Pete's Percussion Podcast - Pete Zambito

Episode 477 - Lamon Lawhorn (2025) Pete's Percussion Podcast Frequent Pete’s Percussion Podcast guest Lamon Lawhorn returns to the podcast to talk about his participation with the M-Boom Tribute Ensemble at PASIC50 this past November (03:20), his path to getting onto the PAS Board of Directors, dealing with feedback received about PASIC applications, the responsibilities of the job, and how to get...

Episode 476 - Drew Tucker Pete's Percussion Podcast Bandleader, Percussionist, Arts Administrator, Clinician and Speaker Drew Tucker stops by to talk about the PASIC50 Panel he participated on about Percussion and Dance (05:00), his position as Director of Jazz Road at South Arts, supporting jazz artists, freelancing and getting involved, and the grant process (21:40), growing up in Boca Raton (FL...

Episode 475- Liz Soflin Pete's Percussion Podcast Pusch Ridge Christian Academy (AZ) Director of Percussion Activities and Tuscon-based Freelancer Liz Soflin stops by to talk about her PASIC50 performance of Stuart Saunders Smith’s “By Language Embellished, I…” (04:30), her career in Arizona and more about her freelancing and college teaching (15:30), growing up in Michigan, her beginnings in perc...

Episode 474 - Francis Favis Pete's Percussion Podcast University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Percussion Professor Francis Favis stops by to talk about his recent PASIC50 Performance during the New Music/Research session (04:05), his job at UTRGV, the unusual school setup, and mariachi music in south Texas (18:20), growing up in Bloomington Normal (IL), his family’s deep musical roots, early...

Episode 473- Kassandra Kocoshis Pete's Percussion Podcast Los Angeles City College (CA) Professor of Music and Freelancer Kassandra Kocoshis stops by to talk about her PASIC50 Presentation on Cajón performance in Flamenco performance and how she came to love this genre of music (05:10), her job at LACC, how she got the job, freelancing in California, and working with the artist Ebi (19:50), growin...

Episode 472 - Nick Costa Pete's Percussion Podcast Philadelphia-based Educator, Drumset Artist, Content Creator and Freelancer Nick Costa stops by to talk about his PASIC50 Presentation (with Marc Dicciani) on effective drumset practicing (04:45), his work as a classroom music teacher, teaching group drum lessons, being a member of the PAS Drumset Committee, and creating content on TikTok and YouT...

Episode 471 - Frank Kumor Pete's Percussion Podcast Kutztown University (PA) Percussion Director and Department Chair Frank Kumor stops by to talk about his PASIC50 New Music/Research Day performance of Jennifer Stasack’s “Six Elegies Dancing” and his longtime connection to the piece (03:55), his job at Kutztown University, the connections to the Center for Mallet Research at the school, his percu...

Episode 470 - Michael Schutz Pete's Percussion Podcast After talking about some of his experiences at PASIC50, McMaster University (ON) Percussion and Music Cognition Professor Michael Schutz stops by to talk about his PASIC50 Scholarly Research Presentation on Xylophone Music (06:00), his job at McMaster, the percussion ensemble program there, the Canadian Percussion Network, the city of Hamilton...

Episode 469 - PASIC 2025 Preview (Part 2) Pete's Percussion Podcast PASIC 2025 IS HERE! Here’s Part 2 of our annual PASIC Preview Episodes (for the 50th PASIC)! Included today are conversations with presenters who will be appearing Thursday and Friday during the conference. Discussions are with Nick Costa (02:00), Kassandra Kocoshis (18:15), Lamon Lawhorn (34:45), and Michael Schutz (59:45). The p...

Episode 468 - PASIC 2025 Preview (Part 1) - Focus Day Pete's Percussion Podcast PASIC 2025 is here! Let’s preview some of the presentations that you’ll be able to see. Today’s podcast focuses on those taking part in the Thursday New Music/Research Focus Day. You’ll get to hear from Francis Favis (02:20), Liz Soflin (18:00), Drew Tucker (31:00), Kristie Ibrahim, Gina Ryan, and Victoria Sparks of Tr...

Episode 467 - Ken Shorley Pete's Percussion Podcast Acadia University (NS) Percussion Professor, as well as Freelancer, Composer, and Researcher Ken Shorley stops by to talk about his unusual faculty position at Acadia, his Freelancing career, traveling and studying musics of the world, and forming a performing duo with his wife (03:40), the Canadian Percussion Network and The Space Between confer...

Episode 466 - Mike Mixtacki Pete's Percussion Podcast University of Tennessee-Knoxville Adjunct Professor of Percussion Mike Mixtacki stops by to talk about his new gig, his many jobs in the college world so far, and connecting to the Eastern Tennessee percussion community (02:10), growing up in Madison (WI), his percussion and piano background, earning his Eagle Scout badge, and playing in lots o...

