Andrea is on the composition faculty at Carlton College and is the director of composition at the So Percussion Summer Institute (SoSI). We chat about our old selves and new selves and what it means to be a teacher and the ethics behind it. We reserve the right to change our minds at any moment. Always love chatting with Andrea.

Doug is a founding member of So Percussion and is currently professor of percussion at the University of Michigan. We chat about the last year and look forward to the future, all the while trying to figure out what to keep and what to let go of from this past year. Always enjoy my time with Doug.

Anthony is a musician from Laventille, Trinidad and Tobago and has recently started composing his own music. We talk about steel pan culture a bit and why it’s important for foreigners to come and experience pan in Trinidad and Tobago. I hope you enjoy this chat as much as I did.

Amanda is a percussionist and steel drummer and educator living in California. I met her during a coaching almost 16 years ago. I should have apologized for whatever I said in the coaching. I was probably wrong. Really enjoyed the chat. You will too.

Owen and I chat about cancel culture and generally how operating online is tricky these days. (I’m not good at it.) Owen is an amazing teacher and a wise soul. You should look him up.

Louis and I chat about how to teach culture in a steelband class, especially if you have no background in it (ie. A music educator who takes a job and has a class to teach) Louis had some great questions that definitely got me thinking. Really enjoyed it.

Mekka and I chat about the Derek Chauvin verdict among many other things. I also met her ball python Ogie. I always enjoy chatting with Mekka. Hope you do to.

Part one of my two part chat with composer and percussionist Ivan Trevino

Part two of my two part chat with composer and percussionist Ivan Trevino

Louis is percussionist, composer, and steel pan player. We chat about his work on contemporary pan playing among other things.

Chris is a music educator in Ohio, and we share a mutual mentor in Joan Wenzel, who started the steel band program in Dover, Ohio.

Murray is a good friend and percussionist/educator living in Indiana. Murray and I went to Trinidad/Tobago together in 2002.

Shelly is a steel pan player and fashion designer living in New Jersey. She’s also one of the original members of the Brooklyn Steel Orchestra.

Alex is a baker and percussionist, and we chat about his time as a percussion student. This is part one of the chat.

Nicholas was a student at SoSI years ago and is now into speed running. We had a great chat about what they are working on now as well as talk about coming out as non-binary.

Payton is a composer, improvisor, and marimba player living in New Jersey. His unique approach to sound production on the marimba is unparalleled in our field. His new recording of Anthony Braxton’s music is striking. Enjoy!

Maria studied at University of Miami and Yale University and is based in Poland. It was great to chat with Maria and learn about her studies as a kid in Poland and what it was like to study in the states.

Krissy is a Minneapolis based percussionist and improviser. She studied at NIU University with Greg Beyer and Cliff Alexis and Liam Teague. She also is currently studying Tabla. It was great to chat with Krissy and learn about her approach and chat about studying with Cliff, one of our mutual heroes.

Josh is a colleague from the Univ of Akron who is now living in California and is exploring the world of improv theater as well as amateur wrestling as a manager and commentator.

Tracy is a steel drummer living in North Carolina. He has a project called Pan Rocks he’s been developing over the past decade, focusing on arrangements of rock and metal songs for steelband. His outlook on education in pan is really unique and inspiring. Tracy and I played in Phase II Pan Groove in Trinidad and Tobago in 2002.