Michael and I chat over Skype about life as a percussionist, conga and bata player, and master teacher (my words, not his).  He’s someone who is a big reason I’m doing what I’m doing.  What he taught me about Cuban music (ie. the WAY he learned and approaches it) is how I approach Trinidadian steel drumming.  He’s a good man and someone you should talk to if you can.  You won’t regret it.

Jacqueline and I sit in her kitchen and talk life and being a professional baker in New York City. She’s a former student of mine from NYU and I couldn’t be prouder of the work she’s doing. www.vauclusenyc.com

Wally was in Australia.  I was in New York.  We chat about life and composing and using personal struggle as the catalyst for work.  Wally is one of my favorite people in the world.  He always has cookies.

Vicious Children, by Wally Gunn, performed by Mobius Percussion, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEK08ddre9Q

Wally Gunn - Can You Hear Me (Part I), performed by Passepartout Duo, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQJSZMLWQKg

Gil and I sit in his living room and talk about life as a pianist and dealing with self-doubt as an artist and student. He’s a world-renowned concert pianist, accompanists, collaborator, and soloist.

He’s also a good man, and someone I thoroughly enjoy talking to about pretty much anything he wants to talk about.

Olivier Messiaen Amour oiseau detoile—w/ Dawn Upshaw, voice

Charles Ives—Songs My Mother Taught me—w/ Jan DeGaetan

Michael is the author of the book, “Our Band Could Be Your Life”.  It’s changed the lives of many artists including Dan Deacon.  We sit in the So studio and talk about his work with Nirvana and working with artists.

#joshandtoddspendanhourwastinganhour

We sit in Kendall's living room with their friend Shane McDonald and talk about growing up around steel bands and the intricacies of teaching by rote. Marc is a real advocate for the steel band community in Brooklyn. You should listen to him.

Steve and I sit in his office at Princeton and talk about his life as a composer, professional skier, father and son. We talk about the cosmos, his compositional process, and how mortality and time is at the center of much of his work.

Rob and I sit and talk about his life as a manager and booking agent. He's So Percussion's booking agent and is the owner of www.allianceartistmanagement.com.

Todd and I spend an hour wasting an hour talking about starting a small business.

Nelson and I talk about live sound and Teslas.  He’s been So’s live sound engineer for the last 3 or so years and he’s our 5th member on stage every night.  He’s a really smart dude, and great at his job. He also loves MMA and snowboarding, none of which we talked about, but we will. @nel_dorado on instagram

Angelica and I sit down and talk about her childhood growing up in Puerto Rico, life in a part of America where you have no say over who your president is.  We hardly scratched the surface.  (In a good way)

Grey and I sit in his living room and talk improvisation, Roseanne Barr, and what it means to be alive. 

This is the title track called “Blindless Sea of Light” off a new album due out in March of the same name by Grey Mcmurray.

The ending track is from a project So Percussion did with Grey Mcmurray and Emily Johnson and Ain Gordon called Where (We) Live.  This is the final track off the album called “Thank You” 

www.greyalone.com

@muchgrey on instagram

Arone and I sit and talk music making, drone choirs, second jobs, and the sexes.  

@missarone on instagram

bukeandgase.com

buke and gase

misstressess

drone choir

opening track:  (single) “Derby” by Buke and Gase

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jro9yH78hwY

ending track:  “Hiccup” by Buke and Gase from the album “General Dome”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qf44Jif1WY0&list=RDEMr2Q13eEk9JqvEhcCYH0ccQ&index=7

Abraham Lincoln, November 18, 1863, Gettysburgh Address

Cristina and I sit in her teaching studio and talk about solo piano life, her new presenting and advocacy organization, and taking a deep breath and taking a big step (her words not mine).

http://legacyartsinternational.org

www.cristinaaltamura.com

Oscar Peterson - “A Little Jazz Exercise”

Etude, Op.10 No.3 by F. Chopin

Cenk and I talk about process, failure, Metallica, and playing one chord for 38 seconds.

www.cenkergun.com, __c.e on instragram, facebook and youtube

Solare by Cenk Ergun, performed by The Jack Quartet

Proximity by Cenk Ergun, performed by So Percussion from the record Nana

Jeremy (aka, professor Purple, Chrome Sparks, Luca Otto) and I sit down and talk about analog synthesis, recording your own music, live performance, and how he sees as his role in the world as an artist.  

I sit down with two members of the Sandbox Percussion Quartet to talk about the struggles of running a percussion quartet, all over 3 fine Brooklyn beers

Goldbeaters Skin by Christopher Cerrone performed by Sandbox Percussion with mezzo-soprano, Elsbeth Davis.  you’re hearing the 6th and 7th movements, Skin: Fatal Exception and Against the Madness of the Crowds