailer You Can’t Take It With You trailer The Maltese Falcon trailer Pat and Mike trailer Key Largo trailer The Quiet Man trailer John Ford Frank Capra Alexander Hamilton - Ron Chernow Washington - Ron Chernow The Making of the American Mind - Matthew Spalding Don Mattingly 1986 Mets Highlights “Sleigh Ride” - Leroy Anderson “Fanfare for the Common Man” - Aaron Copland Norman Rockwell Raves: Obsession trailer

  5. Sep 3

    Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 510 - Payton MacDonald

    Episode 510 - Payton MacDonald Pete's Percussion Podcast William Paterson University (NJ) Percussion Director and Music Department Chairperson Payton MacDonald stops by to talk about his college job, the challenges of getting jobs in higher education, and the facilities at the school (03:15), how he handles and maintains his physical and mental health with involvement in so many creative activities, his years as a founding member of Alarm Will Sound, and his move towards improvisation as the basis of his creative performances now (26:40), growing up in Idaho Falls (ID), his early percussion and band experiences, his exposure to a wide swath of genres from a young age, and his experiences mountain biking (45:40), attending the University of Michigan for undergrad and studying with Michael Udow (01:00:00), attending Eastman (NY) for his grad degrees, developing a freelancing career and setting himself up for success on the college teaching level, and his years teaching at the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh (01:08:25), and finishes with the Random Ass Questions, with segments on music in competition, personal health, practical clothes, motorcycles, making fried rice, great books and poetry, administrative duties, and new music concerts (01:24:35). Finishing with a Rave on the 2025 documentary Sly Lives! (01:53:50). Payton MacDonald Links: Payton MacDonald’s homepage Payton MacDonald’s William Paterson University page Void Patrol’s Bandcamp page Sonic Divide Sonic Parks Previous Podcast Guests mentioned: Mika Godbole in 2026 Colleen Bernstein in 2022 Michael Udow in 2025 Steven Schick in 2025 Julie Spencer in 2021 John W. Parks IV in 2018 Other Links: Ray DesRoches “Persephassa” - Iannis Xenakis John Ferrari M’Bemba Bangoura Hector Morales Steve Nelson Johnathan Blake Alarm Will Sound Stefan Freund New Jersey Percussion Ensemble John H. Beck Blackearth Percussion Group Steve Reich Charles Wuorinen Max Roach Philly Joe Jones Elvin Jones John Medeski Glenn Gould Gordon Stout Vida Chenoweth Leigh Howard Stevens Clair Omar Musser Live at Birdland - John Coltrane Unit Structures - John Coltrane Ali Akbar Khan Bob Becker Silence - John Cage Rudimental Solos for Accomplished Drummers - John Pratt Portraits in Rhythm - Tony Cirone 12 Studies for Snare Drum - Jacques Delecluse H. Robert Reynolds Mark Stone Colin Stetson Stephen Rush Reggie Workman Roscoe Mitchell John Alfieri Bobby Hutcherson Milt Jackson Jason Treuting Lawson White Steve Owen Fred Bugbee Ted Poor Doug Perkins Anthony Di Sanza Blake Tyson CHiPs Freeze frame ending Apocalypse Now trailer Heart of Darkness trailer Oppenheimer trailer Denis Villeneuve Steven Soderbergh The Dispossessed - Ursula K. Le Guin Disgrace - J.M. Coetzee Canada - Richard Ford The Human Stain - Philip Roth George Oppen Dylan Thomas Charles Bukowski Fluxus MASS MoCA “Just Ancient Loops” - Michael Harrison & Bill Morrison - Maya Beiser, cello Raves: Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) - Sly Stone with Ben Goodman WTF: Episode 1666 - Questlove SLY LIVES! aka The Burden of Black Genius trailer

  6. Aug 27

    Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 509 - Rick Mattingly

    Episode 509 - Rick Mattingly Pete's Percussion Podcast Louisville-based percussionist, teacher, and writer, and editor of the Percussive Arts Society’s Percussive Notes magazine Rick Mattingly stops by to talk about his local performances in Louisville, the beginnings of his editing and writing career, and his interview style (04:55), his early editing career with Modern Drummer and his interviews and contact with drummers early in their careers (22:30), working as PAS’s Percussive Notes editor (38:35), growing up in Louisville, getting into rock and classical music early on, and getting to perform frequently (47:10), his years studying at the University of Louisville, playing professionally in orchestra, and playing in a hotel-based dance band (56:15), moving to New York City, interviewing members of the Rolling Stones, and his life in the city (01:07:40), moving back to Louisville, teaching and writing, and his work with method books and bringing Gary Chester’s The New Breed to the masses (01:21:00), and finishes with the Random Ass Questions, including segments on private instruction, maintaining physical and mental health, great books, The British Invasion, Louisville cuisine, and the Vesna Duo (01:44:00). Finishing with a Rave honoring the life and work of Dolly Parton (02:06:30). Rick Mattingly Links: Rick Mattingly’s GIA Publications page Your Music Career is NOT Over - Rick Mattingly Previous Podcast Guests mentioned: Julie Spencer in 2021 Norman Weinberg in 2017 Ksenija Komljenovic in 2020 The Vesna Duo in 2022 Other Links: Roy Burns Ron Spagnardi Buddy Rich Ed Shaughnessy Jimmy Cobb Jim Chapin Don Moye Peter Criss Philly Joe Jones Saul Goodman Sue Evans Garwood Whaley Kenny Aronoff Dave Weckl Steve Gadd Steve Jordan Denny Carmassi Val Wilmer Arthur Press The Beatles on Ed Sullivan Max Roach The Rolling Stones “Steel Wheels” tour Creedence Clearwater Revival Edward B. Straight N.A.R.D. Anthony J. Cirone Modern School for Xylophone, Marimba, and Vibraphone - Morris Goldenberg Clair Omar Musser “Sonata for Xylophone” - Thomas Pitfield “Children’s Songs” - Chick Corea and Gary Burton Chet Atkins Marvin Hamlisch Doc Severinsen “Gonna Fly Now” - Bill Conti Charlie Watts Tony Williams Danny Gottlieb Joe Morello Gary Chester Hal Blaine Bill Bruford Carl Palmer Louisville Leopard Percussionists Peter Erskine Nancy Zeltsman Charles Dickens Jack Kerouac Allen Ginsberg Sherlock Holmes Agatha Christie Basil Rathbone Sherlock trailer Ed Soph “Heart Full of Soul” - The Yardbirds “You Really Got Me” - The Kinks “Honey” - Bobby Goldsboro Ramsi’s Cafe Check’s Cafe Raves: Dolly Parton’s New York Times obituary

