Pete's Percussion Podcast - Pete Zambito Pete Zambito
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A place for long form talk with percussionists and other compelling people.
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Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 388 - Allen Otte (Part 1)
Retired Cincinnati Conservatory of Music Professor, co-founder of BlackEarth Percussion Group and the Percussion Group Cincinnati, and performing percussionist Allen Otte stops by to talk about his current work with an early music improvisational group and The Innocents Project with John Lane (03:50), growing up in Sheboygan, WI, playing in church and with polka bands, his beginnings in piano and percussion, and studying with Michael Rosen (32:20), attending Oberlin (OH) for undergrad and getting into improvisation and new chamber music (43:50), and his work with BlackEarth, “inhaling music” vs. building repertoire and programs, and eventually making his way to CCM (56:40).
Finishing with a Rave on Ireland, its people, and its parades (01:17:30).
Allen Otte Links:
Percussion Group Cincinnati’s PAS Hall of Fame page
The Innocents
Previous Podcast Guest Mentioned:
John Lane in 2023
Other Links:
Anthony Braxton
“The Fall of the Empire” - Frederick Rzewski
Herbert Brün
Garry Kvistad
“Guantanamera” - Pete Seeger
“If I Had A Hammer” - Peter, Paul, and Mary
“So What” - Miles Davis
“My Favorite Things” - John Coltrane
Michael Rosen
Richard Weiner
Cloyd Duff
George Hamilton Green
“Log Cabin Blues” - G.H. Green
The Polka Belt in the USA
“Zyklus” - Karlheinz Stockhausen
“Concertino for Marimba” - Paul Creston
George Szell
Pierre Boulez
“Oiseaux Exotiques” - Olivier Messiaen
The Rite of Spring - Igor Stravinsky
“Third Construction” - John Cage
“Music for a Summer Evening” - George Crumb
Jan Williams
“Suite for Percussion” - Lou Harrison
“Inuksuit” - John Luther Adams
“Ionisation” - Edgard Varése
“Bolero” - Ravel
“Atmospheres” - György Ligeti
“String Quartet” - Witold Lutoslawski
String Quartet No. 14, Op. 131 - Ludwig van Beethoven
Al O’Connor
Tom Siwe
The LaSalle Quartet
Bill Youhass
Raves:
Marching Mizzou at St. Patrick’s Day Parade 2024 -
Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 387 - Bill Sallak
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Music Professor Bill Sallak stops by to talk about his job and dual role as director of percussion and audio engineering, working previously at Kent State (OH), Akros Percussion Collective, and manufacturing his own percussion items (03:20), growing up near Buffalo (NY), his interests in science and math, and watching transcendent athletes and teams (29:05), attending SUNY-Fredonia for undergrad (48:40), his research into J.S. Bach’s music transcribed for marimba (56:25), attending the University of Akron (OH) for his master’s and accompanying for modern dance (01:06:30), his sabbatical year at Ohio University and his doctoral studies at Arizona State (01:20:45), and finishes with the Random Ass Questions, including segments on flexibility in performance, making pasta sauce, Invisible Cities, great percussion music, and Barbara Kingsolver (01:35:50).
Finishing with a Rave on Marissa R. Moss’s 2022 book Her Country (01:57:50).
