- Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 497 - Candice HillEpisode 497 - Candice Hill Pete's Percussion Podcast
Kansas City-based freelancing percussionist, educator, Steel Pan artist, composer and arranger Candice Hill stops by to talk about her career in KC and getting started there, along with her time performing with the Kansas City Chiefs drumline (03:45), teaching and performing in town, arranging and composing, and her work “Red City Calypso” (21:30), growing up in Columbia (MO) and her family musical background (34:45), her undergrad years at Missouri State University, marching band and lessons, getting into steel pan performance, and Music Education vs. Music Performance degrees (44:55), attending Northern Illinois University for her master’s in Steel Pan Performance, studying with Liam Teague and Cliff Alexis, dealing with performance anxiety, and keeping up with her non-steel band percussion skills (01:04:15), and settles in for the Random Ass Questions, including segments on being a woman in the field of percussion, Pete getting to work with Candice and Emily Lemmermann for the Missouri Mass Steel Band performance last month, Dirty Dancing, Crafts and Baking, experiencing Panorama in Trinidad and Tobago, bad cleaning jobs, and the excellence of Steel Band all over the world (01:27:20).
Finishing with a Rave on the 2026 film Michael (01:54:30).
Candice Hill Links:
“Red City Calypso” - Candice Hill
Previous Podcast Guests mentioned:
Other Links:
“Island in the Sun” - Len “Boogsie” Sharpe
“Pan by Storm” - Skiffle Bunch
Raves:
28 May 2026, 11:00 am - Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 496 - Terry SweeneyEpisode 496 - Terry Sweeney Pete's Percussion Podcast
Sandbox Percussion Member and Educator Terry Sweeney stops by to talk about his work with Sandbox, their teaching at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Mannes (NY), and the Bob Van Sice influence (03:50), the beginnings of Sandbox Percussion, Terry’s challenges of performing in Sandbox and finishing his master’s degree at the same time, the Brooklyn studio, and the challenges and workings of scheduling (19:40), growing up in Michigan, his drumset and drumline background, and connecting with Gwen Dease through Interlochen (57:00), attending Peabody Conservatory (MD) for undergrad and studying with Bob Van Sice, and heading to Yale University (CT) for grad school, continuing with Van Sice, and some of the other folks he worked with during his time there (01:11:00), and finishes with the Random Ass Questions, including segments on working with Andy Akiho, training for triathlons, his fandom for popcorn, and the work Canto Ostinato (01:18:15).
Finishing with a Rave on the band Sound Society (01:51:20).
Terry Sweeney links:
Previous Podcast Guests Mentioned:
Other Links:
“Mallet Quartet” - Steve Reich
“Porgy and Bess” xylophone excerpt
Modern School for Xylophone, Marimba, and Vibraphone - Morris Goldenberg
“Time for Marimba” - Minoru Miki
A Rainy Day in New York trailer
My Struggle - Karl One Knausgard
Canto Ostinato - Simeon ten Holt
Raves:
21 May 2026, 11:00 am - Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 495 - Genevieve Hilburn (Part 2)Episode 495 - Genevieve Hilburn (Part 2) Pete's Percussion Podcast
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:
Genevieve Hilburn’s Bakersfield College page
Previous Podcast Guests Mentioned:
Other Links:
Cavaliers 1995 DCI Show - “The Planets”
The Grand Budapest Hotel trailer
Star Wars, Episode 1: The Phantom Menace trailer
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
Braiding Sweetgrass - Robin Wall Kimmerer
Dashner Design and Restoration
TIERRAS South Texas Percussion Competition
Raves:
Audio-Vision: Sound on Screen - Michel Chion
Reel Music: Exploring 100 Years of Film Music - Roger Hickman
14 May 2026, 11:00 am - Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 494 - Genevieve Hilburn (Part 1)Episode 494 - Genevieve Hilburn (Part 1) Pete's Percussion Podcast
California State University – Bakersfield and Bakersfield College Percussion Professor Genevieve Hilburn stops by to talk about her teaching at both schools (04:20), the influence of DCI and WGI on teaching in California schools and the challenges of teaching in the performing arts (15:00), getting into the WGI judging circuit, her work with the Percussive Arts Society and her freelancing career (29:45), growing up in Southern California, her early years in music, and her time in the Girl Scouts (49:40), and her time in undergrad at the CSU – Northridge (01:01:50).
Finishing with a Rave on a recent performance with the Missouri Symphony on their “Best of Broadway” concert (01:08:00).
Genevieve Hilburn links:
Genevieve Hilburn’s Bakersfield College page
Previous Podcast Guests mentioned:
Other Links:
James Logan Band and Color Guard
Raves:
7 May 2026, 11:00 am - Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 493 - Jenna DurankoEpisode 493 - Jenna Duranko Pete's Percussion Podcast
Maryland-based Freelancing Percussionist, Recording Artist, Composer, Author and Admissions Counselor Jenna Duranko stops by to talk about her career, her seminary studies, playing in senior-living spaces, and her recent album Mosaic (04:20), growing up in Frederick (MD), her early musical background in choir, piano and French horn, and her time in the girl scouts (24:00), attending Radford University (VA) for undergrad, recent podcast guest Meridythe Witt, becoming a percussion major and starting from scratch, and majoring in Music Business (34:20), her 7 years working in radio, creating a career through solo marimba performance, how the pandemic changed her career and called her towards ministry, and her current composition project (53:40), and settles in for the Random Ass Questions, including segments on why musicians always need to be paid, Tervis Tumblers, the band B*Witched, The Pittsburgh Steelers, library work, Macado’s Restaurant, and the Artemis II (01:12:40).
Finishing with a Rave on Pete’s experiences with the 2026 Missouri Day of Percussion and co-leading the Mass Steel Band (01:38:15).
Jenna Duranko links:
Jenna Duranko’s Instagram page
Previous Podcast Guests Mentioned:
Other Links:
Lancaster Theological Seminary
Preaching and Music - Catherine Williams
“Wind in the Bamboo Grove” - Keiko Abe
National Ovarian Cancer Coalition
The Legend of Bagger Vance trailer
Raves:
30 April 2026, 11:00 am - Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 492: Caitlin CawleyEpisode 492 - Caitlin Cawley Pete's Percussion Podcast
New York City-based Freelancing Percussionist, Teacher and Composer Caitlin Cawley stops by to talk about her professional life and her work with the percussion groups Talujon and Mantra Percussion (04:20), growing up on Long Island, her musical beginnings, and her time in the Juilliard pre-college program (22:00), attending Boston University and Manhattan School of Music for her undergrad and grad career, and how the pandemic and a health scare changed the scope of her percussion future (47:40), and settles in for the Random Ass Questions, including discussions of her experiences in the percussion world as a woman, great science-fiction books and series, New York Pizza, the New York Rangers, great visual art, and KPOP Demon Hunters (01:17:20).
Finishing with a Rave on the 2025 documentary film Thank You Very Much (01:44:40).
Caitlin Cawley Links:
Previous Podcast Guests Mentioned:
Other Links:
“Get Off of My Cloud” - The Rolling Stones
“Honky Tonk Women” - The Rolling Stones
“Sonic Meditation 1” - Pauline Oliveros
The Dune Series - Frank Herbert
The Daevabad Trilogy - S.A. Chakraborty
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi - S.A. Chakraborty
New York Rangers 1994 Stanley Cup
Raves:
23 April 2026, 11:00 am - Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 491 - Bob McCormickEpisode 491 - Bob McCormick Pete's Percussion Podcast
Current Tampa-based Percussion Freelancer and Educator and Retired Director of Percussion Studies at the University of South Florida Bob McCormick stops by to talk about his current life and how he stays healthy (03:40), growing up in Cleveland and Southern California, his early musical influences and his time in undergrad (10:55), his work with the Army band and getting his master’s degree (27:30), his year of playing in Harry Partch’s Ensemble (36:15), teaching briefly at Florida State University before heading to USF, building the program there, literature choices in the early years, and the importance of investing in recordings (45:00), and settles in for the Random Ass Questions, including his feelings on current percussion literature, the PASIC New Music/Research Day, the musical landscape during the first half of the 20th century, Tony Cirone’s “Symphony Special”, and so much more! (01:19:20)
Finishing with a Rave about Pete performing How to Train Your Dragon live in concert with the Missouri Symphony (01:39:05).
Bob McCormick Links:
McCormick Percussion Group Homepage
Previous Podcast Guests mentioned:
Other Links:
“Zyklus” - Karlheinz Stockhausen
“Synchronisms No. 5” - Mario Davidovsky
Pierrot lunaire - Arnold Schoenberg
Raves:
16 April 2026, 11:00 am - Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 490 - Lee HinkleEpisode 490 - Lee Hinkle Pete's Percussion Podcast
Pennsylvania State University Percussion Professor Lee Hinkle stops by to talk about all things Penn State, getting hired during the pandemic, negotiating the job, and entrepreneurship classes (03:35), his predecessor Dan Armstrong, the facilities, recruitment, and Penn State football (18:20), freelancing and his faculty teaching load (32:55), his recent album release Modern American Percussion Concerti (41:00), growing up in central Florida, the folk musicians in his family, marching band, drumset, and martial arts (50:20), attending the University of South Florida for undergrad, focusing on percussion and voice performance, and the importance of vocal pedagogy in musical performance (01:02:35), attending the University of Maryland for his master’s and doctorate, then transitioning to a faculty position soon after (01:19:20), and finishes with the Random Ass Questions, including the tearing down the silos of the percussion world, his active physical health regimen, student memes, great books, scuba diving and submersibles, and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (01:35:05).
Finishing with a Rave on a recent live performance by the UK band The Last Dinner Party (01:58:40).
Lee Hinkle Links:
Modern American Percussion Concerti - Lee Hinkle
Williamsport Symphony Orchestra
Previous Podcast Guests mentioned:
Other Links:
Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra
Evelyn Glennie’s Concertos page
“The Wanton Song” - Led Zeppelin
“What is Hip?” - Tower of Power
“Signed, Sealed, Delivered” - Stevie Wonder
“A Love Supreme” - John Coltrane (Elvin Jones, drums)
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” - Nirvana
John Tafoya’s Orchestral Repertory Books
Jack Reacher series - Lee Child
The Devil in the White City - Erik Larson
A Walk in the Woods - Bill Bryson
Guns, Germs, and Steel - Jared Diamond
Ninth Symphony - L.V. Beethoven
Raves:
9 April 2026, 11:00 am - Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 489 - Mike VercelliEpisode 489 - Mike Vercelli Pete's Percussion Podcast
West Virginia University Director of the School of Music and Director of the World Music Performance Center Mike Vercelli stops by to talk about his work at WVU along with their incredible percussion inventory (03:10), his work navigating the new financial reality for colleges and the importance of developing entrepreneurship in students (18:00), growing up in New Hampshire, his percussion and music background, his unusual lessons background, and playing in rock bands and youth orchestra (29:50), attending UConn for undergrad, his various teachers at the program, and the growth of men’s and women’s college basketball there (38:30), his master’s degree at Bowling Green State (OH) and his first prominent experiences in world percussion, including his first trip to Ghana (45:05), taking time away from school, teaching and freelancing in Ohio and Arizona, heading to the University of Arizona for his doctorate, and his 6 months of study in Ghana (54:05), and finishing with the Random Ass Questions, including segments on the inclusion of world percussion in a western arts curriculum, making hot sauce and spicy foods, travel writer Paul Theroux, New England seafood, bad jobs, wild performance situations, and the Smithsonian African American History Museum (01:19:15).
Finishing with a Rave on the 2026 film Project: Hail Mary (01:52:15).
Mike Vercelli Links:
Previous Podcast Guests Mentioned:
Other Links:
Teaching Percussion - Gary Cook
Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring trailer
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey trailer
Captain America: The First Avenger trailer
On the Plain of Snakes: A Mexican Journey - Paul Theroux
Raves:
2 April 2026, 11:00 am - Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 488 - Jenny KlukkenEpisode 488 - Jenny Klukken Pete's Percussion Podcast
Minneapolis-based musician, educator, percussionist, recording artist, and visual artist Jenny Klukken stops by to talk about her portfolio career and the challenges of playing marimba in small rooms (04:50), her recording and compositional process, her new album Marimba Standard, and the importance of entrepreneurship in the arts (24:30), growing up in rural Minnesota, her enjoyment of jazz and early country music, Spotify Wrapped, and focusing on listening to albums (43:25), attending the University of Minnesota for undergrad, working through 4-mallet grips, her experiences attending the Zeltsman Marimba Festival, her puppetry career as “Jenny and the Pets”, and combining musical artistry with her visual artistry (01:05:45), and finishing with the Random Ass Questions, including her experiences as a woman in the arts, cooking stories, movies that inspire and/or infuriate, pet names and their backstories, living on a dairy farm, and Pat Metheny (01:35:25).
Finishing with a remembrance on the passing of an important living being (02:00:00).
Jenny Klukken Links:
Jenny Klukken’s new album Marimba Standard
Previous Podcast Guests Mentioned:
Other Links:
“Shadows of the Night” - Pat Benatar
“Don’t Fence Me In” - Gene Autry
“Crowded Table” - The Highwomen
Nickel Creek’s NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert
26 March 2026, 11:00 am - Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 487 - Jonny AllenEpisode 487 - Jonny Allen Pete's Percussion Podcast
Sandbox Percussion Group member, as well as freelancer, percussionist, and educator Jonny Allen stops by to talk about all things Sandbox Percussion, including the beginnings of the band, member responsibility to each other, and getting to teach (03:20), their work with Andy Akiho on Seven Pillars (29:05), Jonny’s work with the American Modern Opera Company (40:45), growing up in Connecticut, his drumset and marching band beginnings, and his sports background (44:55), going to Eastman (NY) for undergrad and studying with Michael Burritt and John H. Beck (54:00), going to Yale (CT) for grad school and studying with Robert Van Sice (01:06:05), and settles in for the Random Ass Questions, including sections on percussion logistics, problems using Zoom, New Haven pizza, great books and podcasts, New England Patriots Football, and Dutch Minimalism (01:21:30).
Finishing with a Rave on the 2026 Oscars Telecast (01:51:00).
Jonny Allen links:
Jonny’s Sandbox Percussion page
Previous Podcast Guests Mentioned:
Other links:
“to wALk Or ruN in wEst harlem” - Andy Akiho
“Purple Haze” - Jimi Hendrix Experience
“Third Construction” - John Cage
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker trailer
The Three-Body Problem - Liu Cixin
Patriots - Seahawks Super Bowl LX
Canto Ostinato - Simeon Ten Holt
Raves:
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