The MikeDrop Podcast MikeDrop

Mike and Mike go behind the screen for a first, second, and final round on orchestral excerpts, an essential part of classical musical training. Or are they? In addition to tips and tricks for organizing, learning, and refining excerpts, the Mikes discuss:
Why learn excerpts, beyond winning a job? How to learn them? How to teach them as part of a balanced diet? What are other practical considerations when learning and deploying tiny nuggets of musical goodness?

The Mikes sharpen their knives and wits and go head-to-head to discuss music competitions. What does it take to prepare for a competition? Do they offer benefits other than winning?
From reframing the competition as a personal growth opportunity to the role of judges in shaping the future of our art, the Mikes volley and trade broadsides on the positives, negatives, ins, and outs of individual performance contests.
Also featured: Mike C and T continue to develop a comprehensive taxonomy of sporting events.
 
MikeDrop is Mike Compitello and Mike Truesdell

Making a video, and want visible Mikes but not visible mics? We’ve got you covered. The Mikes discuss the various types of videos classical musicians are deploying and peel back the gild from their own video-making experiences, covering ideation, execution, and collaboration, particularly with the astonishing Four/Ten Media. Diners, swimming pools, isolated wooded areas, smoke machines: let’s go!
MikeDrop’s recording of Retrouvailles, by George Aperghis
Mike T’s video of An Elemental Thing, by Liza Lim
Mike C and Hannah Collins’ video of Down Down Baby, by Robert Honstein
Four/Ten Media

MikeDrop finds a method (book) to the madness of instructional percussion books, sharing their go-to texts while quizzing one another about George Hamilton Green’s rules for practice and hatred of glancing blows.
 
 
Audio wizard: Rebecca Moore

Choices, choices. The Mikes share how they select mallets for a variety of situations.
Mike T. endorses Marimba One Mallets
Mike C. endorses Vic Firth mallets and sticks
 
Rebecca Moore is our amazing audio engineer.

Is teaching more about what one teaches, or how one teaches? The Mikes share their insights on key concepts and structures in percussion pedagogy.
Fast fact: Mike T. teaches at Ithaca College and Mike C. at Arizona State University.
 
Rebecca Moore is the expert behind the sound of these episodes.