Bill Sallak Links:
Bill Sallak’s homepage
Bill Sallak’s UWGB page
Bill’s version of the JS Bach Cello Suites
Previous Podcast Guests mentioned:
Elizabeth DeLamater in 2019
Aiyun Huang in 2023
Kay Stonefelt
Other Links:
Phoenix Studios
Center for Games and Interactive Media
“Mutatis Mutandis” - Herbert Brün, performed by Akros Percussion Collective
“Bird of Passage” - Karlheinz Stockhausen
Steven Schick
“Piano Concerto” - Györgi Ligeti
“Nothing is Real” - Alvin Lucier
Michael Rector
Larry Snider
Thomas Siwe
“Sextet” - Steve Reich
Domino Hasek Highlights
Pat LaFontaine Highlights
Golden State Warriors 2015-2016 Highlights
Liverpool FC wins 2020 Champions League
Jurgen Klopp
Mo Salah highlights
Bernard Woma
“Psappha” - Iannis Xenakis
“Zyklus” - Karlheinz Stockhausen
Jean Geoffroy
Leigh Howard Stevens
J.J. Quantz on Ornamentation
Wieland Kuijken
Merce Cunningham
Joan Meggitt
“The Anvil Chorus” - David Lang
Roger Braun
J.B. Smith
Mark Sunkett
Anner Bylsma - Bach Cello Suites
Paul Tortelier - Bach Cello Suites
Decasia trailer
Michael Gordon and the Bang on a Can All-Stars
Invisible Cities - Italo Calvino
“Hold On I’m Comin’” - Sam and Dave Live
The NOW Pizzeria - Hamburgh, NY
“Top of the Hill” - Tom Waits
“Tom Traubert’s Blues” - Tom Waits
“A Valentine Out of Season” - John Cage
Demon Copperhead - Barbara Kingsolver
Raves:
Her Country - Marissa R. Moss -
Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 386 - Arin Levy (Part 2)
Denver-based sound bath specialist and freelance percussionist Arin Levy returns to talk about getting their DMA from Alabama, falling out of interest in getting a teaching job, and their personalized dissertation (01:35), getting into sound baths, moving to Denver, and working for MakeMusic (19:25), and settles in for the Random Ass Questions segment, with segments on the 432 Hz Debate, their experience in Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity, terrible jobs, the extensive Star Wars universe, the Twilight movies, traveling internationally, and Everything Everywhere All At Once (27:15).
Finishing with a Rave with 2 films from the True/False Documentary Film Festival (01:07:10).
Arin Levy Links:
Part 1 with Arin Levy
Enso Sounds
Other Links:
Tim Feeney
“Reflections on the Nature of Water” - Jacob Druckman
Pauline Oliveros TedX Talk
“Bor——-H” - Anthony Braxton
MakeMusic Cloud
Schumann Resonances
AWAKE Festival
Biofreeze
The Bad Batch trailer
Twilight Saga - “Doesn’t He Own A Shirt?”
Tao Te Ching
The Tao of Pooh - Benjamin Hoff
Luigi’s Restaurant in Akron, OH
Robert McClure
Everything Everywhere All At Once trailer
Raves:
Daughters
This is Going to Be Big trailer -
Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 385 - Arin Levy (Part 1)
Denver (CO)-based percussionist Arin Levy stops by to talk about Enso Sounds, gong selection, dealing with logistics, and the business of sound baths (03:15), growing up in Canton (OH), drum corps, playing trombone, and their involvement in theater (26:40), their undergrad years at Ohio University (36:55), going to Eastern Kentucky for master’s and teaching as a sabbatical replacement (47:00), and living in Indianapolis after the master’s degree, teaching high school drumlines, working with Jeff Queen, and freelancing (57:35).
Finishing with a Rave on the Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra (01:03:10).
Arin Levy Links:
Enso Sounds
Previous Podcast Guests mentioned:
Becca Laurito in 2023
Other Links:
Gongs Unlimited
Tim Feeney
Steven Schick
Pro Football Hall of Fame
Bill Hamilton
Glassmen DBC
Roger Braun
Paul Rennick
Paschal Younge
Jason Koontz
Chosen Vale
Doug Perkins
Jeff Queen
Raves:
Maria Schneider’s Website -
Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 384 - Louis Raymond-Kolker
High Point University (NC) Professor of Percussion, Theory and Composition Louis Raymond-Kolker stops by to chat about HPU, North Carolina, and teaching at Appalachian State and Winston-Salem State (02:25), getting into composing and the art of teaching composition (26:05), growing up in Austin, TX and getting into all things percussion (37:40), his undergrad years at Texas A&M-Commerce and his time in drum corps (49:05), his masters years at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (01:08:15), his gap year before heading to North Carolina, including his time as a USPS letter carrier (01:18:45), and finishes with the Random Ass Questions segment, including discussions of “The Percussion Canon”, Jhumpa Lahiri, Miyazaki movie scores, and “Dave the Diver” (01:26:45).
