Pete's Percussion Podcast - Pete Zambito

Episode 505 - Luke Helker

Pete's Percussion Podcast














Fort Hays State (KS) Director of Percussion Studies Luke Helker stops by to talk about the FHSU job and about recruiting to a small regional college (02:45), his recent presentation at the Canadian Percussion Network’s annual conference and its beginnings (17:05), growing up in Pennsylvania, his vast array of musical influences and experiences, getting to travel with family, and his years of undergrad at Millersville University (PA) studying percussion and audio production (25:50), his grad school years at the University of Kansas, his time as a wedding DJ, studying under Mike Compitello and Sam Um, and his early teaching experiences (49:10), and then Luke settles in for the Random Ass Questions, including segments on marching vs. concert percussion, great and terrible movies, John Steinbeck, metal music, Philly sports, and the artist Alphonse Mucha (01:11:30).
Finishing with a Rave on the book and movie versions of The Odyssey (01:48:05).
Luke Helker Links:
Luke Helker’s website
Luke Helker’s Fort Hays State website
Previous Podcast Guests mentioned:
Michael Jones in 2026
Other Links:
Ryan Pearson
“Child of Tree” - John Cage
“The Ice is Talking” - Vivian Fung
“Allegro ma non troppo” - Unsuk Chin
“Echolalia” - Mark Applebaum
Oklahoma!
ABBA
Mozart for Monday Mornings
Puccini and Pasta
The Who
Neil Young
Arab Spring
James Armstrong
Stick Control - George L. Stone
Syncopation - Ted Reed
Toccata for Percussion Instruments - Carlos Chavez
Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture - PI Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 2 - Jean Sibelius
Rick Rubin
The Strokes
Wilco
My Morning Jacket
@Percussion Podcast
Michael Compitello
Sam Um
“Starships” - Nikki Minaj
“Fireball” - Pitbull
“At Last” - Etta James
“I Loved Her First” - Heartland
“Celebration” - Kool and the Gang
“Shout” - The Isley Brothers
“Wobble” - V.I.C.
“Yeah!” - Usher and Lil Jon
“Turn Down for What” - DJ Snake and Lil Jon
Ed Sheeran
“Art of Almost” - Wilco
Reflections on the Nature of Water - Jacob Druckman
Huberman Lab podcast
NOPE trailer
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift trailer
Orbital - Samantha Harvey
The Winter of Our Discontent - John Steinbeck
Slipknot
Metallica
Ghost
Bell Witch
sunn O)))
Phillies 2008 World Series
Eagles vs. Patriots Super Bowl LII
Jaylen Brown
Wawa
“Friends in Low Places” - Garth Brooks
Alphonse Mucha - Nelson Atkins Museum
Raves:
The Odyssey - Homer (translation by Emily Wilson)
The Odyssey trailer

Episode 504 - Kathy Armstrong

Pete's Percussion Podcast














Carleton University (ON) Ethnomusicologist and Director of Fine Arts Kathy Armstrong stops by to talk about her job, teaching West African drumming and dance, Baobab, and traveling and learning in Ghana for many years (03:30), her recent Canadian Percussion Network Conference presentation and the importance of Global Percussion Studies in standard Western Percussion tradition (21:45), growing up in the Scarborough area of Toronto, her early musical influences (including Soul and Funk music), her wonderful public school music background, the idea of “rhythmic tapestry”, and her experiences in the Girl Guides of Canada (36:10), attending the University of Toronto, studying with members of NEXUS, her post-undergrad experience and branching out into an entrepreneurship mindset (57:15), and finishing with the Random Ass Questions, including segments working in world percussion, the importance of maintaining physical and mental health, baking, sports, and great movies and poetry (01:18:00).
Finishing with a Rave on the 2026 FIFA World Cup (01:45:05).
Kathy Armstrong links:
Kathy Armstrong’s website
Kathy Armstrong’s Carleton University page
Previous Podcast Guests Mentioned:
Daniel Noonan in 2026
Chrissie Souza in 2024
Sarah Hasekamp in 2024
Fabrice Marandola in 2026
Kristie Ibrahim in 2024
Other Links:
NEXUS Percussion
Stevie Wonder
Breakfast in America - Supertramp
Earth, Wind, and Fire
Tower of Power
Led Zeppelin
Nina Simone
Earth, Wind & Fire documentary
Summer of Soul trailer
Peter Gabriel live in 1986
The Specials
“Come Talk to Me” - Peter Gabriel
“English Folk Song Suite” - Ralph Vaughan Williams
Sting
Paul Simon
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Michelle Colton
Beverley Johnston
Timothy Rice
James Kippen
Big Night trailer
Hamnet trailer
Mamma Mia! trailer
Fall On Your Knees - Ann-Marie MacDonald
Outlander - Diana Gabaldon
K.C. and the Sunshine Band
“Shake It Off” - Taylor Swift
Kirk Franklin
“Le Freak” - CHIC
Northern Super League
The Professional Women’s Hockey League
Rumi
Mary Oliver
Raves:
The 2026 FIFA World Cup

