Backstage at The Enharmonic

February 19, 2024 Drummer, teacher and entrepreneur Trey O'Toole is the next guest on Backstage at the Enharmonic!

Trey is a professional percussionist and instructor with over 30 years of experience and is co-owner of Pulse Drumming MusicWorks in Ventura, CA. 

He holds Bachelor of Music with emphasis on orchestral percussion and has a strong understanding of western harmonic theory, ethnic studies, world music, and jazz. He is passionate about teaching and serving his community in California and beyond through his longtime association with the Percussive Arts Society, especially the Drumset Committee on which he served for six years.

Today Trey talks about Pulsedrumming.org and his incredible story of acquiring one of Neil Peart's drumkits!

For more about Trey please visit him online: pulsedrumming.org

For more info about the Percussive Arts Society please visit: www.pas.org

April 7, 2023 Busy Nashville drummer, Jim Riley is the next guest on Backstage at the Enharmonic!

Jim is the drummer and bandleader for multi-platinum group, Rascal Flatts as well as being an Adjunct Professor of Drumset Studies at Belmont University Since moving to Nashville in 1997, Jim he has played over a thousand of sold out shows for millions of fans. His television credits include The Grammy Awards, The Tonight Show, The American Music Awards, The Voice, American Idol, Dancing with the stars, Oprah, and The Today Show. Jim’s recording credits include Rascal Flatts most recent album ‘Back to Us’ including the #1 hit single “Yours If You Want It”, ‘Me and My Gang (album)’, EA sports ‘MADDEN Football’, Brian McKnight’s album, ‘Ten’ as well as TV/movie soundtracks for “Heaven is Real”, ‘Hannah Montana: The Movie’ and The hit show, Nashville.

Jim’s has been constantly recognized by his peers as being one of the best in the business. 2011-2015, 2017 Jim was voted “Best Country Drummer” by the readers of Modern Drummer Magazine as well as winning “Best Drum Clinician” in 2009. The readers of DRUM! Agree voting Jim “Country drummer of the year” 2008-2010, 2012-2013.2016

In May of 2014 Jim was featured on the cover of Modern Drummer. 

For more about Jim please visit him online: https://jimrileymusic.com/ and on Instagram

October 28, 2022 This episode is about two years overdue!  It is a tribute to my late undergrad percussion professor, Joseph Goebel (11/8/39-10/26/20) who passed away on October 26, 2020.  He was truly, one-of-a-kind!  This episode features me and my memories of The Chief.  It begins with the first time that I met him, at my undergrad percussion audition.  Through a series of vignettes I attempt to paint the picture of studying with and observing Joe.  I talk about his studio, what was meaningful to him, his famous spaghetti dinners, the Tchaikovsky 4th Symphony 'timpani challenge', the national tours with the West Chester Univeristy Percussion Ensemble, his unique sense of humour and of course, the most valuable lesson that he ever taught me right after our last time performing together in Clearwater, Florida at the Adam's Mark Hotel.  Hail to the Chief!

May 29, 2022 I'm very happy to welcome my good friend, drummer, author, educator and historian, Daniel Glass back to the podcast!  Today we do a deep-dive into his brand new burnin' album, The Daniel Glass Trio: BAM!

For more about Daniel, the trio, the album, etc.. please visit him at https://danielglass.com/

March 25, 2022  This short edition of Backstage at The Enharmonic features a recorded phone conversation that I had with the legendary big band drummer, Harold Jones.  He was helping me prepare for a university-level master class.  We dicusss: learning brushes, warming-up, plastic brushes, preparing to play new material with a big band, and more!

[This phone conversation was placed on February 7, 2020, exactly one month before the world shut-down.  Just something to keep in mind as we are referencing his 'upcoming concerts' with Tony Bennett, etc...]

Wednesday, September 30, 2021, Mt. Airy, Philadelphia: I had the privilege to sit down and chat with drum legend, Mr. Jimmy Wormworth!  Jimmy is best known for playing drums with the groundbreaking vocal jazz ensemble, Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, plus his work with Al Haig, Lou Donaldson and for being house drummer at the Five Spot in 1959.

This edition of Backstage at The Enharmonic is very special, it’s the first interview that I’ve conducted live and in person, and would like to thank bassist Mike Merritt for suggesting that I interview Jimmy, and a big thank you to James Wormworth, Jimmy's son, for helping to coordinate this session.

The range of topics that we discuss are as varied as Jimmy’s career:

• Lambert Hendricks and Ross
• blatant inequities in network television in the late 50s and early 60s.
• early influences and what inspired him to become a musician.
• the calling card of every jazz drummer, their ride cymbal sound.
• his opinions and thoughts about new music.
• words of wisdom for young and aspiring drummers of all ages

Our interview begins in the late 50s with Jimmy's recollections of meeting Kenny Clark...