Finishing with a Rave on the 2023 film The Zone of Interest (01:52:35).
Louis Raymond-Kolker Links:
Louis Raymond-Kolker’s website
Louis Raymond-Kolker’s High Point University website
Previous Podcast Guests mentioned:
Danny Frye in 2018
Christopher Thompson in 2020
Dave Hall in 2020
Brian Zator in 2017
Other Links:
Mat Campbell
Brian Meixner
North Carolina Brass Band
Inside Out Steelband
Austin Percussion Collective
High Point University Community Orchestra
Diana Loomer
Gordon Stout
Liam Teague
Greg Beyer
Greg Simon
Partita for Eight Voices - Caroline Shaw
Discovering the Waterfront - Silverstein
“Remember, Marimba” - Errollyn Wallen
“Dream of the Cherry Blossoms” - Keiko Abe
“Time for Marimba” - Minoru Miki
Guardians DBC
Great Plains International Marimba Competition
Hayao Miyazaki
Jhumpa Lahiri
DAVE THE DIVER
Raves:
The Zone of Interest trailer -
Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 383 - Blair Helsing
Percussionist, Band Leader, and Podcaster Blair Helsing stops by to talk about his life and a percussionist, band leader and percussion enthusiast (02:30), his work with the PAS Diversity Alliance and his career in Information Technology (17:25), growing up in Chicago and California (26:40), moving to the Bay Area in college, playing in bands regularly, PAS, Digital Audio Workstations, and San Francisco during the 1990s and 2000s (32:20), and finishing with the Random Ass Questions, including sections on maintaining good posture while playing drumset, Edgar Wright movies, John Cage, Hal Blaine, Ringo Starr, the final Sex Pistols show, and Rick Beato’s YouTube page (54:15).
Finishing with a Rave on the 2021 documentary The Sparks Brothers (01:23:45).
Blair Helsing Links:
Blair Helsing’s LinkedIn page
Echo Beach Jazz Band
Previous podcast guests mentioned:
Elizabeth DeLamater in 2019
Heather Sloan in 2021
Dave Gerhart in 2018
Other Links:
PAS Diversity Alliance
Hurtado Brothers
M’Boom - Max Roach et. al.
Max Roach
Art Blakey
Hit Like A Girl
Winterland Ballroom
James Helsing
Calypso - Harry Belafonte
Charlie Watts
Ringo Starr
Drummers Collective
Dave Casini
Anthony J. Cirone
Béla Fleck
Edgar Meyer
Zakir Hussain
Stewart Copeland
Gary Burton
Steven Schick
Eugene Novotney
Baby Driver trailer
The Wrecking Crew trailer
Standing in the Shadows of Motown trailer
Muscle Shoals trailer
Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me trailer
Hal Blaine
J.R. Robinson
Last Night in Soho trailer
The Drummer’s Path - Sule Greg Wilson
Where the Heart Beats - Kay Larson
“Wonderful Tonight” - Eric Clapton
“Go Where You Wanna Go” - The Mama’s and The Papa’s
“Dedicated to the One I Love” - The Mama’s and The Papa’s
Jaleo by José Andrés
Reckless Records
Pizza in North Beach
Tartine Bakery
Cozy Cole
Earl Palmer
The Sex Pistols’ Final U.S. Tour
The Sex Pistols’ Final Concert - Winterland
Darkness on the Edge of Town - Bruce Springsteen
Rick Beato interviews Keith Jarrett
Rick Beato interviews Pat Metheny
Rick Beato interviews Sting
Aimee Nolte on Beatles Bridges
Raves:
The Sparks Brothers trailer
Customer Reviews
Pete is the man
Great guy, I love the people he brings on. All around chill dude with a chill voice.
Adam hopper
Adam hopper is the best
Fantastic Resource!
The insight revealed in these deep-dive interviews with prominent percussionists (and other musicians) is invaluable!