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A weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. The show is produced by a collective of media makers, deejays, and activists. For this episode of “Obbligato,” a show dedicated to AAPI classical musicians, composers, and scholars, host Isabel Li interviews Indian American composer Reena Esmail, who blends Hindustani musical themes with western classical compositional styles. Music in this episode: – This Love Between Us “Prayers for Unity”: II. [Sikhism] – Lacrimosa (from Malhaar: a Requiem for Water) – Terra infirma: IV. roaming the ghost forest Transcript Isabel Li: I'm Isabel Li, here for a new edition of “Obbligato,” which explores the AAPI community in the classical music world. Today, we're featuring the Indian American composer Reena Esmail and her unique compositions that blend Hindustani music with Western classical styles and how she writes music about religion, spirituality, and even environmentalism. Welcome, Reena, to Apex Express. Reena Esmail: Hey! It's so great to be here. IL: My first question for you is one that's probably a little bit loaded, but how do you identify and what's your story? RE: I don't know, it's interesting because I work in many different situations, and I think I always identify as the thing that isn't whatever the dominant situation is that I work in. Right? So it's like when I'm in America, I identify as an Indian American. When I'm in India, I identify as an American. When I'm working in Western classical music, I'm the person who knows stuff about Hindustani music. When I'm working in Hindustani music, I'm the person who knows stuff about Western music. So really. Actually, I think of identity not as a fixed thing, but as how you, um, delineate yourself, how you're unique in the situation you're in. You know, it's interesting because especially in the case of Asian Americans, Asia is such a broad thing, right? There are so many more East Asians in Western classical music than there are South Asians. Certainly in my generation. You know, I was surrounded by Chinese, Korean, some Japanese people who were always, you know, playing the piano when I was playing the piano. And, um, there really was not many other Indian people. And, you know, I'll, I'll actually say that even within India, um, you know, if you look at me in America, I'm just Indian. If you look at me in India, I have a very unusual lineage, which is that my dad is from the region of Gujarat and his family is Muslim. My mom is from the region of Goa and her family is Catholic. And so because of that, when I was expressing interest in music, My mom was the one who had more of kind of a musical knowledge in her family, even though there's no professional musicians in her family. So because Goa was colonized by Portugal, there is this element of Western classical music in Goan culture. And so because of that, my mom was like, oh, let's give her guitar lessons, let's give her piano lessons. And so that's how I landed up in Western classical music as opposed to doing Indian classical music. Um, so yeah, I kind of went through the Western classical scene. I was very interested in being a pianist. And, you know, I'm glad that I'm glad I'm a failed pianist in all honesty, because I see what my colleagues who are real, you know, professional pianists have to go through. And I just don't think I have what it takes to do that. It's really an intense job. Um, but when I was in high school, um, one of my theory teachers kind of said, hey, you know, you might be a composer. It seems like you think like a composer thinks, why don't you try composing and why don't you try writing things down? and one thing led to another. And basically a year and a half to two years after studying, I got one of a very few spots in the undergrad program in composition at Juilliard. And that was a point where my parents kind of said, okay, you know, we don't know a lot about the music world, but it seems like if she got into Juilliard, she's probably like somewhat good at this. Maybe we should kind of see how this goes. And, you know, from there on, I pursued composition. IL: And when and why did you start to study Indian classical music, which is a big element in your compositions now? RE: Yeah, absolutely. So I think it's interesting because in every generation, I've seen so much change in how the diaspora views itself. And certainly when I was growing up, you know, I know this is hard to believe, but there were not if you were an Indian going to school, you were kind of the only one. If you were an Indian music, you were kind of the only one. So there was this element where when I went to Juilliard, um, there were I to my knowledge, two Indians in the entire school, me and an actress who had actually come from Calcutta. And so people were trying to, you know, make conversation with me and they'd be like, well, you know, do you do stuff with Indian classical music? And I would just be like, no, I'm trying so hard to even write music for orchestra and, you know, string quartet and all the things that my peers are trying to do. Like, is that not enough? Because I'm Indian, I also have to be doing all this other stuff. And so I resisted it for a long time because I was just trying so hard to do one thing well. But then, you know, I think what, what made me kind of unique is that, you know, I stood out, I was Indian and then, you know, when I was young, that felt really cool. The older I got, the more I thought, well, you know, I know I'm from this culture that has incredible music and I know it when I hear it, I know nothing about it, and maybe I should actually pursue it. And so I really separately kind of started meeting Indian musicians who lived in New York, and I would just ask them questions, and I got to know them. And I realized that while we didn't share a type of music, we did share a culture and we did share a love of music because it is interesting that the culture of Indian classical music is actually quite similar to the culture of Western classical music. You know, you study with a teacher over a really long period of time. You're practicing for hours a day. The kind of personality that would love Western classical music would also love Indian classical music. And so I just made friends with some of these Indian classical musicians. And of course, being a composer, I thought, why don't I put them in my music? You know, how do I do that? And so it was really just curiosity that led me down that path. And for many years, that path was very separate. Because again, I know it's very hard to believe now, but there was a time where people really did not want these cultures to be combined, and people just really looked down on cultures that were not, you know, the dominant Western European classical culture. And so I kept them really separate. And even when I started combining them, people were like, oh, that's sweet. She does stuff with Indian music, you know? And it was really not taken seriously. It's only really in the last decade that people have been embracing other musical cultures. And I mean, how glad I am that that's happening. But it was very, very hard fought and very separate at first. IL: And on that note, how do you navigate the unique challenges of composing with both these cultures in mind, but also being situated in the United States, where people come from all different backgrounds? And how do you as a composer approach that in this context? RE: I mean, I think it's interesting because first of all, I am musically bilingual now, so I can. I went to India, I studied Indian classical music. Seriously. I still work with Indian classical musicians very closely. And so, you know, I can be working on a piece that has Indian classical musicians in it, and I can turn to them and immediately speak in their language and their musical language. And then I can turn to the Western musicians and speak in their musical language. So every single piece I write, especially the ones that involve Indian classical musicians. There is a way through those pieces, both through the Western lens and through the Indian lens. And so I think I'm working in a position where I actually do know how to speak both those languages. And when you do speak both those languages, you know, just the way that if you speak any two, you know, verbal languages, you would know that there are sounds that are cognates. And so you're like, oh, I say the sound. So maybe and it means one thing in one culture and one thing in another culture. But you know that that sound is the same. And so with musical language, you can actually use those musical cognates to connect across cultures by saying, just listen for this thing. And when you listen for this thing, interpret it through the lens of your own culture. So that's certainly how I work. But, you know, I mean, again, I want to say that's not the only way to work. I don't think that you have to be, you know, I mean, again, there's probably most people who are listening to this probably have one musical culture and then maybe they know much less about the other musical culture. That is also fine. You know, you don't need to be an expert in order to want to explore and, and love a thing that's just, you know, where I am because it's the, the center of my musical practice. IL: Well, let's hear a selection from Reena Esmail's oratorio, “This Love Between Us.” This is the second movement titled Sikhism. David Hill conducts Juilliard415 with the Yale Schola Cantorum. [MUSIC: This Love Between Us “Prayers for Unity”: II. Sikhism] IL: That was Sikhism, the second movement from the oratorio This Love Between Us by Reena Esmail, who is here in conversation with me today on KPFA for APEX Express. Something that I really found interesting in especially your work — and I'm sure this has been asked many times, but This Love Between Us: Prayers for Unity. This oratorio that you wrote, beautiful work where you use words from the seven major religions of India. And each movement of the choral work is also named after a different religion. In what ways did you adhere to or challenge norms of spiritual music? Because religion is so religion and music are so deeply tied together. How did you challenge those norms or how did you express those norms when you wrote this work? RE: You know, I think it's interesting because my own spiritual background is very kind of multi spiritual multi-faith. But like I said, my, my father is, is my father's side of the family is Muslim. My mom's side of the family is Catholic. My husband is Hindu. All of them grew up in a very singular practice in each of their religions. But for me, I grew up, you know, around my mom and my dad and then, you know, my husband later. And just there's a part of me that takes in the essence of each of these spiritual traditions. And, you know, I'm trying to kind of find what feels true to me in each of those places. And so to me, you know, this love between us is, is a place where I'm trying to essentially say, yes, we express things differently through whatever cultural, uh, history, that language or that that religion emerged through. And yet we're all trying to get at that same numinous thing. And, you know, I mean, I'm not saying, oh, all religions are the same. Definitely not. You know, there's, there's many different ways to practice things. And, you know, your unique way into your spirituality is your own. And that's, that's amazing. But also, we all kind of our cultures form religions for a certain reason, and it's because we want to try to understand things that are beyond ourselves. And so that's essentially what the piece is saying. So I know I'm sure there are purists who are like, you shouldn't be combining these things, but, you know, there's always going to be purists who do that and there's a role for that. But that's not really my role. So, I mean, I picked the pieces and I picked the religion specifically because of the numbers of people who practice that religion currently within India. And so it is like the largest, um, populations, you know, like Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, all, all