Percussionist, Bandleader, Vocalist, Historian, Clinician and Educator Kelli Rae Tubbs stops by to talk about being the “world’s oldest intern” for the Everwood Arts Foundation, playing gigs, researching drumset players who are women, and getting into the instrument rental business (03:35), her current work as a performer, speaker, and “Riverlorian” on riverboats in the Midwest (26:40), her enjoyment of studying history and being a bandleader (45:00), and growing up in Chicago in Minnesota, finding “her people”, and navigating some challenging times earlier in her life (55:00).

Finishing with a Rave on rewatching the 1998 film Elizabeth (01:16:00).

Kelli Rae Tubbs links:

Kelli Rae Tubbs’s website

Kelli Rae Tubbs’s research on women who play drumset

Kelli Rae Tubbs’s YouTube channel

Kelli Rae Tubbs’s Facebook page

MSP Percussion Rental and Repair

Kelli Rae Tubbs’s ReverbNation Arrangements page

Other Links:

Daniel Glass

Everwood Farmstead Foundation

Christmas in the Dells

Clara Schumann

W.C. Handy

Fate Marable

The Funk Brothers play “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg”

“Rhinestone Cowboy” - Glen Campbell

“Ring of Fire” - Johnny Cash

“Georgy Girl” - The Seekers

“Moonchild?In Your Quiet Place” - Gary Burton

Steve Swallow

Raves:

Elizabeth trailer

University of Arkansas – Little Rock Percussion (UALR) Professor and Director of Instrumental Music Justin Bunting returns to talk about going to Belmont University (TN) for his master’s degree and meeting his future wife there (02:25), going to UNCG for his doctorate and studying with 3 different professors there, along with his time teaching at Western Colorado University (18:30), and finishing with the Random Ass Questions portion, including segments on percussion performance and physicality, percussion and parenting, how to do a Justin Bunting impression through clothing, pro wrestling, percussion books, and being inspired by drip painting and modern art (35:15).

Finishing with a Rave on Jennette McCurdy’s book and her appearance on Marc Maron’s podcast (01:06:15).

Justin Bunting Links:

Part 1 with Justin Bunting

Justin Bunting’s website

Blue Line Duo

Justin Bunting’s UALR page

Studies in Rosewood

Previous Podcast Guests mentioned:

Neeraj Mehta in 2018

Eric Willie in 2022

Mark Ford in 2023

Nathan Daughtrey in 2016

Other Links:

Susan Powell

Christopher Norton

Joe Krygier

Portraits in Rhythm - Anthony Cirone

“Rotation IV” - Eric Sammut

Marimba Concerto - Emmanuel Séjourné

Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra

Chester Thompson

Todd London

Kris Keeton

Nomi Marcus

Michael Spiro

Greg Haynes

Forrest Gump trailer

Back to the Future trailer

Sharknado trailer

Kitchen Confidential - Anthony Bourdain

Touched by Sound - John Wyre

NEXUS

Manny Ramirez

Cleveland Cavaliers 2016 highlights

Roman Reigns

Biography: WWE Legends

Kraus’ Pizza

“Nagoya Marimbas” - Steve Reich

Drip Painting

Raves:

I’m Glad My Mom Died - Jennette McCurdy

Jennette McCurdy on the WTF Podcast

University of Arkansas-Little Rock (UALR) Director of Instrumental Music and Percussion Studies Justin Bunting stops by to talk about the program at UALR, getting the job, and the city of Little Rock (03:40), the Blue Line Duo and performing with his wife, Cassie (25:30), the “Percussion Pitmasters” Facebook page (33:15), growing up in Canton, OH, the nature of accents, and his years performing in handbell choir (40:00), and his undergrad years at the Ohio State University (54:25).

Finishing with a Rave on a recent professional performance (01:08:50).

