Petrichor Marching Arts Podcast

Bryson talks to snare drummer, teacher, and visual specialist Omi Batan. This episode is the second in a two part series where they talk about approach to visual for the battery percussionist. How should we approach building a groups visual technique from scratch? What is the importance of conditioning? Point Drill?

Bryson talks to snare drummer, teacher, and visual specialist Omi Batan. This episode is the first in a two part series where they talk about approach to visual for the battery percussionist. How can a non-percussionist better understand how to write and teach movement written for drumline members? How does a group's structure play into the success of an ensemble? Should we structure visual exercises in the same way as the musical exercise packet?

Bryson talks to cymbal player, musician, and teacher Kat Godfrey. On this episode, they continue the saga of uncovering general ideas and philosophies behind the art of marching cymbals. Cymbal playing can often be a mystery to people in the marching activity, and their goal is to peel back a layer to show what cymbal culture involves. Kat shares her unique perspective on the subject in relation to her upbringing in the activity on the east coast. What is the culture like? What are the different styles of playing? What is the balance like between the musical and the visual side?

Bryson talks to cymbal player, teacher, and artist Rex Gutierrez. In this episode, they start to uncover general ideas and philosophies behind the art of marching cymbals. Cymbal playing can often be a mystery to people in the marching activity, and their goal is to peel back a layer to show what cymbal culture involves. Rex shares his unique perspective on the subject in relation to his upbringing in the activity on the west coast in southern California. What is the culture like? What are the different styles of playing? What is the balance like between the musical and the visual side?

Bryson talks to UConn Percussion Coordinator/Arranger, Tyler Campbell. In this episode, they talk about Tyler's background, the idiom of college marching band, teaching during COVID, and general technique/philosophy. How does college marching band differ from high school band and drum corps? How can we approach online learning, and how can it be beneficial? Is marching percussion starting to become more similar to drum set and concert percussion?

Bryson talks to snare drummer, battery arranger, educator, and caption head, Andy Kim. In this episode, they talk through Andy's background with King Philip, UMass, and Carolina Crown, as well as his thoughts on the role of percussion caption head. What did the percussion education system in Wrentham (King Philip) look like? What are some of the hats that the percussion caption head needs to wear? What role does body language play when working with an ensemble?

Bryson talks to quad drummer, teacher, and arranger Anthony D'Andrea. In this episode, they talk through Anthony's experiences as a leader in The Cadets and 7th Regiment, as well as his first experiences with arranging for a battery ensemble. What are the most critical aspects to being a leader inside of an ensemble? How can leaders deal with conflict, and what are some of the common mistakes to be aware of?

Bryson talks to snare drummer and teacher Phil Andrews. On this episode, Bryson and Phil go over teaching philosophy, as well as the idea of patience. What roll can patience play as a teacher, as well as a student at any level? How can it help define what it means to be successful?

On this episode, Bryson talks to battery and front ensemble arranger Kevin Thompson. Can it be difficult to push contemporary design at the independent level in comparison to the high school level? Is there merit to taking strong inspiration from established designers when starting out? Can our own self criticism greatly influence how we see our own programs? Bryson and Kevin discuss their perspectives on WGI, their design process, as well as their own experiences as younger designers in order to dive into these questions and more. 

Bryson Teel talks about his views on composition, as well as the role of sound design in modern WGI indoor percussion ensembles. Is 'sound designer' the right term for these electronics composers? Is there more to composing for synth performers than just the technical side? Bryson explores the philosophy behind the sound designers role and how it relates to the progression of design in the activity.