Friday, June 18, 2021 My next guest is certified super-star, Dame Evelyn Glennie!  I've been following and admiring her career for 20+ years now.  Through video conferencing technology I was able to chat with Evelyn based in London, from my home studio in Philadelphia. In today's segment, Dame Evelyn discusses her earliest music lessons in school, learning percussion with none of the traditional method books, the most important lessons that she learned from her two most influential teachers (Ron Forbes and James Blades), having the right musical mindset for doing extended solos and cadenzas, her favorite rock bands, her first snare drum and seven piece Premier drumset, how Scottish folk music continues to influence her music-making, her takeaways from the shut down, and so much more! 

Dame Evelyn Glennie is the world’s premier solo percussionist, performing worldwide with the greatest orchestras, conductors and artists. Her solo recordings exceed 40 CDs and are as diverse as her career on-stage. A multiple GRAMMY award winner and BAFTA nominee, Evelyn is also a composer for film, theatre and television. Evelyn was awarded an OBE in 1993 and has over 100 international awards to date, including the Polar Music Prize and the Companion of Honour. Evelyn is currently forming The Evelyn Glennie Collection with a vision to open a center that embodies her mission to Teach the World to Listen.

June 13, 2021

THE DRUM RUDIMENT EDITION

Ten of my favorite drummers tell us about their favorite Drum Rudiment!

The panel includes:

• TOMMY CAMPBELL
• CLAYTON CAMERON
• LIBERTY DEVITTO
• MATTHEW HOWARD
• DAVID LU
• SHERRIE MARICLE
• JON BERMUDA SCHWARTZ
• CHIHIRO SHIBAYAMA
• MICHAEL VOSBEIN
• JOHN "DR. THROWDOWN" WOOTON

Please consider checking out all of these great artists online to see/hear/learn more about their percussive artistry.

Thanks for listening!

May 21, 2021  At long last, Julian Bliss, internationally renowned clarinet phenom, and I get to chat!  It's been two years in the making, but through the beauty of video conferencing we were able to conduct the interview.  The interview starts well, at the beginning, discussing when and why Julian fell in love with the clarinet.  From there we hit a lot of topics, including, performing for the queen at just 12 years old, transitioning to a professional adult musician, his love of danger, on and off stage, the forming of his jazz septet, lots of talk about a mutual hero, Benny Goodman, some exciting news about a brand new EP which he recorded with percussionist Joby Burgess, being released in June, and even talk about skydiving with his clarinet, while dressed as a bumblebee, performing Flight of The Bumblebee!? 

Julian Bliss is one of the world’s finest clarinetists, excelling as a concerto soloist, chamber musician, jazz artist, masterclass leader and tireless musical explorer. He has inspired a generation of young players as creator of his Conn-Selmer range of affordable clarinets, and introduced a substantial new audience to his instrument.

March 5, 2021, I'm very happy that one of my longtime inspirations in the field of percussion agreed to chat, Mr. Anthony J. Cirone.  Anyone who has ever studied percussion has said the name, 'Cirone!', countless times, due to his groundbreaking snare drum solo book, Portraits in Rhythm.  The book is used at every high school, college, and percussion studio in the world as a barometer of a student's reading ability and musicality on the snare drum.  I've been using this book since the mid-1980s and still find new challenges in it today!

Anthony J. Cirone received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science from The JuilliardSchool. In 1965, he obtained positions with the San Francisco Symphony as a percussionist and at San José State University as Professor of Music. He also served as a lecturer at Stanford University from 1983 to 1992. In 2001, Mr. Cirone became Professor of Music and Chair of the Jacobs School of Music Percussion Department at Indiana University, a post he held for six years until his retirement in 2007. 

Mr. Cirone has over 120 published titles, including three symphonies for percussion, four sonatas, a string quartet, orchestral works, and textbooks. His book Portraits in Rhythm for Snare Drum is used worldwide for training percussionists and his publication The Great American Symphony Orchestra - A Behind-the-Scenes Look at its Artistry, Passion and Heartache has received high acclaim. Another of his books, The Evolving Legacy of Portraits in Rhythm celebrates the original book's 50th anniversary. 

In 1999, Mr. Cirone received a Special Distinction Award from ASCAP for his Pentadic Striations for Orchestra, and in 2011, he received a Paul Revere Award for Graphic Excellence in Book Design and Educational Folio. He is Executive Percussion Editor for Meredith Music Publications; a published author for Alfred Music; and a clinician for Zildjian, Yamaha Corporation of America, and Remo Inc. 

Mr. Cirone is a member of the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame.