String Band Sessions

Season 2 of String Band Sessions Podcast continues as host Jim Donio goes on location to the Joseph A. Ferko String Band clubhouse to open up the "Ferko Costume Vault" for a nostalgic and colorful stroll down Mummery lane. Band members John Evans, Captain Scott Ratzke, Jr. and new Musical Director Adam Welwood model suits spanning more than 60 years of Ferko history from 1953's Music...

Season 2 of String Band Sessions Podcast continues with the third Philadelphia String Band Association "Hall of Famers" episode. Host Jim Donio doubles down with not one, but two 2026 inductees from the Durning String Band...Captain Joe "Asti" Pomante and Past President Joe Forster. They share memories of their respective Mummers journeys to Durning String Band, including the h...

Season 2 of String Band Sessions Podcast continues with a new "The Hall of Famers" episode as host Jim Donio speaks with this year's inductees into the Philadelphia Mummers String Band Association Hall of Fame. Next up is John Evans who has been a member of seven string bands during his lifelong Mummers career, including almost three decades at his current home the Joseph A. Ferko St...

Season 2 of String Band Sessions Podcast continues with a new series entitled "The Hall of Famers" where host Jim Donio speaks with this year's inductees into the Philadelphia Mummers String Band Association Hall of Fame. First up is Chris Farr who has successfully arranged musical scores for many bands over his Mummers career, with an enviable 1st prize-winning record.

Season 2 of String Band Sessions podcast continues with host Jim Donio’s coverage and commentary at the 2027 String Band Theme Submission Event on February 28. Watch for new episodes coming soon and check out all of Season 1 on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Season 2 of String Band Sessions is officially underway! Host Jim Donio is joined by Sam Regalbuto, President of the Philadelphia Mummers String Band Association, for a wide-ranging conversation about New Year’s Day 2026 and what fans can expect from the upcoming String Band Spectacular.

Host Jim Donio brings the String Band Sessions podcast to the Quaker City String Band for a behind-the-scenes look at "The Joker's Funhouse." Presentation Director Matt Farrell, Music Director Michael "Spanky" Brown, and Captain Jimmy Good (who will be leading the group for the 13th year) let us in on the colorful characters, obstacles and opportunities the mischievous Joker will try to take advan...

Host Jim Donio travels to Gloucester City, NJ for the String Band Sessions podcast visit with the Durning String Band. He chats with Presentation Director Steve Palys, Music Director Rich Burr, and Captain Joe Pomante (who will be leading the group for the 17th year and also celebrating his upcoming induction into the Philadelphia Mummers String Band Association Hall of Fame). They give us a behin...

Host Jim Donio and the String Band Sessions podcast went far north...of Philadelphia that is...to spend some time with the Uptown String Band and view the coming attractions for their "From Script to Screen" theme. Assistant Drill Master Ryan Radcliffe, Music Director Thor McLaughlin and Captain Kade Radcliffe reel us in to show how their Hollywood-centric production will unveil exactly what's inv...

Host Jim Donio and the String Band Sessions podcast have come to the South Philadelphia String Band to learn about their "BeWISHED" presentation for New Year's Day. Presentation Director Jim Browne, Music Director Lou Palena and reigning 1st Prize String Band Captain Denny Palandro (about to mark his 19th year in front of the group) share some exciting background details about how they have create...

Host Jim Donio brings the String Band Sessions podcast to the Polish American String Band for a sneak preview of their "Log Jammin" presentation for this coming New Year's Day 2026. Presentation Director Rick Hagenbuch III, Music Director Chris D'Amore and Captain Nick Magenta (celebrating his 13th year in front of the group) take us behind-the-scenes of their action-packed, fun-filled journey to...

Host Jim Donio travels to New Jersey for the next stop on the String Band Sessions podcast roadshow for a visit with the Jersey String Band and a trip back in time for their "Nifty Fifties Jukebox Jamboree." Captain Pat Walton, his brother Presentation Director Alex Walton, and Music Director Ryan Erikson share details about their nostalgic production bringing us on series of experiences during a...

Host Jim Donio brings String Band Sessions podcast to the Woodland String Band to find out what we'll be experiencing from their jazzy "A Taste of Bourbon" show. We hear from Presentation Director Steve Bujnowski, Music Director A.J. Ford III and Captain George Balzer IV about how the Band's 100th Anniversary will be celebrated in traditional New Orleans style as we take in a variety of the Big Ea...