Episode 465 - Shelby Blezinger-McCay Pete's Percussion Podcast New York City-based freelancing percussionist and educator Shelby Blezinger-McCay stops by to talk about her job activities, moving to NY from grad school, and her experiences work with So Percussion (03:00), subbing for Broadway shows, NYC transit, and visiting Long Island (23:00), growing up near Dallas, her DCI years, and playing te...

Episode 464 - Mariah Taller Pete's Percussion Podcast Minot State University (ND) Percussion Professor Mariah Taller stops by to talk about her job and getting acclimated to the community there (02:35), her doctoral research on Julie Spencer (21:35), growing up in South Bend (IN), her early experiences in large ensembles, learning marimba concerti, and swimming in high school (32:00), attending De...

Episode 463 - Gustavo Miranda Pete's Percussion Podcast Nicholls State University (LA) Percussion Professor Gustavo Miranda stops by to talk about his job and his freelancing in the Louisiana area (02:35), the Ninkasi Quartet (18:10), growing up in Brazil, his early music background on guitar, his experiences playing soccer and surfing, and heavy metal (26:10), his undergrad musical experiences in...

Episode 462 - Nathan Siegel Pete's Percussion Podcast Assistant Professor of Percussion at Temple College/Texas A&M University-Central Texas Nathan Siegel stops by to talk about his unusual position at these schools, his social media presence, his travel schedule during previous years, and the need to be versatile in the profession (03:45), growing up in Fort Worth (TX), getting into percussio...

Episode 461 - Terry Longshore Pete's Percussion Podcast Southern Oregon University Percussion Professor Terry Longshore stops by to talk about his job at the University, building a program, and his very active chamber and freelancing performance career (02:35), growing up in Fresno (CA) and his early background on a variety of instruments (32:20), attending Fresno State University for his first un...

Episode 460 - She-e Wu (Part 2) Pete's Percussion Podcast Northwestern University (IL) Professor of Percussion She-e Wu returns to talk about staying at the University of North Texas to attend grad school and study composition (01:45), teaching and performing out of grad school, and her year teaching at the University of West Virginia (09:45), her decade teaching at Rutgers (NJ), building up the f...

Episode 459 - She-e Wu (Part 1) Pete's Percussion Podcast Percussionist, Performer, Freelancer, Educator, Composer, Instrument Designer, Clinician, and Director of Percussion Studies at Northwestern University (IL) She-e Wu stops by to talk about position at the university, getting the job, and how her passion for music and teaching fuels her career (04:30), what it takes to be performance ready a...

Episode 458 - Kristin Klehr Pete's Percussion Podcast Percussionist, Freelancer, Entrepreneur, Arts Administrator, and Assistant Dean for Professional Development and Personal Engagement at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Kristen Klehr stops by to talk about her college teaching, creating one’s own arts ecosystem, and performing “Athletic Percussion” (03:25), growing up in Binghamton (NY),...

Episode 457 - Neil Flannigan Pete's Percussion Podcast Fort Zumwalt West (MO) Percussion Director and Chapter President for the Missouri Percussive Arts Society Neil Flannigan stops by to talk about his teaching position (03:25), the MOPAS Presidency (21:40), growing up in STL, his percussion and guitar background, the band Rush, Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps, and working at Dierberg’s Grocery St...

Episode 456 - Jessie Flannigan Pete's Percussion Podcast Composer, Performer, Educator, Missouri PAS Treasurer, and Academic and Administrative Coordinator for the Music Department at Washington University (MO) Jessie Flannigan stops by to talk about how she manages and is successful with her large workload and schedule (03:35), all things Missouri PAS and updating the Prescribed Music List (16:35...

Episode 455 - Michael Udow (Part 2) Pete's Percussion Podcast Composer, Percussionist, and Educator Michael Udow returns to talk about his year in Poland for a Fulbright Fellowship and what life was like there in the early 1970s (01:55), his path to getting to Michigan (including teaching at UMKC) and how he further developed an excellent program at Ann Arbor (11:55), and finishes with the Random...

Episode 454 - Michael Udow (Part 1) Pete's Percussion Podcast Composer, Percussionist, and Retired Professor of Percussion from the University of Michigan Michael Udow stops by to talk about “reassignment”, living in Colorado and staying in good physical and mental shape, letting go of regularly performing on percussion, and his compositional career (03:35), growing up in Detroit, Wichita and Penn...

Episode 453 - Terry Gibbs (with Damon Grant of Discussions in Percussion) Pete's Percussion Podcast Alongside fellow podcaster Damon Grant from Discussions in Percussion , we interview vibraphonist, drummer, and bandleader Terry Gibbs about the Dream Band and Terry Pollard (05:30), an eventual interview introduction, his autobiography, and his early life and career (09:45), the beginnings of bebop...