  7. Aug 20

    Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 508 - Jim McCarthy

    Episode 508 - Jim McCarthy Pete's Percussion Podcast Saskatchewan-based instrument designer, builder, tuner, and band arranger Jim McCarthy stops by to talk about all of his current work, along with the mallet bar retuning process (03:45), his Canadian Percussion Network conference presentations on his contrabass marimba and vibraphone motor manipulation (18:20), growing up in Adelaide (AUS), his interest in many musical genres and beginning on drumset, and the sports, music education, and weather scene in southern Australia (50:05), his time in undergrad at the University of Adelaide (01:10:00), his post-undergrad years freelancing, performing, arranging, and teaching, along with commentary about his volleyball career (01:23:30), and finishes with the Random Ass Questions, including segments on marimba design, Australian accents, personal health, movie comedies, great books, and traveling around the world (01:39:40). Finishing with a Rave on the classic novel Vanity Fair (02:15:00). Jim McCarthy links: Make a Marimba homepage Jim’s “Vibes Motor Unlimited” page Jim McCarthy’s bio at the Make a Marimba webpage Stick Technique - Jim McCarthy Jim McCarthy’s Percussion Clinic page Previous Podcast guests mentioned: Michael Schutz in 2025 John Wooton in 2022 Other Links: James Bailey PAS Hall of Fame page Helmholtz Resonators Arturo Sandoval Gary Burton Australian Contemporary Percussion - Louise Devenish Tower Heist trailer The African Queen trailer Dodgeball trailer Monty Python and the Holy Grail trailer Talladega Nights trailer The Man Who Captured Eichmann trailer The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series - Douglas Adams Last Chance to See - Douglas Adams The Many-Colored Land - Julian May Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - Robert Pirsig Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach Raves: Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray

  8. Aug 13

    Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 507 - Leonardo Soto

    Episode 507 - Leonardo Soto Pete's Percussion Podcast Principal Timpanist for the Houston Symphony (TX) Leonardo Soto stops by to talk about his main gig, teaching at the University of Miami (FL), working at summer festivals, secrets of auditioning, and maintaining a busy schedule (03:35), his previous orchestral jobs at the Detroit Opera (MI) and Charlotte Symphony (NC) and his experiences on the audition circuit later in his career (33:45), growing up in Chile, his father the drummer and pop musician, the legacy of Chilean orchestral percussionists, studying percussion in Chile, and the challenges of equipment and music resources in the country (45:20), his master’s degree work at Carnegie-Mellon University (PA), studying with Tim Adams and (later) Tom Freer, early audition experiences, and learning English through Seinfeld and the Rush Hour movies (01:04:05), and finishes with the Random Ass Questions, including segments on student learning styles, his sporting activities and doing cardio, playing athletic timpani music, Rafa Nadal, Chilean soccer, cooking mishaps, great books, and seeing the artwork in The Vatican (01:27:20). Finishing with a Rave on the 2026 documentary Cookie Queens (02:04:55). Leonardo Soto links: Leonardo Soto’s Houston Symphony page Leonardo Soto’s University of Miami page Leonardo Soto’s Remo page Timpani Concerto - Andy Akiho (Leonardo Soto, soloist) Previous Podcast Guests mentioned: She-e Wu in 2025 Pablo Rieppi in 2024 Andrés Espinoza in 2018 Other Links: Matthew Strauss Brevard Music Center Grand Teton Music Festival National Youth Orchestra Tom Freer Tim Adams Cloyd Duff Steven Reineke Svet Stoyanov Joseph Petrasek Edward Stephan Mingyu Son Luft Mallets Richard Weiner Shannon Wood La Sonora de Tommy Rey The All-American Drummer: 150 Rudimental Solos - Charley Wilcoxin Etudes for Timpani - Richard Hochrainer Rafa Nadal The Inner Game of Music - Barry Green City Lights trailer Cinema Paradiso trailer The Undefeated Mind - Alex Lickerman The Alchemist - Paulo Coehlo Meditations - Marcus Aurelius Myriam Hernandez The Vatican Raves: Cookie Queens trailer

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A place for long form talk with percussionists and other compelling people.

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