Host Jim Donio takes String Band Sessions podcast out and about to see what the Greater Kensington String Band is planning for their 2026 theme "Adventurers Beware!" Presentation Director Matt Krohn, Music Director Matt Deininger and Captain Shawn Blubaugh share some details about how the jungle-focused journey will unfold. As the lead explorer, Captain Shawn will attempt to make his way past a se...

Host Jim Donio's next stop for String Band Sessions podcast moves from land to sea for a preview of the Fralinger String Band's "Making Waves" production. He speaks with Presentation Director Bob Theil, Music Director Dave Zagorski and Captain Brad Bowen about their atmospheric oceanic spectacle. Bowen's King Neptune will guide us through a dramatic, theatrical blend of underwater sights and sound...

Host Jim Donio is taking the String Band Sessions show on the road as he visits all 14 bands in the next three weeks to get a backstage preview of their productions for New Year's Day 2026. Next up is the Joseph A. Ferko String Band with their theme "Soul Station," a nostalgic look back at the popular Disco and Soul music of the 1970s all set in a train yard. Jim chats with Music Director Matt Gib...

Host Jim Donio takes the String Band Sessions roadshow to the Duffy String Band for a behind-the-scenes look at "Music Store Galore." He gets a preview from Music Director Tony Ovecka, Presentation Director Sharon Crowe, and Captain Jake Kudrick about their production that will literally bring music to life...animated instruments, sheet music and more! Duffy has the distinction of the youngest mar...

Host Jim Donio's next stop on the String Band Sessions roadshow is a visit with the Avalon String Band. He speaks with Music Director Joe Urzillo, Presentation Director Jeff Crompton, and Captain Bobby Gagliardi about their bakery production "Confection Perfection." All of our favorite cakes, pies, cookies, donuts, cupcakes, and more are brought to delicious life...with genre-bending melodies and...

Host Jim Donio is on the road again with String Band Sessions at the Hegeman String Band to get a glimpse into their 2026 theme "Viva Las Hegeman." Captain Kelliann Gallagher and President Ryan Echols let us in on what we can expect to see and hear as they show us how much fun a trip to Vegas can be from casinos, showgirls, magicians, and more with classic Vegas tunes blended with contemporary pop...

Host Jim Donio is taking the String Band Sessions show on the road as he visits all 14 bands in the next three weeks to get a backstage preview of their productions for New Year's Day 2026. First up is the Aqua String Band with their theme "Shamrock Shenanigans," a whimsical celebration of all things Irish. Jim chats with Music Director Andrew Maminski, Presentation Director Ed Maminski, and Capta...

Our final guest in the "Moms of Mums" series, where Jim Donio chats with the mothers of String Band captains, is Colleen Kudrick, whose son Jake is Captain of the Duffy String Band. Among the String Bands, Colleen is the only mother who is also a musician marching behind her son as Captain. Colleen shares the heartbreaking, and ultimately heartwarming, story of the sudden loss of her husband, Duff...

Our next guest in our new "Moms of Mums" series, where Jim Donio chats with the mothers of String Band captains, is Paula Tilley whose son Austin is Captain of the Aqua String Band. Paula was actually the inspiration for this series after she posted photos of Austin on Facebook with the caption..."I just love watching you do what you love!" Of course, we had to explore how much a mother's support...

Our next String Band Sessions podcast series is entitled "Moms of Mums," where Jim Donio will be chatting with the mothers of string band captains. The love, support and pride that mothers give to their families is like no other. When it comes to the Mummers, you may find a mom who enthusiastically cheers from the sidelines or at home, takes care of everyone with food and drink, pushes props as a...

Episode 14 of String Band Sessions podcast is a Special Episode that answers the question..."How Are the String Bands Judged?" Host Jim Donio speaks with Judging Committee Chairman Louis Speziale, who delivers a master class in the current judging process, as well as reliving his experience in real-time following the 2025 Parade that resulted in an unprecedented tie for 1st Prize between the Quake...

Episode 13 of String Band Sessions podcast continues our series "Putting It Together" as host Jim Donio chats with experts about how they contribute their unique talents to help the bands complete their productions. In this episode, masterful arranger John Wernega shares his musical journey as a veritable "one man band." We learn about his early string band career as a member of the Broomall Strin...