The MikeDrop Podcast

Everyone loves Keith Aleo!  Here he is diving into his life story (since birth...) along with wonderful charm, helpful advice and a solid train of thought (pun).  

The Mikes held captive a wonderful person/percussionist/musician George Nickson. George has his fingers in many pies (yum!), so the Mikes try to get to the bottom of the pan on how George maintains his sanity, skills, and joie de vivre!

The Mikes reflect on concertizing, teaching, planning, and productivity, and make a plan for the future.   Episode recorded January 2025.

Mike T. thought we were talking about Timpani mutes, but together we talk about timpani concepts and basics also, which is a better topic.   What's the difference between "dampening" and "muting"?  We don't know and confuse these words the whole episode.   Overall, we don't solve anything and get to the bottom of nothing, but at least it uses an hour of your precious time!  Happy listening!    

The Mikes attempt to remember each others' names and it proves difficult.  Mike T. gets quite animated and goes on a lengthy monologue.  He should have been sedated but wasn't.  Overall, a great discussion of the reasons and techniques of memory and music, in our humble opinions.

The Mikes enter into a battle royale over the best etudes in this iconic text. Blood is shed, but feelings are not hurt.  How to prepare these? Which ones should I play for an audition? Are they etudes or solos? Do they still matter?   Also, we originally recorded this with a video in mind but scrapped it. You'll understand once you listen.  We hope you enjoy!

The Mikes discuss one of the warhorses of 20th-century music: Iannis Xenakis. Fun debate, pieces we never knew, and of course, loud sounds!

http://www.mikedropduo.com   The Mikes discuss our summer reads, postulate about future reads, and fill in the cracks with the usual banter. Maybe one of these books will interest you!

http://www.mikedropduo.com   As Mike C.  once wonderfully mentioned, “you gotta show up for training camp in shape!” But how do you get in shape? The Mikes talk it out and offer some specific pieces, thoughts and tips!     00:00 - Three cool updates!   8:35 - It’s okay to have taken a break   12:00 - Breaks - do we need them? How to use them?   16:08 - Why do I have to be in shape?    21:34 - What...

The Mikes try to unpack a touchy subject: musical taste!  What is it? How do you get it? How do you develop it? and more!

The Mikes just recorded a few pieces (to be released…sometime)! Have you ever completed a recording session and thought “Did I do this right? Does anyone else feel the same way as I did?”    The Mikes break down their session and get into some deep philosophical topics about the recording process.  

The Mikes really like talking big pictures with the occasional fun detail. If you’re like the Mikes, this episode is for you! We get into the nitty-gritty about organizing all those pesky sticks, mallets and music (both physical and digital).    Have you ever questioned your organization? Compare yours against the Mikes. YouTube provides the bonus of some beneficial visual aids!       3:45 - How d...

The Mikes lead up to a rousing discussion of their favorite recordings, starting in classical music and reaching far beyond. Enjoy the ride!   MikeDrop is Mikes Compitello and Truesdell

In this episode, the Mikes talk with Four/Ten Media about their favorite past projects, filming techniques, how to be a great client, nostalgic memories, and of course, what is up with that sound in TENET??   MikeDrop is Mikes Compitello and Truesdell Four/Ten Media is Kevin Eikenberg and Evan Chapman www.fourtenmedia.net

Aphasia is by Mark Applebaum   Mark Applebaum is a musical inventor whose music combines the unrelenting rigor of post-war European Modernism with ridiculousness and whimsy borne of zooming obsessively and exactingly close to the mundane. Mike and Mike break down how they learned Mark Applebaum’s iconic solo work *Aphasia.* “Eat sandwich,” “smell grapefruit,” “open beer,” “close window,” “fasten s...

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 considerati...

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 per...

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 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.

Mike C and Mike T see how well they REALLY know one another glimpse into each others’ creative minds and personal approaches to spending time developing ideas both big and small.   Thank you, Rebecca Moore, for the wonderful work fixing our audio!

http://www.oktavenaudio.com/   MikeDrop calls in reinforcements from a classical music heavy hitter: Ryan Streber, composer and engineer at Oktaven Audio, one of the leading recording studios for contemporary and classical repertoire. Ryan’s razor-sharp ears, gentle demeanor, and insightful sonic choices have had the Mikes returning time and time again to Oktaven for recording projects, and we wer...

Get ready to tap that! The Mikes bounce like a hovercraft over contentious (but bouncy) waters to debate using practice pads for good and evil in one’s musical development. The Duo discusses pad selection, and setup, and makes some recommendations for pads in several categories. Pads mentioned, in no particular order: Ikea bath towels Tom’s Pad The Billy Hyde Vic Firth Stock Pad The Remo Practice...