Pete's Percussion Podcast - Pete Zambito

Episode 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:
Candice Hill’s website
“Red City Calypso” - Candice Hill
Previous Podcast Guests mentioned:
Emily Lemmermann in 2019
Julia Gaines-Montag in 2016
Scott Cameron in 2016
Liam Teague in 2025
Rich Holly in 2020
Raychel Taylor in 2020
Amanda Duncan in 2023
Elizabeth DeLamater in 2019
Other Links:
Matt Arnet
“Tornado” - Mitch Markovich
John Patterson
Blast!
Al O’Connor
Cliff Alexis
“Because” - The Beatles
“Island in the Sun” - Len “Boogsie” Sharpe
Yuko Asada
Mia Gormandy-Benjamin
Robert Chappell
Scott McConnell
Dirty Dancing trailer
Unheard Voices - Myrna Nurse
Cricut crafts
“Pan by Storm” - Skiffle Bunch
Ben Yancey
Raves:
Michael trailer

Episode 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:
Sandbox Percussion
Terry at Sandbox
Previous Podcast Guests Mentioned:
Victor Caccese in 2019
Ian Rosenbaum in 2025
Jonny Allen in 2026
Gwen Dease in 2017
Garrett Arney in 2019
Amy Smith in 2018
Julie Hill in 2019
Julie Davila in 2019
David Skidmore in 2025
Sean Connors in 2025
Peter Martin in 2025
Robert Dillon in 2025
Other Links:
Robert Van Sice
“Extremes” - Jason Treuting
“Mallet Quartet” - Steve Reich
“Drumming” - Steve Reich
So Percussion
Eighth Blackbird
Pat Metheny Group
Antonio Sanchez
Interlochen
“Porgy and Bess” xylophone excerpt
Modern School for Xylophone, Marimba, and Vibraphone - Morris Goldenberg
Yale Percussion Group
“Mirage” - Yasuo Sueyoshi
Paul Berry
“Time for Marimba” - Minoru Miki
Aftersun trailer
A Rainy Day in New York trailer
My Struggle - Karl One Knausgard
Canto Ostinato - Simeon ten Holt
Raves:
Sound Society

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:
Part 1 with Genevieve Hilburn
Genevieve Hilburn’s Bakersfield College page
Previous Podcast Guests Mentioned:
Britton-René Collins in 2023
Brian Zator in 2017
Lauren Teel in 2017
The Vesna Duo in 2022
Louis Raymond-Kolker in 2024
Mark Ford in 2023
Julie Davila in 2019
Kathryn Irwin in 2024
Alexis C. Lamb in 2021
Gwen Dease in 2017
Casey Cangelosi in 2017
Kevin Bobo in 2017
Victoria Sparks in 2018
Other Links:
Sean Clark
Cavaliers 1995 DCI Show - “The Planets”
Chad Floyd
Pius Cheung
Jeff Ausdemore
Sandi Rennick
Greg Power
Matthew Howard
Kenneth McGrath
Nancy Zeltsman
Ji Hye Jung
Gunne Sax clothes
Moonrise Kingdom trailer
The Grand Budapest Hotel trailer
The Royal Tenenbaums trailer
Fantastic Mr. Fox trailer
Star Wars, Episode 1: The Phantom Menace trailer
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
Braiding Sweetgrass - Robin Wall Kimmerer
Dashner Design and Restoration
The Crocodile Hunter
H-E-B Tres Leches Cake
TIERRAS South Texas Percussion Competition
2019 Blue Coats Warmup
Raves:
Audio-Vision: Sound on Screen - Michel Chion
Reel Music: Exploring 100 Years of Film Music - Roger Hickman

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:
Britton-René Collins in 2023
Brian Zator in 2017
Lauren Teel in 2017
The Vesna Duo in 2022
Louis Raymond-Kolker in 2024
Other Links:
James Logan Band and Color Guard
Sandi Rennick
Jeff Ausdemore
David Walker
John Luther Adams
Kai Strobel
John Magnussen
Aaron Smith
Raves:
The Missouri Symphony Orchestra

Episode 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 Facebook page
Jenna Duranko’s Instagram page
Mosaic - Jenna Duranko
Previous Podcast Guests Mentioned:
Meridythe Witt in 2026
Jeff Calissi in 2017
Megan Arns in 2017
Emily Lemmermann in 2019
Brian Zator in 2017
Connor Viets in 2024
Other Links:
Robert Sanderl
Lancaster Theological Seminary
Preaching and Music - Catherine Williams
“Michi” - Keiko Abe
“Wind in the Bamboo Grove” - Keiko Abe
Taubmann Museum of Art
National Ovarian Cancer Coalition
Rizpah
B*Witched
Tervis Tumblers
The Legend of Bagger Vance trailer
Gone with the Wind trailer
The Giver - Lois Lowry
Ben Roethlisberger highlights
Aaron Rodgers highlights
Mike Tomlin
Macado’s
Highlander Pizza
Raves:
2026 Missouri Day of Percussion