Pete's Percussion Podcast - Pete Zambito

Episode 512- Michelle Colton

Pete's Percussion Podcast














Toronto-based Percussion Educator, Composer, and Freelancer Michelle Colton stops by to talk about her sessional teaching work at the University of Toronto, teaching in the local school district, and the freelancing scene there (03:25), her time as the Ontario Chapter President of PAS (19:15), growing up in Marion (IA), her musical family, soul and funk music, marching band, and marathon running (25:50), attending the University of Iowa for undergrad, her wide variety of experiences there, and eventually meeting her husband Alejandro Cespedes (41:50), going to the University of Toronto for her grad degrees, studying with lots of great professors, and her dissertation on percussion gestures (50:25), and finishes with the Random Ass Questions, including segments on developing well-rounded percussionists, being a woman in the percussion world, keeping up her mental and physical health, great food, audiobooks, and her compositional inspirations (01:09:20).
Finishing with a Rave on a recent University of Missouri Faculty Music Recital (01:38:00).
Michelle Colton Links:
Michelle Colton’s website
Michelle Colton’s YouTube page
Michelle Colton’s University of Toronto page
Previous Podcast guests mentioned:
Victoria Sparks in 2018
She-e Wu in 2025
Michael Schutz in 2025
Todd Meehan in 2017
Other Links:
Alejandro Céspedes
Community Music Schools of Toronto
NewJeans
“Havana” - Camila Cabello
“Tom Sawyer” - Rush
Canadian Percussion Network
Tom Mackey
Pure Funk
“Natural Woman” - Aretha Franklin
“Stay” - Lisa Loeb
“If I Ain’t Got You” - Alicia Keys
“If” - Janet Jackson
Keiko Abe
Iowa Flood of 2008
John Rudolph
Dan Moore
Dane Richeson
Anthony Di Sanza
Orlando Cotto
NEXUS
Beverley Johnston
Christopher Lamb
Margaret Atwood
Russell Hartenberger
Steve Reich
Christos Hatzis
Mississauga Children’s Choir
Liquidrum’s Marimba Moves
Tomaso’s Pizza
Me - Elton John
The Woman in Me - Britney Spears
Becoming - Michelle Obama
Spare - Prince Harry
Born a Crime - Trevor Noah
“Uninvited” - Alanis Morisette and Brandi Carlile
“Adia” - Sarah McLaughlin
Unsuk Chin
Raves:
Mizzou School of Music Faculty

Episode 511 - Domenico Zarro

Pete's Percussion Podcast














New Jersey-based percussionist, educator and researcher Domenico Zarro stops by to talk about our Italian names, living and teaching in New Jersey, his college teaching doctorate and his research interests (06:45), the Percussion Student Blog and Pete’s experience with it (28:30), growing up in Bergen County (NJ), his early percussion experiences and his connections to many great percussion educators, marching in VFW parades, improvisation in performance, and his thoughts on the current state of percussion education (40:15), his wide-ranging teaching career and further considerations for future percussion teachers (01:19:40), and settles in for the Random Ass Questions, including segments on clothing, Turner Classic Movies and classic film stars and directors, Ron Chernow books, New York sports, and the art of Americana (01:31:00).
Finishing with a Rave on the 2026 film Obsession (02:01:10).
Domenico Zarro links:
Zarro Percussion
Foundations Series for Band
Perspectives of Percussion Pedagogues
Domenico’s article on Ney Rosauro’s Marimba Concerto No. 1
Music for Percussion - Domenico Zarro
Previous Podcast Guests mentioned:
Neil Grover in 2023
Other Links:
John H. Beck
Murray Houllif
James L. Moore
John S. Pratt
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
Ed Uribe
Modern Method for Timpani - Saul Goodman
Modern School for Xylophone, Marimba, and Vibraphone - Morris Goldenberg
Portraits in Rhythm - Tony Cirone
Twelve Studies for Snare Drum - Frederic Delecluse
Buster Bailey
Ray DesRoches
National Conference on Percussion Pedagogy
Gordon Gottlieb
Leonard Bernstein
Georg Solti
Bill Cahn
Percussion Instruments and Their History - James Blades
Geary Larrick
Man of La Mancha
Alan Abel
Stanley Leonard
Danny Gottlieb
Jonathan Haas
Tom Stubbs
Douglas Howard
Benjamin Herman
Arnie Lang
The Thin Man trailer
The Searchers trailer
You Can’t Take It With You trailer
The Maltese Falcon trailer
Pat and Mike trailer
Key Largo trailer
The Quiet Man trailer
John Ford
Frank Capra
Alexander Hamilton - Ron Chernow
Washington - Ron Chernow
The Making of the American Mind - Matthew Spalding
Don Mattingly
1986 Mets Highlights
“Sleigh Ride” - Leroy Anderson
“Fanfare for the Common Man” - Aaron Copland
Norman Rockwell
Raves:
Obsession trailer