Episode 503 - Daniel Noonan

Pete's Percussion Podcast














Recent Mizzou Masters of Music degree graduate in Percussion Performance Daniel Noonan stops by to talk about his degree recital and his interest in avant-garde music (04:00), his assistantship with the New Music Ensemble, working with new composers, and international travel (18:30), his experiences playing in various ensembles, the Odyssey Chamber Music Series in Columbia, and some of the other Mizzou Graduate Percussionists Daniel worked with (34:25), growing up in Morganton (NC), the issues of access to quality instruction in rural areas, his marching band experiences, and English class and his favorite books from the time (48:45), attending Western Carolina University for undergrad, Cullowee (NC), and studying under Dr. Adam Groh (01:02:00), getting to Mizzou and studying with Dr. Megan Arns (01:18:15), and settles in for the Random Ass Questions, including segments on early percussion education, cooking gumbo, The Hitchhiker’s Guide book series, Ireland, and the great foods of North Carolina (01:28:10).
Finishing with a Rave on the 2026 film Disclosure Day (01:55:30).
Daniel Noonan Link:
Daniel Noonan’s Instagram
Previous Podcast Guests mentioned:
Julia Gaines-Montag in 2016
Megan Arns in 2026
Matthew Hinkle in 2026
Adam Groh in 2022
Luke Haymon in 2025
Mark Ford in 2023
Julie Davila in 2019
Nathan Daughtrey in 2021
Cara Wildman in 2021
Other Links:
“Song for Low Tree” - Matthew Burtner
“Toccata” - Anna Ignatowicz
“She Who Sleeps with a Small Blanket” - Kevin Volans
“Rebonds B” - Iannis Xenakis
So Percussion Summer Institute
“Millenium Canticles” - Missy Mazzoli
“Ionisation” - Edgard Varese
Eighth Blackbird
Bang on a Can
Machu Picchu
Odyssey Chamber Music Series
The Pieces that Fall to Earth - Christopher Cerrone
“White Pines” - Michael Burritt
“Pillar 1” - Andy Akiho
Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
“XY” - Michael Gordon
Dubliners - James Joyce
Matt Henley
Diana Loomer
“Third Construction” - John Cage
“Canticle No. 3” - Lou Harrison
“to wALk Or ruN in wEst harlem” - Andy Akiho
“meditation for metal pipes” - Emma O’Halloran
Fantastic Mr. Fox trailer
Madame Web trailer
Avatar: Fire and Ash trailer
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
Discworld - Terry Pratchett
Monty Python’s Flying Circus opening credits
Robert Honstein
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
JD’s Smokehouse
Cook Out
Bojangles
Raves:
Disclosure Day trailer

Episode 502 - Greg Herron

Pete's Percussion Podcast














Maryland-based freelance percussionist and educator Greg Herron stops by to talk about his new job as McDonogh School Upper School Band Director and Music Technology teacher, along with his private percussion teaching practice (02:25), his start to freelancing, and his career and life in Boston, Mexico, studying in Cuba, and heading back to Baltimore (11:50), growing up in many locations in the U.S., his active musical background, studying at the University of Miami (FL) and Boston Conservatory (MA), the many teachers who influenced him, and the importance of networking for freelancing gigs (41:50), and finishing with the Random Ass Questions, including segments on instrument rentals, working with administration, and taking care of his physical and mental health (01:24:05).
Finishing with a Rave on the 2018 book Atomic Habits (01:38:25).
Greg Herron links:
Greg Herron’s webpage
Previous Podcast Guests mentioned:
Jenna Duranko in 2026
Neil Grover in 2023
Keith Aleo in 2020
Rebecca Kite in 2018
Other Links:
Roy Haynes
Ralph Hardimon
Thom Hannum
Tom Aungst
Pat Hollenbeck
Scott Eisenberg
Foghorn Leghorn
The Karate Kid trailer
Caleb Herron
I’m Possible - Richard White
Dontae Winslow
D.J. Sparr
“Eruption” - Van Halen
Lion Performance Hall
John Locke
Grant Menafee
Nate Morton
Matt Halpern
Steve Rucker
Steve Bagby
Advanced Techniques for the Modern Drummer - Jim Chapin
Scott Deal
Seth Wexler
John Tafoya
Lou Abbott
Svet Stoyanov
Phil Faini
Fritz Reiner
Max Roach
Elvin Jones
Joe Henderson
John H. Beck
Vic Firth
Evelyn Glennie
Colin Currie
Edna Huang
Buddy Rich
Gustav Klimt
Raves:
Atomic Habits - James Clear

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’ website
Michael Jones’ Bard College page
Michael Jones’ Discography
Previous Podcast Guests mentioned:
Steven Schick from 2025
Rebecca Lloyd-Jones from 2022
Nicholas Papador from 2024
Other Links:
Eric Cha-Beach
Jason Treuting
Nicholas Deyoe
Pluto Bell
Scott Wollschleger
Sun Ra
Thurman Barker
“Psappha” - Iannis Xenakis
The Percussionist’s Art - Steven Schick
Amy Cimini
Unsound Supplies - Fanny Gribenski (editor)
Anthropocene Period
Writing the Implosion - Joseph Dumit
Between the Buried and Me
Protest the Hero
Scale the Summit
Periphery
Fred Hinger
Ben Toth
Joe Galeota
John Amira
Shane Shanahan
Ted Piltzecker
Rogerio Boccato
From Me Flows What You Call Time - Toru Takemitsu
Percussion Group Cincinnati
Herbert Brün
Bill Solomon
“Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird” - Lukas Foss
William Winant
“Bone Alphabet” - Brian Ferneyhough
“Persephassa” - Iannis Xenakis
Zen and the Art of Archery - Eugene Herrigel
Fiona Digney
Princess Mononoke trailer
Star Wars: The Last Jedi trailer
Rakesfall - Vajra Chandrasekera
Swann’s Way - Marcel Proust (Lydia Davis translation)
Meshuggah
San Diego Superbloom
Nardelli’s
Zetsu No. 8 - Nishida Jun
Raves:
Earth, Wind & Fire documentary trailer