of those things. And then there's one little tiny religion, Zoroastrianism. And while they are not, there's not many of them within India. They are the ones who are practicing Western classical music in India. So people like Zubin Mehta and all, they are Parsis that are Zoroastrians. So I thought, you know, it's important to include them too, because it's a piece that involves a lot of Western classical musicians. IL: I'm wondering now, as a composer who's working with music of different languages and religions and origins and also evoking a lot of these spiritual truths that are pretty universal in nature. What is your view on the function of music? There's the platitude that music is a universal language. Do you how to what extent do you agree with that? RE: You know, yeah, it's hard to, to, um, to think of music as a universal language. But I think sometimes we, how can I say this? It's such a broad question. When we are working in a form that isn't completely narrative, it gives us a little more chance to get at things that don't have to follow logically after one another. They're just feelings that we're able to feel. And I like working even when there are words, you know, there are certainly words in all of these, these, uh, pieces in this love between us. But I feel like sometimes we just feel something within us. And, you know, I experience this a lot when I have a piece performed, people will come up to me and say like, oh, this made me feel like this. And then the next person will come up to me and say, oh, this made me feel exactly the opposite thing. And I, I really love that we can have those experiences. And, you know, recently it's been really interesting because people have been asking these questions like interviewers, you know, before performances will be like, well, what do you want the audience to feel? And I'm like, oh, I don't want to answer that question. I want you to feel whatever you feel. There's nothing right to feel. And often, I mean, I'm not the one to ask. I'm so close to the music because when I'm listening, I'm thinking like, okay, was that C sharp in tune? Okay, you know, that's what I'm feeling. And I certainly don't want them to feel that. So I don't know. I think it's, it's just exciting to see how when we get out of these, what we should do this and this is the right thing to do. And this is the only way to do it. Um, how do we behave? And there are so few spaces left where if we don't say exactly the right words at the right time to the right people, you know, if we don't have exactly the right opinions that everyone around us has, We are so condemned and music might be one of the last places that we're allowed to feel whatever's inside of us. IL: Mhm. That's really interesting to think about. I think art in general is very beautiful because it allows people to interpret it in many different ways. I think for your music, you really draw on cultural specificity in terms of Hindustani music. What advice would you give to other young composers or also maybe artists of different mediums in creating that balance between specificity and universality? RE: Yeah, I think the thing is that the way into a deep practice is specificity. You know, I know people have asked me like, oh, you've done stuff with Indian music. Are you going to do stuff with other music? And I'm like, gosh, there's still so much to explore. I could have like three lifetimes and still not explore everything I want to explore just in the relationship between Indian and Western classical music. I mean, goodness knows I have four degrees in Western classical music, and I still am barely scratching the surface of it. Right. So I kind of feel like specificity is important because it allows you to access depth. And yet, you know, when you are specific about a certain thing, um, like for instance, like a scholar who only speaks Italian, I mean, they're going to know more than someone who maybe speaks five words of each language, right? So they can transfer over at a higher level and make more sophisticated points and understand the world with a more universal lens if they've gone really deep on one thing. So I would say, you know, to young composers, to young musicians, pick one practice and know it really, really well and deeply become go as far as you possibly can and then, you know, try to see if you can find relations between your primary practice and a different practice. Um, and I mean, some people, you know, I know in this generation that's coming up, that's like in their teens and twenties, there are South Asian, uh, kids who are here whose parents have come from India that are learning Indian and Western classical music side by side. And I think that's great. I mean, that's awesome. But I would also say make sure you don't just learn halfway. Both of those things, you know, if you're going to learn them, if at least with one thing, try to go as absolutely far as you can. IL: Let's hear another example of Reena Esmail's bilingual musicality with her work, Malhaar: A Requiem for Water, which was recorded fairly recently. The vocalist is Graycen Gardner with the choir conducted by Amy Fogerson. [MUSIC: Lacrimosa (from Malhaar: a Requiem for Water)] IL: Composer Reena Esmail used Indian classical instruments in that work, titled Malhaar: A Requiem for water. The vocalist was Graycen Gardner, with the choir conducted by Amy Fogerson. Percussionist was Rohit Panchakshari. I'm Isabel Li in conversation with composer Reena Esmail on this edition of Apex Express here on KPFA 94.1 FM. So when you integrate Hindustani classical Hindustani music, Indian classical music and those instruments into your scores, did you happen to did you have to develop a way to translate the notation of those notes in Western classical music notation, or vice versa? RE: Yeah, it it begs the greater question of what is notation for? Right? Because notation is essentially a way for Western musicians who read notation to look at a thing and be able to associate sounds with that thing. And so when I'm notating for Western classical musicians, I'm saying, okay, what is a cellist typically seeing and what are they doing based on what they're seeing? And then how can I take that language that they know really well that they play in Bach suites, that they play in Elgar, Cello Concerto, whatever it is, how can I take that language and just move it, you know, a couple degrees outward so that they're able to express different things, right? And so it's very much a psychological thing. You know, it's not a science the way that we think of it as and we learn it as this, oh, you know, eighths and sixteenths, and they divide this way. There's a lot you can do just to make someone feel a certain way with notation. On the other hand, if I'm writing for a sitar or tabla, the question is what? What is the role of the notation? Because the role of the notation for tabla player who has only Hindustani training and doesn't read music. It's certainly not for the tabla player that I'm doing the notation. Usually what I'll do is sit down with the tabla player in a, you know, more Hindustani style and say, hey, this is what I want. I want you to have like six overtones of teental. It should be at this tempo, blah, blah, blah. And they're like, oh, got it. I see what you want me to do. Right? And so all you need to figure out is the alignment points with the Western classical musicians. And so then the notation I put in the score is not really for them. It's for a conductor, for the Western musicians to be able to understand what they are doing and to be able to cue them in and help them kind of be in dialogue to one another. So it's interesting because, I mean, these days now I'm finding that there are tabla players who are both Indian and Western classical trained, and they want a part, but parts are not a thing. When I first wrote This Love Between Us, there were no parts for the tabla and sitar player. I actually had a cue sheet that I would actually point to as they were going, so that they knew, you know, what the different cues were because a part, you know, counting rests and stuff is not going to help them at all. So I think it's mostly trying to understand how is someone perceiving something and how can you give them the information they need in the most seamless way possible so that you can express what you want to express? IL: I love how technical that entire rundown was. I also wanted to talk a bit about your work, Terra Infirma, which is pretty recent. I had the honor of attending the premiere of Terra Infirma, a harp concerto that you composed based on your experiences with the Los Angeles fires in January of 2025. Um, it was such a wonderful work. I personally really loved hearing how you musically depicted the progression of a wildfire from despair to hope. It's also not the first environment based piece that you've written. YYou've written, for example, Earth Speaks in 2015. How do you approach composing works that are so rooted in environmentalism? And of course, have, have the undertones of speaking to the larger climate crisis at hand? RE: The thing that is interesting is, you know, someone was asking me about that piece, you know, you, you're, they're asking like, how do you kind of deal with activism in your work? And I was saying like, you know, I don't really think of myself as an activist because I think these issues are so fundamental to all of us, right? It's like you turn on your tap and you're just afraid that there's only going to be so long before water stops coming up. That's not, um, it doesn't feel like activism. It just feels like, you know, fear and it feels like we're tapping into these human emotions where people are so worried about what's going to happen. We don't really know what to do. And I think, you know, with anything, most people who have fear about things, you're going to just clam up if you feel that it's too, um, too much to deal with. And it is I mean, the environmental crisis is so huge that I think most people are just clamming up. And I guess, you know, what is our role as musicians? I think it's maybe to have some moments where we're not just like on our phones, seeing pictures of things burn down and freaking out where we can actually take some time to just reflect and be with one another. Because if we're going to solve this, it's going to be together and we need to come to some kind of like calm understanding of what is happening. And so a lot of my pieces are not accusatory. They're not, you know, pointing a finger. They're not supposed to rile people up. They're supposed to actually depict that experience of what it feels like to really sit with a hard thing for a long time and come to terms with it and then figure out how to move forward. And that's certainly the case with Terra Infirma and certainly the case with my Requiem. Certainly the case with curiosity, like you were saying, it's from Earth Speaks, which is many years ago. And that piece actually talks about the, the Pasadena institution's. It was actually for an organization called Pasadena Master Chorale. They commissioned the work many years ago. And what's so funny is I now live in Pasadena. I live in Altadena, up in the hills. So it's I wasn't living here at the time, but it is, you know, a place where many scientific institutions like the U.S. Geological Survey, you know, JPL, Caltech, all these places that are really exploring the environment in important ways are based. And so the piece kind of honors that and honors how we can interact positively with our environment. We can get data, we can find ways to do things that are, I mean, beyond my understanding, you'd have to ask a scientist, but but I just love that that we're in this place that sees the environment as something to understand more deeply instead of something that's just going to turn on us at a certain point. IL: Certainly. And I'm really curious, because Terra Infirma is also a work that was paired with multimedia animation and performance. Was there anything in your compositional process that differed when you're collaborating across