Justing Bunting Links:

Justin Bunting’s website

Blue Line Duo

Justin Bunting’s UALR page

Previous podcast guest mentioned:

Lamon Lawhorn in 2020

Other Links:

Lorissa Mason

Christopher Norton

Susan Powell

Joseph Krygier

“Carpe Diem” - Susan Powell

“Catching Shadows” - Ivan Trevino

Char-Griller BBQ

Power of the Pen

Roger Braun

Roger Hall

Ohio State Drums Downtown

Raves:

The Missouri Symphony

Landlocked Opera

University of Oklahoma Lecturer in World Music and Principal Timpanist with the Missouri Symphony Orchestra (MOSY) Chrissie Souza stops by to talk about her job at OU (03:15), playing with MOSY and working with other local orchestras (12:30), growing up in Southeast Missouri and her musical upbringing (24:50), attending the U.S. Percussion Camp and discussing her undergrad years at the University of Missouri (31:45), attending OU for her master’s and doctorate degrees, working for OU Press, her dissertation on Marimba Concertos, and eventually working as faculty there (47:40), and finishing with the Random Ass Questions, including her experiences being a woman in the percussion and world music fields, great books, and eating incredible food in Brazil (01:10:55).

Finishing with a Rave on the 2023 documentary series Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World(01:39:10).

Chrissie Souza links:

Chrissie Souza’s Oklahoma University page

Missouri Symphony Website

Previous Podcast Guests mentioned:

Julia Gaines in 2016

Megan Arns in 2017

Lance Drege in 2017

Aaron Ragsdale in 2017

Iain Moyer in 2019

Nathan Daughtrey in 2021

Jeff Calissi in 2017

Julia Spencer in 2021

Lance Drege in 2017

Cort McClaren in 2022

Other Links:

Ricardo Souza

Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate

Wilbur Lin

Symphony No. 9, Second Movement - L.V. Beethoven

Johnny Lee Lane

Tim Adams

Nena Lorenz

McNair Scholars Program

Concertino - Paul Creston

Michael Budds

Ed Dolbashian

John Cheetham

Eva Szekely

Amy Knopps

“Stained Glass” - David Gillingham

“Toccata” - Carlos Chavez

“Living Room Music” - John Cage

“Ionisation” - Edgard Varese

Richard Gipson

NCPP

Jeremy Brunk

Brian Tinkel

Stefan Ice

Marimba Concerto - Jorge Sargimentos

Concertino for Xylophone and Orchestra - Toshiro Mayuzumi

Concerto for Marimba and Band - David Long

Interstellar trailer

Inception trailer

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Tana French

“Nagoya Marimbas” - Steve Reich

Raves:

Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World

Recent Mizzou Master’s Of Music in Percussion Performance graduate Olivia Sletteland stops by to talk about some of the music she played at the University (03:25), her experiences with the Mizzou New Music Ensemble (NME) (10:45), the issues and concerns she and her cohort have about the world of percussion, and the wonderful group of people she studied with (25:10), growing up in western Wisconsin, getting into percussion, her piano and cello background, and playing sports (37:40), attending the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire for undergrad, doing indoor drumline, and traveling with the marching band (49:25), her experiences during the Pandemic (01:01:10), how Mizzou came on her radar after undergrad (01:10:15), and ends with the Random Ass Questions, including segments on sound quality from percussion performers, being an LGBTQIA+ woman in percussion, great breakfast food, The Minnesota Vikings, “Good Mythical Morning”, great books, wild performance moments, and the composer Alex Ring Gray (01:17:40).

Finishing with a Rave on a live performance by the U.K. band The Last Dinner Party (01:54:15).

Olivia Sletteland links:

Olivia Sletteland’s website

Mizzou New Music Ensemble

Previous Podcast Guests Mentioned:

Sarah Hasekamp in 2024

Mary Emmons in 2024

Miles Bohlman in 2024

Jeremiah Ingram in 2023

Megan Arns in 2017

Julia Gaines in 2016

Tammy Fisher in 2019

Matthew Lau in 2021

Emily Salgado in 2021

Andrea Venet in 2018

Maria Finkelmeier in 2018

Colleen Clark in 2023

Other Links:

“Searching” - Matthew Keown

Alex Stopa

“Loops” - Von Hansen

“Patter” - Robert Honstein

“Comfort Patterns” - Anna Meadors

“Boris Kerner” - Caroline Shaw

“Song of Alma” - Andrew Beall

“Ma Non Troppo” - Giovanni Porfirio

“The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows: Ambedo” - Anna Socolofsky

“TLC” - Juri Seo

Terri Lyne Carrington

José G. Martinez

Patricia Martinez

Alarm Will Sound

Andrea Luque Káram

Stefan Freund

Khemia Ensemble

Jacob Schnitzer

Jeff Crowell

Sean Connors

Adrian Peterson’s 296-yard game

Vikings-Saints 2009 NFC Championship Game

Interstellar trailer

Interstellar Soundtrack - Hans Zimmer

Borat trailer

Good Omens - Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

David Tennant

Under the Whispering Door - T.J. Klune

Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman

American Gods - Neil Gaiman

Good Mythical Morning

Sleeping Giant Provincial Park

Banff

Wall Drug (South Dakota)

Badlands National Park

Alex Ring Gray

Raves:

The Last Dinner Party website

The Last Dinner Party on “What’s In My Bag?”

