Pete's Percussion Podcast - Pete Zambito

Episode 507 - Leonardo Soto

Pete's Percussion Podcast














Principal Timpanist for the Houston Symphony (TX) Leonardo Soto stops by to talk about his main gig, teaching at the University of Miami (FL), working at summer festivals, secrets of auditioning, and maintaining a busy schedule (03:35), his previous orchestral jobs at the Detroit Opera (MI) and Charlotte Symphony (NC) and his experiences on the audition circuit later in his career (33:45), growing up in Chile, his father the drummer and pop musician, the legacy of Chilean orchestral percussionists, studying percussion in Chile, and the challenges of equipment and music resources in the country (45:20), his master’s degree work at Carnegie-Mellon University (PA), studying with Tim Adams and (later) Tom Freer, early audition experiences, and learning English through Seinfeld and the Rush Hour movies (01:04:05), and finishes with the Random Ass Questions, including segments on student learning styles, his sporting activities and doing cardio, playing athletic timpani music, Rafa Nadal, Chilean soccer, cooking mishaps, great books, and seeing the artwork in The Vatican (01:27:20).
Finishing with a Rave on the 2026 documentary Cookie Queens (02:04:55).
Leonardo Soto links:
Leonardo Soto’s Houston Symphony page
Leonardo Soto’s University of Miami page
Leonardo Soto’s Remo page
Timpani Concerto - Andy Akiho (Leonardo Soto, soloist)
Previous Podcast Guests mentioned:
She-e Wu in 2025
Pablo Rieppi in 2024
Andrés Espinoza in 2018
Other Links:
Matthew Strauss
Brevard Music Center
Grand Teton Music Festival
National Youth Orchestra
Tom Freer
Tim Adams
Cloyd Duff
Steven Reineke
Svet Stoyanov
Joseph Petrasek
Edward Stephan
Mingyu Son
Luft Mallets
Richard Weiner
Shannon Wood
La Sonora de Tommy Rey
The All-American Drummer: 150 Rudimental Solos - Charley Wilcoxin
Etudes for Timpani - Richard Hochrainer
Rafa Nadal
The Inner Game of Music - Barry Green
City Lights trailer
Cinema Paradiso trailer
The Undefeated Mind - Alex Lickerman
The Alchemist - Paulo Coehlo
Meditations - Marcus Aurelius
Myriam Hernandez
The Vatican
Raves:
Cookie Queens trailer

Episode 506 - Reed Puleo

Pete's Percussion Podcast














Denver-based percussionist and educator Reed Puleo stops by to talk about establishing himself in the Denver area and his Fulbright Award to study and work in Austria (02:20), growing up in New Jersey, family members in the arts, his early start in percussion ensemble and percussion performance, and his marching band experiences (34:25), attending Boston Conservatory (MA) for undergrad (47:35), living and studying in Amsterdam after undergrad, the challenges of being there at the time, and heading to the University of Michigan to complete his masters during and after the COVID epidemic (01:02:00), and settles in for the Random Ass Questions, including segments on developing young percussionists, maintaining his physical and mental health, cooking, great movies, New Jersey foods, and Curb Your Enthusiasm (01:17:35).
Finishing with a Rave on the 2023 documentary Karen Carpenter: Starving for Perfection (01:44:40).
Reed Puleo Links:
Reed Puleo’s webpage
Previous Podcast Guests mentioned:
Michael Jones in 2026
Ian Antonio in 2023
Keith Aleo in 2020
Other Links:
Klangforum Wien
Alex Lipowski
Ensemble Modern
Christian Dierstein
Lucerne Festival Academy
Impulse New Music Festival
Kenneth Piascik
“Three Brothers” - Michael Colgrass
“Ostinato Pianissimo” - Henry Cowell
“Variations on a Ghanaian Theme - Dan Levitan
Neil McNulty
Kyle Brightwell
Nancy Zeltsman
Doug Perkins
Chosen Vale
“Hop(2)” - Paul Lansky
From My Little Island - Robert Aldridge
American Songbook II - George Crumb
Chris Sies
Colin Currie
(Untitled) trailer
Michael Compitello
Nathan Davis
A Different Man trailer
Unfrosted trailer
The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
Jannik Sinner
“Mr. Brightside” - The Killers
Rose Garden
Raves:
Karen Carpenter: Starving for Perfection trailer

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