these different mediums? RE: Yeah. So it's interesting because so the, there was, there were projections that were happening. And also in addition to that, it was a harp concerto, but a harp concerto where the harpist was also playing percussion. And so there were some elements that were so different than what would be typically like if harpist was like, I want a concerto. You would just be like, okay, you know, she sits there, she plays these notes. They're in that one position. That's all fine. Um, there was so much more, you're right with this piece than with, um, with my normal pieces. Um, and to me it's both, how can I say this? There's, there's such a different way I have to think about it, but I think that way starts with collaboration. So Yolanda Kondonassis, the incredible harp player, and Camilla Tassi, who was the production designer. These are people I know well and I've had multiyear relationships with. And so when you're thinking about how to build something, you're totally aware of what their work is like. I knew kind of the not even what Camilla's projections were going to look like, but the way that they interact with things. We've done projects together before. And so I pretty much had the sense of how she was going to respond. And I knew what she needed to know in order for her to do her work and make things kind of match up with one another. And then also with Yolanda, a lot of the stuff I put in that was like harp and percussion together. It wasn't something that I was making her do, right? It were things that we came up with together. We've spent so long workshopping things in percussion studios in, um, you know, we've met in all these different cities and we're basically like banging things against a harp and doing, you know, just so much experimentation. So for every technique you see in the concerto, you, um, you basically there's like ten things that we didn't do that didn't put in. So you're really only seeing the best of all the kind of crazy stuff that we tried. So I do think the thing is that when you're trying to invent something new and you're trying to invent new styles and new techniques, I mean, you can think of anything, but you're trying to find the things that A practically work and B allow the performers and the artists to really express themselves. So I found that I was actually choreographing the piece before I was composing it, um, that I had to figure out, okay, where are these percussion setups going to be? What are the instruments that I want? Okay. Are these chimes going to be like over her head? Or is she going to have to reach really far to get them? Are they going to be near the low end of the harp? Things like that that seem so practical. But the difference between having to reach out far and slowly versus having to like, quickly swat something near your ear, right? It makes a different choreography. And so I thought that way first. And then I kind of put the notes and rhythms and melodies and stuff in. IL: Let's now hear a selection from Reena Esmail's Terra Infirma. This is the fourth movement titled “Roaming the Ghost Forest.” Yolanda Kondonassis is the harpist with the Interlochen Center for the Arts Orchestra. [MUSIC: Terra infirma: IV. roaming the ghost forest] IL: The harpist was Yolanda Kondonassis with the Interlochen Center for the Arts Orchestra, playing the fourth movement of Terra Infirma by composer Reena Esmail. I'm Isabel Leigh, and in this episode of Apex Express, I'm joined by Reena Esmail, the composer, in conversation about her music and her approach to making art. Something else that I really was fascinated with on your on your Instagram account. You actually made a post a while back that I found to be very powerful. It's pinned as the letter to the young artists' immigrant parents. It's such an empathetic message that I also really relate to as a daughter of immigrants in the arts. And you kind of argue that these children's pursuit of the arts is a tribute to their parents immigrant struggles. Um, what motivated you to write this letter? RE: You know, I'm so glad you asked about that because so much has changed since I wrote that letter in a really good way. You know, first of all, I will say that when I wrote that letter, if you weren't a child of, you know, like Asian immigrant parents, you. And actually, I think this is true for most immigrant parents who, you know, have kind of given up everything to move to America so that their kids can explore all these opportunities they wouldn't get in their country of origin. When I first wrote this letter, it was really just, I felt like I was saying something really new. And now I think what's really interesting is that we have both parents who understand this and, um, kind of almost this parody way of seeing what Asian parents are like. Right. For me, one thing that I, that just makes my heart sing is the comedy of Zarna Garg. I don't know if you know who she is, but she is like an Indian American comic and she plays this role of being like this very typical Indian parent. And I will say, my parents weren't really like this because again, they were two different religions and married one another. So they were already quite open minded. But like 99% of Indian parents and even my parents, sometimes they have this thing of like, well, ‘why are you going into this?' Like you should make money, you should do this stuff. And I feel like, um, since Zarna's comedy came into the world, it's such an easy way to just point a finger at that and say, hey, this is what we're really dealing with as Indian immigrants. And, you know, we all just laugh at it. And I find that, you know, sometimes my friends who are just, you know, white Americans who have been in this family has been in this country for many generations. They don't get it. But like anyone who's a child of immigrant is like, oh yes, I completely understand what she's saying. So we have that. And I think that's really healthy and awesome. And she's very talented. Um, and on the other hand, I found that when I was first going into music and I mean, I, you know, when I was 18 and I was going to go to Juilliard, my parents were certainly supportive and curious and wanted me to do whatever they thought I might be good at enough to make a living and didn't want to optimize for, oh, you need to earn the most money or you need to, etc. but most other Indians around us were like, oh my God, she's so smart. Why is she like wasting her life doing music? You know, that was kind of the dominant narrative. And so I had to become very good at explaining why. And imagine my complete disbelief when I would go to conservatory and meet people whose parents had encouraged them to do music. I was like, what is happening? Like, we're like, there'd be four siblings and all of them would be in the arts. And I was like, oh wait, you're not the black sheep of your family. Like, I mean, half of my family, I don't think really knows what I do still even. Right? And so to me, it was so important to provide some kind of context. And like you said, it's like to, to come to this country and be an immigrant and to come with a lot of skills, but to have to just work in silence for so many years with no congratulation, with no one just constantly propping you up. That is what being an artist is. And you know, it's only maybe the past 10 years of my career that I've even been visible to people. Before that, it was just me doing my thing and like, no one cared about it. It was not not glamorous at all. And for me, that's what built the kind of strength in me to be able to sustain the career that I have now. And so I think if it had been a little too easy, I don't know that I would be able to handle, um, the, what I have now. So I think what's great though is that the Indian parents of kids who are teenagers and in their twenties nowadays are not coming to me being like, oh my God, what do I do with this kid who wants to be a musician? I've failed as a parent. Which again, for those of you who are not Asian, this is totally a true thing out there. They will come to me and say, hey, look, my, my child doesn't wants to be a musician. I want to help them. I can't tell like, are they good at this? Where should they be? Can you help me understand things? And that is really what my parents did. And I will, you know, kind of go further to say — PBS did a special on me a number of years ago, and I insisted on putting my parents in this special because I wanted people to see what it looked like to have really encouraging Indian parents who, again, they weren't going in blind. They were. They would go to my teachers and be like, well, I mean, is she good? Can she do this? We don't know what these answers are. Can you help us understand? And they really relied on the right people to be able to help me get to places that they couldn't get, but they also weren't just immediately dismissive of it. And that's what allowed me to kind of have a massive advantage, because I didn't have to also go back to school and do a medical degree. Or like most of my my peers of my age actually did. So I wanted to put them on that special to actually show that that is possible. And I'm seeing more and more that it is. There are many more parents like that now. And oh my goodness, I love every one of them. IL: That's wonderful. When you look back at your compositional career and how everything has changed since then, how do you think your work has evolved? RE: Oh, so you mean like since I began being a composer? IL: Yeah. Or maybe in the past ten years, even. RE: Yeah. It's interesting because I think one of the big inflection points in my work was when I did my Fulbright in India. So before that, I really didn't know very much about Indian classical music. And then the year before that, I really started to get deeper and started to integrate my Indian and Western classical world with one another. And then, you know, I from 2011 to 2012, I went to India and what was so different was actually seeing the music in its culture and actually getting to participate as an Indian in India, studying Indian classical music. Right. Because there's no filter. You're not going through a Western filter. You're just there in this culture. And I know that many of my Indian teachers, they kind of had this attitude of like, look, we don't know what kind of music you were doing before, but we're so glad you're here and studying your own music. And this is great. And so there wasn't this sense of having to go through another culture to get to their, their music. And to me, that really changed things because I don't see myself as writing music. That's one through the conduit of the other. I just see it as two streams that are equally incredible and equally independent, and they just meet each other in these interesting places. IL: And looking ahead into the future, is there an ensemble or an artist who you haven't worked with before that you'd love to work with? Ooh. It's interesting because, like, almost everyone who comes to mind is not a musician. Um, I've worked with so many. I mean, truly, I've been so lucky to work with musicians like Gil and Orli Shaham. Yolanda Kondonassis. I'm writing a piece for Hilary Hahn and Matthias Goerne right now. It's I mean, just like literally anyone who I could ever ask to work with, I have. I don't know. I mean, to me, it's like, gosh, someone like Misty Copeland would be amazing. Like, you know, there are so many actors like the world of Indian/South Asians in comedy and in drama and stuff like that is just incredible. People like Mindy Kaling who have done incredible things to me, people like that are just going outside of just music would be fascinating to me. IL: Absolutely. And I will put a link to your website, as well as the links to the music that will also be aired on this in this episode on KPFA.org, so our listeners can learn more about you and your wonderful work. Well, Reena, thank you so much for your time and thank you for talking to me today. RE: Absolutely. The post APEX Express – 8.06.26 – Obbligato – In Conversation with Composer Reena Esmail appeared first on KPFA.

Damon gets to talk to Ben about touring, health, gardening, tone chasing, family, teaching, and so much more. There's also other segments like gig alerts and music news. 

Eric 'Bobo' Correa celebrates Cypress Hill's new album, dives into rock festivals and opens up about his history with Beastie Boys.

Jeannette sits down with Eddy Hackett, co-founder and executive producer of the Lost Estate, who shares his fascinating journey from training as a classical percussionist to scaling a thriving, multi-million-pound immersive theatre business.  He dives deep into the realities of bootstrapping, the strategic value of looking for capital before you absolutely need it, and how an organisation can build a uniquely resonant brand by leading with its core, human centric identity. You'll Learn Why: A non-linear career shift can introduce creative squiggles that open unexpected and highly lucrative doors. Bootstrapping forces an organisation to adopt a lean, resource-aware mindset that naturally drives creativity. The optimal time to raise capital is when your business is at its strongest, rather than when cash is running low. Elevating your core brand promise is essential for building consumer trust in a highly volatile market. Whether you're a founder, CEO, small business owner, entrepreneur, startup leader or executive, these lessons will help you make smarter hiring decisions and build a stronger, more successful business.

Damon gets to talk to Jim about building a teaching studio, Bridgeport, CT, steelpan, open heart surgery, and so much more! There's other segments like gig alerts and music news too. 

Damon gets to talk to Manolito about his upbringing, new signature series instruments, his band, education, and so much more. There are also segments like gig alerts, music news, and others. 

This is the last of our three-part series celebrating the music of the late Indianapolis percussionist Cecil Hunt, whose conga playing helped define the sound of the legendary Naptown soul-jazz group Funk Inc.  Hear selections from Hunt's last recording sessions with Funk Inc., along with previously unheard live performances recorded in Indianapolis during the 1980s.

Episode 501 - Michael Jones Pete's Percussion Podcast New York-based Percussionist, Recording Artist, Researcher and Educator Michael Jones stops by to talk about his current teaching job at Bard College (NY) and his work throughout the school (04:40), how his graduate studies at UC-San Diego influenced his solo CD projects (17:30), his philosophical research on ontology and percussion instrument ideology and modernity, and questions about what “total percussion” means today (30:30), growing up in Connecticut, his progressive metal music background, high school band, and his involvement in the Live Action Role-Playing community (58:25), his undergrad years at the Hartt School of Music (CT) and studying under Ben Toth and many of the other faculty there (01:12:45), more about his graduate work at UCSD, studying under Steven Schick, and many of his UCSD student colleagues (01:25:35), and settles in for the Random Ass Questions, including segments on the impact of YouTube on young musicians, discussions of mental health, metal music, great books, and the San Diego Superbloom (01:39:40).Finishing with a Rave on the 2026 documentary Earth, Wind & Fire (02:08:20).Michael Jones Links:Michael Jones' websiteMichael Jones' Bard College pageMichael Jones' DiscographyPrevious Podcast Guests mentioned:Steven Schick from 2025Rebecca Lloyd-Jones from 2022Nicholas Papador from 2024Other Links:Eric Cha-BeachJason TreutingNicholas DeyoePluto BellScott WollschlegerSun RaThurman Barker“Psappha” - Iannis XenakisThe Percussionist's Art - Steven SchickAmy CiminiUnsound Supplies - Fanny Gribenski (editor)Anthropocene PeriodWriting the Implosion - Joseph DumitBetween the Buried and MeProtest the HeroScale the SummitPeripheryFred HingerBen TothJoe GaleotaJohn AmiraShane ShanahanTed PiltzeckerRogerio BoccatoFrom Me Flows What You Call Time - Toru TakemitsuPercussion Group CincinnatiHerbert BrünBill Solomon“Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird” - Lukas FossWilliam Winant“Bone Alphabet” - Brian Ferneyhough“Persephassa” - Iannis XenakisZen and the Art of Archery - Eugene HerrigelFiona DigneyPrincess Mononoke trailerStar Wars: The Last Jedi trailerRakesfall - Vajra ChandrasekeraSwann's Way - Marcel Proust (Lydia Davis translation)MeshuggahSan Diego SuperbloomNardelli'sZetsu No. 8 - Nishida JunRaves:Earth, Wind & Fire documentary trailer

Damon gets to talk to Thad about being PAS President, the Percussive Arts Society, teaching, technology, family, jam bands, Indianapolis, and much more! There's also segments like gig alerts, music news, and others. 

This is the second of our three-part series celebrating the music of the late Cecil Hunt — an Indianapolis-born percussionist whose conga drums helped define the sound of the legendary Naptown soul-jazz group Funk Inc. On this week's edition we'll focus on the Funk Inc. albums “Hangin' Out” and “Superfunk.”

Damon welcomes back Anthony to talk about his new album, composing, touring, fashion, fitness, and so much more! There's also segments like gig alerts, educational spotlights, and others. 

Join us for the next three weeks as we celebrate the music of the late Cecil Hunt — an Indianapolis-born percussionist whose conga drums helped define the sound of the legendary Naptown soul-jazz group Funk Inc. Enjoy classic Funk Inc. recordings and never-before-heard live recordings of Cecil Hunt performing in Naptown during the 1980s.

Keita Ogawa is a 5x Grammy nominee and 3x Grammy winning percussionist and drummer. He's performed with Yo-Yo Ma, Maria Schneider, Betty Buckley, Sabeth Perez and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. And he's a member of Snarky Puppy. He's got a passion for crossing musical borders and uniting differences in cultures.  My featured song is “Moon Shot”, my recent single. Spotify link. —----------------------------------------------------------- The Follow Your Dream Podcast:Top 1% of all podcasts with Listeners in 200 countries! Click here for Start Here Click here for All Episodes  Click here for Guest List  Click here for Guest Testimonials Click here for Pillars Click here for Robert's Project Grand Slam Click here to Subscribe  Click here to receive our Email Updates Click here to Rate and Review the podcast —---------------------------------------- CONNECT WITH KEITA:www.keitaogawa.com —---------------------------------------- ROBERT'S NEWEST RELEASE:“THE BUZZ” - Ft. Darius de Haas (vocals) and Dave Eggar (Celo). Short, Sweet and Totally Different CLICK HERE FOR OFFICIAL VIDEO CLICK HERE FOR ALL LINKS —-------------------------------------- Audio production: Jimmy RavenscroftKymera FilmsConnect with the Follow Your Dream Podcast:Website - www.followyourdreampodcast.comFollow Robert's band, Project Grand Slam, and his music:Website - www.projectgrandslam.com    

Episode 500 - Megan Arns (2026) Pete's Percussion Podcast It's Episode 500, and the 10-year Anniversary of Pete's Percussion Podcast! After Pete talks about the early days of the show (01:45), he welcomes back his Mizzou colleague, member of the Percussive Arts Society Board of Directors, Percussionist, Educator and Administrator Megan Arns back to the show for the first time in 8 years! Megan talks about her early years in percussion and her experiences and jobs prior to taking the Percussion Director Position at Mizzou in 2014 (12:00), her 12 years so far at Mizzou, what's she's learned, her administrative role, the job market and the challenges for future percussion teachers (17:30), working with grad students these days and her own experiences as a grad student (36:30), why she's involved in PAS Leadership now, having a family and the challenges and opportunities of continuing to keep a professional career (44:00), her work with the Switch~ Ensemble (01:03:30), when her mentor Michael Burritt came to visit Mizzou in the spring (01:11:00), and a brief Random Ass Questions segment including managing her own physical and mental health, her knowledge of children's media, new and upcoming travels, her father the college professor, “full send”, and some kudos to Pete for the podcast (01:21:35).Finishing with the Raves, including some FAQs about the podcast and Pete's heartfelt thanks to the guests and the fans of the show (01:38:00).Megan Arns Links:Megan Arns' websiteMegan Arns' Mizzou pageSwitch~ Ensemble websiteBill KalinkosPrevious Megan Arns's podcast appearances:Megan in 2016Megan in 2017Megan in 2018Previous Podcast Guests mentioned in this episode:John Parks IV in 2018Troy Hall in 2020Clif Walker in 2021Mark Ford in 2023William Moersch in 2019Joshua Simonds in 2022Other Links:Lewis & Clark Fife and Drum CorpsColts Drum & Bugle CorpsMichael BumpMichael BurrittRoyal Hartigan“Kakamora” from MoanaExperimental Media and Performing Arts TheaterKPop Demon Hunters trailerMoana trailerFrozen trailerWicked trailer“Takedown” from KPop Demon Hunters

Damon gets to talk to Brian about Baltimore, teaching, administrative work, composing, Pride, and so much more! There's also segments like gig alerts, educational spotlights, music news, and others. 

Damon welcomes back Felipe to talk about Trio Libre, Supermambo, touring with Joe Jackson, and so much more! There's also segments like gig alerts, music news, and others. 

Legendary percussionist and songwriter Ralph Johnson of the iconic R&B and funk band Earth, Wind & Fire joins Tavis in studio to talk about the grand legacy of The Elements, his new book “Rhythm & Fire: A Life In Harmony With Earth, Wind & Fire,” and the upcoming HBO documentary Earth, Wind & Fire: To Be Celestial vs. That's The Way Of The World, directed by Questlove. ** White House correspondent Dr. Nii-Quartelai Quartey reports exclusively from Cuba this week as part of an Emergency Fact-Finding Delegation. **Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

Damon gets to talk to Michael about his PAS Hall of Fame induction, teaching, mental health, work/life balance, NY state, and so much more! There's also other segments like gig alerts, music news, and others. 

5/21/26 Memorial Day – so much and so many to remember – with Central Hampshire Veterans Service Director Steve Connor. Extra!! Extra!! w/ Gazette and Recorder Ex Ed Dan Crowley: the Northampton Housing Authority, the Overrides, & Picture Main Street. UMass Ph. D. & Post- Doc Researcher Yuzhen Zhang on UMass-developed new technology, BactiSee – using a smart phone to detect bacteria in commercial food facilities & in our home kitchens, on cutting boards & dishwashers. All that Jazz with Ruth Griggs, Paul Arslanian & Tap Dance percussionist Alexis Robbins—Wow! Coming to the Northampton Jazz Workshop.

Damon gets to talk to Sidney about film scores, musical adventures, advocacy, education, and much more. There's also segments like music news, gig alerts, and others. 

California-based Percussionist, Educator, and Adjudicator Genevieve Hilburn returns for Part 2 of our conversation! She's here to discuss getting into the Master's Program at East Texas A&M University, studying with Brian Zator and his community of percussion experts, and the focus on developing young percussionists there (04:20), Genevieve's experiences with the drumline at the school, her post-master's degree plans, getting her jobs at CSU-Bakersfield and Bakersfield College, and her thoughts on the job considerations and preparations for graduate students (27:05), and she settles in for the Random Ass Questions, including segments on counting rests, being a woman in the percussion world, “programmatic intent”, vintage clothing and furniture, Wes Anderson Movies, great books, Australia, the Blue Coats, and so much more (48:50).Finishing with a Rave on the books that supported Pete's teaching of his Music and the Movies course at Mizzou (01:35:40).Genevieve Hilburn Links:Part 1 with Genevieve HilburnGenevieve Hilburn's Bakersfield College pagePrevious Podcast Guests Mentioned:Britton-René Collins in 2023Brian Zator in 2017Lauren Teel in 2017The Vesna Duo in 2022Louis Raymond-Kolker in 2024Mark Ford in 2023Julie Davila in 2019Kathryn Irwin in 2024Alexis C. Lamb in 2021Gwen Dease in 2017Casey Cangelosi in 2017Kevin Bobo in 2017Victoria Sparks in 2018Other Links:Sean ClarkCavaliers 1995 DCI Show - “The Planets”Chad FloydPius CheungJeff AusdemoreSandi RennickGreg PowerMatthew HowardKenneth McGrathNancy ZeltsmanJi Hye JungGunne Sax clothesMoonrise Kingdom trailerThe Grand Budapest Hotel trailerThe Royal Tenenbaums trailerFantastic Mr. Fox trailerStar Wars, Episode 1: The Phantom Menace trailerTo Kill a Mockingbird - Harper LeeBraiding Sweetgrass - Robin Wall KimmererDashner Design and RestorationThe Crocodile HunterH-E-B Tres Leches CakeTIERRAS South Texas Percussion Competition2019 Blue Coats WarmupRaves:Audio-Vision: Sound on Screen - Michel ChionReel Music: Exploring 100 Years of Film Music - Roger Hickman

Damon gets to talk to Matthew about Los Pleneros de la 21, Bomba, Plena, music business, education, and so much more. There's also segments like gig alerts, music news, and others. 

Ahoy maties, today Marty is joined by presenter, percussionist and occasional pirate, Alasdiar Molloy, ahead of his National Concert Hall performance with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra of 'Pirates Ahoy'

My guest, Bobby Sanabria, is a 7 time Grammy nominee. He is noted drummer, percussionist, composer, arranger, conductor, producer, documentary filmmaker, bandleader...and most important to me, educator. He has played with some of the all time greats, including Dizzy Gillespie, Mongo Santamaria, Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Ruben Blades, Randy Brecker, to named a few. He was named Percussionist of the Year in 2011 and 2013 by Jazz Journalist Association. He has a radio show in the New York area entitled, "Latin Jazz Cruise" on WBGO FM (wbgo.org). Simply a magnificent episode not to be missed!  Produced, directed, edited and hosted by Stephen E Davis. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Damon gets to talk to M.B. about Maryland, life adventures, Frank Zappa, film scores and much more. There's also segments like gig alerts, music news, and others. 

Damon welcomes back Samuel to talk about his new album, playing percussion with a drummer, his clinic at PASIC, and much more! There's also segments like gig alerts, music news, and others. 

Dave Balen has been playing music all his life, primarily as a percussionist in all sorts of musical genres. He and Jefferson Glassie met in Varanasi, India and hit it off. Dave had been in Varanasi as a young person at the same time that the Beatles were visiting the ashram of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Rishikesh. Dave has a wealth of knowledge and experience about music and had a wonderful conversation with Jefferson about music, synchronicity, and the power of music.

This week on the podcast is part two of our interview with Polish percussionist, Marianna Bednarska. She's a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral musician and teacher.  Among her many accolades, she's performed throughout Europe and the US, and has appeared as a soloist at the Lucerne Festival, the Davos Festival and with ensembles such as the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and the Polish Radio Orchestra In addition to her professional experiences, Marianna has won prizes in over two dozen music competitions, including the Geneva International Music Competition, the Swiss Young Soloists, and she was a finalist in the Polish Eurovision Young Musician of the Year in 2009. Tune in to hear Marianna's creative approach to pursuing opportunities throughout her career. https://mariannabednarska.com/en/home/

** PLEASE SUBSCRIBE ** Featured in WYGYFF Episode 43: Percussionist and drummer Ralph Vargas, also known as Da Phunky Drumma. He has spent the past 30 years behind the scenes creating some of the world's most recognizable beats. We're talking beats for Bruno Mars' “Just The Way You Are,” Dr. Dre's “Xxplosive,” Wu-Tang Clan's “7th Chamber,” Ol' Dirty Bastard's “Brooklyn Zoo,” D'Angelo's “Brown Sugar,” Sprite and Infiniti commercials, MCNBC documentaries, and movies and TV like Netflix's “Luke Cage,” “Limitless” and “Never Back Down.”  They are all from his early 1990s drum loop records, Funky Drummer Vols. 1 & II. He also discusses being mentored by Cameo's Larry Blackmon and working with that band during the 1970s, as well as touring as New Edition's drummer during the 1980s. RECORDED NOVEMBER 2025 Hosted by Scott "DR GX" Goldfine — musicologist, author of “Everything Is on the One: The First Guide of Funk” and creator/host of the popular TRUTH IN RHYTHM podcast — "Where'd You Get Your Funk From?" is another interview show brought to you by FUNKNSTUFF.NET. Where'd You Get Your Funk From (WYGYFF) is an open format video and audio podcast focusing on the here and now, with a broad range of creative and artistic guests sharing fascinating stories, experiences, and perspectives. WYGYFF is a welcoming avenue to newer and independent musical acts as well as established and still active musicians of any genre; authors; filmmakers; actors; artists; collectors and archivists; radio & podcast personalities; journalists; scholars; sound techs; promoters; photographers; and other creative people. LEGAL NOTICE: All video and audio content protected by copyright. Any use of this material is strictly prohibited without expressed consent from original content producer and owner Scott Goldfine, dba FUNKNSTUFF. For inquiries, email info@funknstuff.net. Get your copy of "Everything Is on the One: The First Guide of Funk" today! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1541256603/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1541256603&linkCode=as2&tag=funknstuff-20&linkId=b6c7558ddc7f8fc9fe440c5d9f3c400

This week on the podcast is part one of our interview with Polish percussionist, Marianna Bednarska. She's a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral musician and teacher.  Among her many accolades, she's performed throughout Europe and the US, and has appeared as a soloist at the Lucerne Festival, the Davos Festival and with ensembles such as the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and the Polish Radio Orchestra In addition to her professional experiences, Marianna has won prizes in over two dozen music competitions, including the Geneva International Music Competition, the Swiss Young Soloists, and she was a finalist in the Polish Eurovision Young Musician of the Year in 2009. Tune in to hear Marianna's creative approach to pursuing opportunities throughout her career. https://mariannabednarska.com/en/home/

Chic with Nile Rodgers, People, CNN, ABC, BET, FOXRobin Roberts & Whoopi Goldberg LOVE Them!!Music & Munchies is My Show Theme This Week: Soul Snacks Cookie Company!Music for this Segment: CHIC featuring Nile Rodgers - Let's Dance(Live At The House Sídney 2013)Everyone wants to be a leader in a world where people don't often possess the experience or expertise to be in the lead. That is gained from mastering the skills and learning to follow. Ralph Rolle is a prime example of learning to follow becoming born to lead.Ralph followed his older brother in learning the drums, but that he led him to becoming a premier musician, who has created music with everyone from super producer Nile Rodgers and his iconic disco/R&B group Chic, pop legends Sting and Bono, the 1st woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Aretha Franklin, hip-hop giants Biggie Smalls and Queen Latifah, jazz superstar Chris Botti, the queen of Neo-Soul Erykah Badu, Vanessa Williams, soul crooner D'Angelo, songstylist India Arie, Lady Gaga, Dolly Pardon, Bono, Roger Daltry, John Legend, Joss Stone, Elvis Costello and playing in the resident band for N.B.C. ‘It's Showtime at The Apollo' for over 15 seasons. Ralph has also served as the musical director for syndicated “The Caroline Rhea Show” and he served in the same role for Japanese R&B/soul superstar Toshi Kubota.Ralph took the time, any time he had the time, to stop and cook and enjoy life. It helped him to come down from the tension and time on the road that was always in motion. Cooking, another gift he received from his mother, gave him the peace of mind he needed to slow down and breathe. And in learning his way around the kitchen, he started to bake. hat stayed with him and when he was hanging out with his musician friends, he would have his signature cookies. At first they laughed, but quickly the request became “please bring those cookies with you!”Over time, his cookies found their way into the hands of clients such as Westside Market, Franks Market, and many more. Good Morning America host chose Soul Snacks for her holiday gifting in 2011. In 2015, Bette Midler and Ralph met when Nile Rodgers and Chic were the guest artists and Ms. Midler's annual Hulaween Charity event. Ralph had his “cookie calling card” with him. Ms. Midler loved Soul Snacks so much that she placed orders for her family and friends. Soon, he was selling his cookies at Melba's, a legendary soul food restaurant in Harlem. The orders poured in and soon, he was featured in CNN, BET, ABC and FOX networks, in New York Times newspaper and in The Source and Vibe magazines. From there, Ralph gave birth to “SOUL SNACKS.”SOUL SNACKS offers a variety of delicious cookies such as Georgia Oatmeal Raisin, Peanut Peanut Butter, Down Home Double Chocolate Chip, Ebony and Ivory Almond Cookie, Grampy's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie, French Cocoa Chocolate Chip, Miami Raisin Walnut, Chunked Up Chocolate Walnut, Cranberry Oatmeal Raisin, Joyful Gingerbread and the most recently added, but now #1 seller, Sweet Potato Cookies. “Inside of every cookie is years of heart, soul and lots of pride that has been the main ingredient of SOUL SNACKS Cookies for over a decade.”All Rights Reserved © 2026 Building Abundant Success!!Join Me on ~ iHeart Media @ https://tinyurl.com/iHeartBASSpot Me on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yxuy23baAmazon Music ~ https://tinyurl.com/AmzBASAudacy:  https://tinyurl.com/BASAud 

Damon gets to talk to Ed about his Percussive Arts Society clinic, Bill Fitch, Connecticut, playing multiple instruments, his band Conga Bop and more. There's also other segments like gig alerts, and music news. 

Damon gets to talk to Jenny about her new album, Minnesota, artwork, marimbas, improvising, and much more! There's also other segments like gig alerts, educational spotlight, and music news. 

Damon gets to talk to Jeremy about the bodhrán, St. Paddy's Day, Kentucky, telecommunications, and much more. There's also gig alerts, music news, and other segments. 

Damon gets to talk to Saturnino about his many jobs, running a Percussive Arts Society chapter, Asia, education and much more. There's also other segments including gig alerts, educational spotlights, and music news. 

Damon gets to talk to Vicky about playing drums vs. percussion, her name and style, life adventures, touring vs. house bands and so much more! There's also other segments, including music news, gig alerts, and educational spotlights. 

Damon gets to talk to Garry about Woodstock Chimes, Nexus, Black Earth Percussion, Steve Reich, festivals, and so much more! There's also other segments like gig alerts, educational spotlights, and music news. 

Blake Fleming is a percussionist, author, and educator known for his work with experimental bands and for writing The Book of Rhythm, an encyclopedia of over 5,000 organized rhythms for all instruments. The book has been sold in more than 20 countries and was a top 5 instruction title in the 2020 Modern Drummer Reader's Poll, and Blake was featured in SPIN's 100 Greatest Drummers of Alternative Music. He has recorded and toured across jazz, rock, and avant-garde scenes, and his drumming has been covered by outlets including The New York Times, NPR, Spin, Rolling Stone, MOJO, Modern Drummer, and Pitchfork. In addition to studio work and teaching students worldwide through live online lessons, he has completed his second full-length album, The Beat Fantastic, scheduled for release later this summer on vinyl and digitally via blakefleming.bandcamp.com. Blake co-founded and drummed for the math-rock/post-hardcore group Dazzling Killmen in the early 1990s, later touring with Japan's Zeni Geva in 1996. In the late '90s, he formed the experimental instrumental quartet Laddio Bolocko, and in 2001 became the co-founding drummer of The Mars Volta, recording early demos and briefly returning for touring in 2006. He went on to form Electric Turn To Me, contributed to projects like The Rollo Treadway. Blake has an extensive studio résumé, recording with Omar Rodríguez-López on multiple solo releases and contributing session work for artists including Kim Taylor, The Ropes, and Israel Nash Gripka.

Orlando (FL) - based Percussionist and Dancer Meridythe Witt stops by to talk about performing as a dancer and drummer in theme parks, the audition process for these gigs, and how she stays “grounded in dance” (02:25), growing up in California, Indiana and Maryland, her musical family and their influence on her life, getting into dance and music early on, and a primer on ballet styles (19:45), attending Radford University (VA) for undergrad, getting degrees in dance and percussion performance at the same time there, creating collaborative opportunities there, and her experiences at PASIC50 on the New Music/Research Panel (44:15), and takes time for the Random Ass Questions, including segments on gestures and counting, baking bread, Bruce Springsteen, Twyla Tharp, rollercoasters, airports, and gymnastics (01:19:20).Finishing with a Rave on the 2025 documentary film Monk in Pieces (01:43:40).Meridythe Witt links:Meridythe Witt's WebpageMeridythe's instagramPrevious Podcast Guests mentioned:Alexandros Fragiskatos in 2021Drew Tucker in 2026Other Links:George BalanchineVaganova Ballet MethodThe Drummer's Cookbook - John PickeringAdvanced Techniques - Jim Chapin“Take Five” - Dave BrubeckJim PetercsakRobert Sanderl“Frogs” - Keiko Abe“Drum Corps on Parade” - John S. Pratt“to wALk Or ruN in wEst harlem” - Andy Akiho“Mirage” - Yasuo SueyoshiWilliam NewtonDave RiversBorn to Run 50th AnniversaryDark Side of the Moon 50th Anniversary“Lingus” - Snarky PuppyLaDuca Dance ShoesNapoleon Dynamite trailerHappy Gilmore trailerThis is Spinal Tap trailerBorn to Run - Bruce SpringsteenThe Collaborative Habit - Twyla Tharp“Mallet Quartet” - Steve ReichRaves:Monk in Pieces trailer

Damon gets to talk to Will about the St. Louis Symphony, education, triangles, North Carolina, getting a gig and much more! There's also segments like gig alerts, music news and others. 

Damon gets to talk to Jeff about job listings on his website, New Jersey, teaching, calzones and much more. There's also other segments like gig alerts, educational spotlights, and music news. 

Percussionist, Composer, and Professor of Music at the University of Quebec at Montreal Gina Ryan stops by to talk about her teaching activities in Montreal (04:30), working with Sixtrum Percussion Ensemble and Triolet Percussion Group, and her percussion freelancing and composing activities (14:45), growing up in Newfoundland, Canada, creating the “Gina Ryan Summer Percussion Camp”, her connections to members of NEXUS and Michael Colgrass, her other high school activities, and traveling to France (31:40), her college years in Newfoundland and Toronto, doing a residency at Banff, and working for the train company (51:25), moving to Montreal, her graduate school time at McGill (Canada), and returning to Newfoundland to get a second bachelor's degree (01:07:15), living and teaching in Thailand for a decade (01:22:50), and settles in for the Random Ass Questions, including segments on great food, good and bad movies, great books, Karaoke, and inspiring art (01:40:15).Finishing with a Rave on the 2025 film Hamnet (02:07:50).Gina Ryan Links:Gina Ryan's websiteTrioletSixtrum PercussionGina Ryan's YouTube pageThe Thailand International Percussion FestivalPrevious Podcast Guests Mentioned:Triolet in 2026Victoria Sparks in 2018Kristie Ibrahim in 2024Aiyun Huang in 2023Other Links:Fabrice MarandolaCanadian Percussion Network100 Guitars - Tim BradyNEXUSBeverley JohnstonJohn WyreMichael ColgrassAvalon Peninsula TrailsThe Baschet BrothersD'Arcy GrayCharlene RyanTrevor GrahlThe Godfather trailerTrolls trailerChristmas with the Kranks trailerFather of the Bride trailerThe Art of Hearing Heartbeats - Jan-Philipp SendkerFlannery - Lisa MooreThe Rocky Horror Picture Show trailerThe Marginalian“Don't Speak” - No Doubt“Creep” - RadioheadRed Poppy Ladies' Percussion EnsembleRaves:Hamnet - Maggie O'FarrellHamnet trailer

Damon gets to talk to Andrew about the World Vibes Congress, The Wells-Rapp Center for Mallet Percussion Research, Drum Corps, New Jersey, and much more. There's also segments like gig alerts, gear talk, music news, and others. 

Healing Rhythms Why the next generation should try Tarantella dances.Host: Anna Harsh, MA, BA degree in Dance, E-RYT200, Pilates Certified. Artistic Director /Founder Allegro Dance Company. Guest: Salvatore Guglielmo, Dancer, Percussionist, Italian- American preservationist. Sal shares details about the Italian drums and various tarantellas from southern regions of Italy. Visit Sal's website: https://salvatoreguglielmo.comIG: @SalvatoreGuglielmo_ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAzD-cCNkZU84rY7eIMnDLQ⁠Anna's Website: www.AnnaHarsh.com IG: @TambourineChronicles www.AllegroDanceCompany.net Like, Share & Subscribe so you won't miss any episodes! #ItalianCulture #ItalianDrums #Tammurriata #Pizzica #tarantella #ItalianDance #DrumLessons #DanceLessons

In this episode, I sit down with Dame Evelyn Glennie to talk about what listening really means and why it matters far beyond music. We start with the origins of the Evelyn Glennie Foundation and how her work evolved organically from teaching, performing, and asking people better questions so they can hear themselves more clearly. Evelyn shares how her own experiences shaped a broader philosophy of listening that encompasses sound, the written word, and the ways we communicate through email, texts, and social media. We also dig into how technology has changed our patience and attention, and why listening belongs at the center of education, wellbeing, empathy, and community.From there, we move into the performer's mindset and Evelyn's lifelong curiosity about sound. She explains why she starts new repertoire from the inside out, how the body becomes an essential listening partner over time, and why recordings are only frozen snapshots rather than definitive answers. I ask her about formative training, the balance of learning by ear and reading music, and how her early environments built a deep listening culture that still guides her today. Evelyn offers a powerful reminder that every performance is a world premiere for someone, and that familiar instruments can become brand new when we hear them in a different context.We also go down memory lane through landmark repertoire and collaborations. Evelyn talks about discovering and recording Paul Smadbeck's Rhythm Song, revisiting it years later, and even developing a creative version for marimba and strings. She reflects on the Bartók Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion, including the intensity of working at a young age with Sir Georg Solti and the lessons that stayed with her. We then explore her long pursuit of John Corigliano's Conjurer, how the concerto's concept came together, and what it takes to tour a major work night after night, adapting to different instruments and acoustics. Finally, we discuss her experience performing Philip Glass's Double Timpani Concerto with Jonathan Haas, the logistics behind that project, and why she loves the energy of shared soloist roles.To close, Evelyn shares what she is creating right now, including writing for television and film, new books, wide-ranging collaborations, duo projects, and continued foundation work that invites people to slow down, listen deeply, and rethink what connection feels like. This conversation is a masterclass in curiosity, artistry, and attention, and I'm grateful to share it with you.To learn more about Evelyn and the Evelyn Glennie Foundation, visit her website. Music from the Episode:Joseph Schwantner - Velocities for Solo MarimbaPaul Smadbeck - Rhythm SongBéla Bartók - Sonata for Two Pianos and PercussionJohn Corigliano - Conjurer: Concerto for Percussionist and String OrchestraThank you for listening. If you have questions, feedback, or ideas for the show, please email me at brad@thebandwichtapes.com.

Larry Lelli is the King of Broadway. He is a Tony award winning freelance drummer and percussionist. He's worked in over 40 Broadway musicals including “The Producers”, “Million Dollar Quartet”, “A Christmas Story”, “Come From Away” and “Sunset Boulevard”. He's producing a new musical now called “Already Perfect”. He's also performed and recorded with stars like Melissa Etheridge, The Mamas and the Papas, Josh Groban, Ann Hathaway, and Vanessa Williams. And he does masterclasses around the world specializing in Broadway musical theatre.My featured song is “New York City Groove”, from the album Made In New York by my band Project Grand Slam. Spotify link.—-----------------------------------------------------------The Follow Your Dream Podcast:Top 1% of all podcasts with Listeners in 200 countries!Click here for All Episodes Click here for Guest List Click here for Guest Groupings Click here for Guest TestimonialsClick here to Subscribe Click here to receive our Email UpdatesClick here to Rate and Review the podcast—----------------------------------------CONNECT WITH LARRY:www.larrylelli.com—----------------------------------------ROBERT'S LATEST RELEASE:“MA PETITE FLEUR STRING QUARTET” is Robert's latest release. It transforms his jazz ballad into a lush classical string quartet piece. Praised by a host of classical music stars.CLICK HERE FOR YOUTUBE LINKCLICK HERE FOR ALL LINKS—---------------------------------------ROBERT'S RECENT SINGLE“MI CACHIMBER” is Robert's recent single. It's Robert's tribute to his father who played the trumpet and loved Latin music.. Featuring world class guest artists Benny Benack III and Dave Smith on flugelhornCLICK HERE FOR YOUTUBE LINKCLICK HERE FOR ALL LINKS—--------------------------------------ROBERT'S LATEST ALBUM:“WHAT'S UP!” is Robert's latest compilation album. Featuring 10 of his recent singles including all the ones listed below. Instrumentals and vocals. Jazz, Rock, Pop and Fusion. “My best work so far. (Robert)”CLICK HERE FOR THE OFFICIAL VIDEOCLICK HERE FOR ALL LINKS—----------------------------------------Audio production:Jimmy RavenscroftKymera Films Connect with the Follow Your Dream Podcast:Website - www.followyourdreampodcast.comEmail Robert - robert@followyourdreampodcast.com Follow Robert's band, Project Grand Slam, and his music:Website - www.projectgrandslam.comYouTubeSpotify MusicApple MusicEmail - pgs@projectgrandslam.com  

Damon gets to talk to Vivienne about the gulf coast, her Metaphor Percussion Duo, being the CA Chapter President for the Percussive Arts Society, percussion reptertoire and much more! There's also segments like gig alerts, music news, and others. 

Damon gets to talk to Malcolm about performing at PASIC 50 with M'Boom, Houston, nicknames, psychology and much more! There's also segments like gig alerts, music news and others. 

Concrete production makes up about 8 percent of global carbon emissions each year. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania are trying to develop more sustainable options. Residential solar tax credits expired at the end of 2025, but solar installers say there’s still an affordable way to do rooftop arrays. Women are now producing nearly half of the world’s food. That’s why – when the 2026 Pennsylvania Farm Show opens on Saturday, January 10th - one of the new components includes displays and opportunities to talk with Pennsylvania women involved in agriculture. It also ties into 2026’s “International Year of the Woman Farmer.” And for our final story today we’re going to explore a fun, even inspirational deep dive: The average American throws out almost 5 pounds of solid waste every day. But what if we could give our junk new life? One Philadelphia-area artist is doing just that. If you're already a member of WITF's Sustaining Circle, you know how convenient it is to support programs like this. By increasing your monthly gift in this new year, you can help WITF close the budget gap left by the loss of federal funding. Visit us online at witf.org/increase or become a new sustaining circle member at www.witf.org/givenow. And thank you!Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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), getting into music and DCI, and more about his music education (50:20), his college years and how his early career moved forward (01:11:30), and settles in for the Random Ass Questions, including segments on developing musicianship in percussionists early on, adventures in cooking, superhero movies, and memorable performances (01:29:35).Finishing with a Rave on the 2023 documentary Shari & Lamb Chop (02:01:30).Drew Tucker links:Drew Tucker's websiteSouth ArtsJazz RoadPrevious Podcast Guests mentioned:Alexandros Fragiskatos in 2021Joshua Simonds in 2022Eriko Daimo in 2025Other Links:Sarah ReichCory WongRay Donato311 Tiny Desk ConcertBlue Devils 1994 showMagic of Orlando 1995“Señor Mouse” - Chick Corea and Gary BurtonNancy Zeltsman“When Doves Cry” - Prince“Toxic” - Britney Spears“Head Over Heels” - Tears for Fears“Sword of Whispers” - Joe Locke“Dat Dere” - Stefon HarrisAndromeda TurreThe Incredibles trailerGodzilla Minus One trailerThe Art of Possibility - Ben ZanderSurrounded by Idiots - Thomas Erikson“Someday My Prince Will Come” - Jake ChapmanPlexusPlay and Matt DiBiaseRaves:Shari & Lamb Chop website