Prelude to Ecstasy - The Last Dinner Party

Recent Mizzou Master’s in Percussion Performance Graduate and Adjunct Professor of Music at St. Cloud State University (MN) Mary Emmons returns to talk about her undergraduate years at the University of Tennessee-Martin (01:15), the challenges of the pandemic and performing her recital there (11:45), getting to Mizzou for grad school and a discussion of her excellent professors over the years (23:10), and finishing with the Random Ass Questions, including discussions of being an LGBTQIA+ woman in the field of percussion, her twin sister, great books and films, working at a grocery store growing up, and seeing great visual art (38:40).

Finishing with a Rave on Alanis Morissette on and her Triple Moon Tour (01:08:10).

Mary Emmons Links:

Mary Emmons’s homepage

Part 1 with Mary Emmons

Previous Podcast Guests Mentioned:

Julie Hill in 2019

Shane Jones in 2019

Chelsea Tinsler Jones in 2019

Dan Piccolo in 2020

Megan Arns in 2017

Julia Gaines in 2016

Andy Smith in 2021

Other Links:

Brady Spitz

Jody Diamond

Lou Harrison

Henry Cowell

Ben Toth

“Time for Marimba” - Minoru Miki

“Monkey Chant” - Glenn Kotche

About Time trailer

Moe’s Original BBQ

ThanksKilling trailer

My Lovely Wife - Samantha Downing

One Last Stop - Casey McQuiston

“Drumming” - Steve Reich

Nief-Norf

Raves:

Alanis Morissette tour

Recent graduate of the University of Missouri Master’s Degree in Percussion Performance Mary Emmons stops by to talk about some of the literature she got to play during her time at Mizzou (03:05), her graduate assistantship responsibilities as percussion teaching assistant (18:35), her individual cohort members that she did her degree with (31:10), and growing up in Selmer, TN, slugburgers at Pat’s Café, and percussion being (somewhat) the family business (54:15).

Finishing with a Rave on Naomi Klein’s 2023 book Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World (01:16:00).

Mary Emmons links:

Mary Emmons’ website

Other Podcast Guests Mentioned:

Sarah Hasekamp in 2024

Miles Bohlman in 2024

Megan Arns in 2017

Julia Gaines in 2016

Evan Chapman in 2019

Caleb Pickering in 2022

Jeremiah Ingram in 2023

Dan Piccolo in 2020

Other Links:

“See Ya Thursday” - Steve Mackey

“Monkey Chant” - Glenn Kotche

“Glymur” - Evan Chapman

“Non-Prophets” - Caleb Pickering

“Particle Wave” - Kirsten Volness

Utku Asuroglu

“Two Movements for Marimba” - Toshimitsu Tanaka

“Time for Marimba” - Minoru Miki

“Planet Damnation” - John Psathas

“The Spirit & The Dust” - Dinuk Wijeratne

Nief-Norf

Brady Spitz

Mitchell Peters

Pat’s Cafe - Selmer, TN

Raves:

Doppelganger - Naomi Klein

University of Kentucky Professor Erin Walker Bliss returns to talk about her master’s degree years at DePaul University (IL) (01:40), getting her doctorate at the University of Kentucky, studying with Jim Campbell, the challenges of raising kids with a spouse in the same field, and getting better at hosting folks (10:40), and finishes with the Random Ass Questions, including segments on “Chopping Out”, her experiences as a woman in the fields of percussion and ethnomusicology, great movies and books, the Olympics, Harry Potter, Anne of Green Gables, Lego, and much more (21:00).

Finishing with a Rave on the 1994 film S.F.W. (56:45).

Erin Walker Bliss Links:

Part 1 with Erin Walker Bliss

Erin Walker Bliss’s Central Music Academy page

Erin Walker Bliss’s University of Kentucky page

Other Podcast Guests mentioned:

Andy Bliss from 2023

Rich Holly from 2020

Mark Ford from 2023

Julie Hill from 2019

Abby Fisher from 2021

Other Links:

James Campbell

Kassandra Kocoshis

Nief-Norf

James Ross

Ted Atkatz

Eric Millstein

Michael Green

Robert Chappell

Christopher Deane

Simone Biles

Suni Lee

The Parent Trap trailer

Happy Gilmore trailer

Into Thin Air - Jon Krakauer

The Harry Potter Series - JK Rowling

The Anne of Green Gables Series - LM Montgomery

The Guns of Navarone - Alistair Maclean

The Space Shuttle Challenger

The Space Shuttle Columbia

Free Solo trailer

“Fly Away” - Lenny Kravitz

Cumberland Falls State Park

National Guild for Community Arts Education

The Kennedy Center

Grandma Moses

Smithsonian American Art Museum

Raves:

S.F.W. trailer

University of Kentucky Senior Lecturer of Global Music and Central Music Academy Director Erin Walker Bliss stops by to talk about her job at UK, the world of ethnomusicology, living in another state, and her research on Scottish Pipe Band Music (04:00), the Central Music Academy, its mission, and working in the non-profit world (38:00), growing up (mostly) in DeKalb, IL, her father the vulcanologist and music connoisseur, starting percussion relatively late, working in tech theater and her time as an Academic Bowl star (51:30), and her undergrad years at Northern Illinois University (01:05:10).

Finishing with a Rave on the 2023 documentary series Disco: Soundtrack of a Revolution (01:16:45).

Erin Walker Bliss Links:

Erin Walker Bliss’s Central Music Academy page

Erin Walker Bliss’s University of Kentucky page

Previous Podcast Guests Mentioned:

Andy Bliss from 2023

Brad Meyer from 2021

Matthew Geiger from 2019

Rich Holly from 2020

Raychel Taylor from 2020

James Yakas from 2023

Alexis C. Lamb from 2021

Kristie Ibrahim from 2024

Other links:

James Campbell

Liam Teague

Robert Chappell

Clifford Alexis

Kay Kaufman Shelemay

Jordan Munson

Kassandra Kocoshis

Christian Swafford

Nief-Norf

Birch Creek Music Academy

Al O’Connor

Ted Atkatz

Eric Millstein

Empty Bottle

Michael Gould

Orlando Cotto

Gregory Beyer

Ben Wahlund

James Ross

Brent Roman

Raves:

Disco: Soundtrack of a Revolution trailer

Alcorn State University (MS) Chair for the Department of Fine Arts Sean Daniels returns to the show to talk about his work as a middle school and high school teacher after his master’s degree, working at Hampton University (VA) and getting recruited to work at Benedict College (SC) and getting connected to UNCG for his doctorate (04:15), his time working on his doctorate, his hectic schedule, the two of us playing together, and working with Cort McClaren (45:00), and closing with a portion of the Random Ass Questions segment, including discussions of developing well-rounded percussionists, his extensive history and mission working at HBCUs and the good and bad of his time within the Percussive Arts Society, and the many works of art that have inspired him (01:05:45).

Finishing with a Rave on the David Halberstam’s 1981 masterpiece The Breaks of the Game (01:50:30).

Sean Daniels Links:

Part 1 with Sean Daniels

Sean Daniels’ website

Sean Daniels at Alcorn State

Colour of Music Festival

Previous Podcast Guests mentioned:

Cort McClaren in 2022

Kenyon Williams in 2017

Jovon Milford in 2021

Thomas Spann, Jr. in 2021

Derrick Greene in 2021

Eric Willie in 2022

Mark Ford in 2023

Elizabeth DeLamater in 2019

Other Links:

William Revelli

Elizabeth Green

Joe Shively

Steve Haines

John Locke

“Gnomes and Other Twilight Creatures” - Dan Moore

“Bag’s Groove” - Milt Jackson

“All Night Long” - Lionel Richie

Bolero - Maurice Ravel

Paul Yancich

Dennis DeLucia

Pedro Orey

Neal Flum

James Latimer

Johnny Lee Lane

Camille Winbush

“That Will Be Good Enough For Me” - Rance Allen

Tribute to Wayne Shorter at Kennedy Center Honors

Links:

The Breaks of the Game - David Halberstam

Bill Simmons on The Breaks of the Game