Episode 510 - Payton MacDonald

Pete's Percussion Podcast














William Paterson University (NJ) Percussion Director and Music Department Chairperson Payton MacDonald stops by to talk about his college job, the challenges of getting jobs in higher education, and the facilities at the school (03:15), how he handles and maintains his physical and mental health with involvement in so many creative activities, his years as a founding member of Alarm Will Sound, and his move towards improvisation as the basis of his creative performances now (26:40), growing up in Idaho Falls (ID), his early percussion and band experiences, his exposure to a wide swath of genres from a young age, and his experiences mountain biking (45:40), attending the University of Michigan for undergrad and studying with Michael Udow (01:00:00), attending Eastman (NY) for his grad degrees, developing a freelancing career and setting himself up for success on the college teaching level, and his years teaching at the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh (01:08:25), and finishes with the Random Ass Questions, with segments on music in competition, personal health, practical clothes, motorcycles, making fried rice, great books and poetry, administrative duties, and new music concerts (01:24:35).
Finishing with a Rave on the 2025 documentary Sly Lives! (01:53:50).
Payton MacDonald Links:
Payton MacDonald’s homepage
Payton MacDonald’s William Paterson University page
Void Patrol’s Bandcamp page
Sonic Divide
Sonic Parks
Previous Podcast Guests mentioned:
Mika Godbole in 2026
Colleen Bernstein in 2022
Michael Udow in 2025
Steven Schick in 2025
Julie Spencer in 2021
John W. Parks IV in 2018
Other Links:
Ray DesRoches
“Persephassa” - Iannis Xenakis
John Ferrari
M’Bemba Bangoura
Hector Morales
Steve Nelson
Johnathan Blake
Alarm Will Sound
Stefan Freund
New Jersey Percussion Ensemble
John H. Beck
Blackearth Percussion Group
Steve Reich
Charles Wuorinen
Max Roach
Philly Joe Jones
Elvin Jones
John Medeski
Glenn Gould
Gordon Stout
Vida Chenoweth
Leigh Howard Stevens
Clair Omar Musser
Live at Birdland - John Coltrane
Unit Structures - John Coltrane
Ali Akbar Khan
Bob Becker
Silence - John Cage
Rudimental Solos for Accomplished Drummers - John Pratt
Portraits in Rhythm - Tony Cirone
12 Studies for Snare Drum - Jacques Delecluse
H. Robert Reynolds
Mark Stone
Colin Stetson
Stephen Rush
Reggie Workman
Roscoe Mitchell
John Alfieri
Bobby Hutcherson
Milt Jackson
Jason Treuting
Lawson White
Steve Owen
Fred Bugbee
Ted Poor
Doug Perkins
Anthony Di Sanza
Blake Tyson
CHiPs Freeze frame ending
Apocalypse Now trailer
Heart of Darkness trailer
Oppenheimer trailer
Denis Villeneuve
Steven Soderbergh
The Dispossessed - Ursula K. Le Guin
Disgrace - J.M. Coetzee
Canada - Richard Ford
The Human Stain - Philip Roth
George Oppen
Dylan Thomas
Charles Bukowski
Fluxus
MASS MoCA
“Just Ancient Loops” - Michael Harrison & Bill Morrison - Maya Beiser, cello
Raves:
Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) - Sly Stone with Ben Goodman
WTF: Episode 1666 - Questlove
SLY LIVES! aka The Burden of Black Genius trailer

Episode 509 - Rick Mattingly

Pete's Percussion Podcast














Louisville-based percussionist, teacher, and writer, and editor of the Percussive Arts Society’s Percussive Notes magazine Rick Mattingly stops by to talk about his local performances in Louisville, the beginnings of his editing and writing career, and his interview style (04:55), his early editing career with Modern Drummer and his interviews and contact with drummers early in their careers (22:30), working as PAS’s Percussive Notes editor (38:35), growing up in Louisville, getting into rock and classical music early on, and getting to perform frequently (47:10), his years studying at the University of Louisville, playing professionally in orchestra, and playing in a hotel-based dance band (56:15), moving to New York City, interviewing members of the Rolling Stones, and his life in the city (01:07:40), moving back to Louisville, teaching and writing, and his work with method books and bringing Gary Chester’s The New Breed to the masses (01:21:00), and finishes with the Random Ass Questions, including segments on private instruction, maintaining physical and mental health, great books, The British Invasion, Louisville cuisine, and the Vesna Duo (01:44:00).
Finishing with a Rave honoring the life and work of Dolly Parton (02:06:30).
Rick Mattingly Links:
Rick Mattingly’s GIA Publications page
Your Music Career is NOT Over - Rick Mattingly
Previous Podcast Guests mentioned:
Julie Spencer in 2021
Norman Weinberg in 2017
Ksenija Komljenovic in 2020
The Vesna Duo in 2022
Other Links:
Roy Burns
Ron Spagnardi
Buddy Rich
Ed Shaughnessy
Jimmy Cobb
Jim Chapin
Don Moye
Peter Criss
Philly Joe Jones
Saul Goodman
Sue Evans
Garwood Whaley
Kenny Aronoff
Dave Weckl
Steve Gadd
Steve Jordan
Denny Carmassi
Val Wilmer
Arthur Press
The Beatles on Ed Sullivan
Max Roach
The Rolling Stones “Steel Wheels” tour
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Edward B. Straight
N.A.R.D.
Anthony J. Cirone
Modern School for Xylophone, Marimba, and Vibraphone - Morris Goldenberg
Clair Omar Musser
“Sonata for Xylophone” - Thomas Pitfield
“Children’s Songs” - Chick Corea and Gary Burton
Chet Atkins
Marvin Hamlisch
Doc Severinsen
“Gonna Fly Now” - Bill Conti
Charlie Watts
Tony Williams
Danny Gottlieb
Joe Morello
Gary Chester
Hal Blaine
Bill Bruford
Carl Palmer
Louisville Leopard Percussionists
Peter Erskine
Nancy Zeltsman
Charles Dickens
Jack Kerouac
Allen Ginsberg
Sherlock Holmes
Agatha Christie
Basil Rathbone
Sherlock trailer
Ed Soph
“Heart Full of Soul” - The Yardbirds
“You Really Got Me” - The Kinks
“Honey” - Bobby Goldsboro
Ramsi’s Cafe
Check’s Cafe
Raves:
Dolly Parton’s New York Times obituary

Episode 508 - Jim McCarthy

Pete's Percussion Podcast














Saskatchewan-based instrument designer, builder, tuner, and band arranger Jim McCarthy stops by to talk about all of his current work, along with the mallet bar retuning process (03:45), his Canadian Percussion Network conference presentations on his contrabass marimba and vibraphone motor manipulation (18:20), growing up in Adelaide (AUS), his interest in many musical genres and beginning on drumset, and the sports, music education, and weather scene in southern Australia (50:05), his time in undergrad at the University of Adelaide (01:10:00), his post-undergrad years freelancing, performing, arranging, and teaching, along with commentary about his volleyball career (01:23:30), and finishes with the Random Ass Questions, including segments on marimba design, Australian accents, personal health, movie comedies, great books, and traveling around the world (01:39:40).
Finishing with a Rave on the classic novel Vanity Fair (02:15:00).
Jim McCarthy links:
Make a Marimba homepage
Jim’s “Vibes Motor Unlimited” page
Jim McCarthy’s bio at the Make a Marimba webpage
Stick Technique - Jim McCarthy
Jim McCarthy’s Percussion Clinic page
Previous Podcast guests mentioned:
Michael Schutz in 2025
John Wooton in 2022
Other Links:
James Bailey PAS Hall of Fame page
Helmholtz Resonators
Arturo Sandoval
Gary Burton
Australian Contemporary Percussion - Louise Devenish
Tower Heist trailer
The African Queen trailer
Dodgeball trailer
Monty Python and the Holy Grail trailer
Talladega Nights trailer
The Man Who Captured Eichmann trailer
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series - Douglas Adams
Last Chance to See - Douglas Adams
The Many-Colored Land - Julian May
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - Robert Pirsig
Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach
Raves:
Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray