The Mikes sharpen their knives and wits and go head-to-head to discuss music competitions. What does it take to prepare for a competition? Do they offer benefits other than winning?

From reframing the competition as a personal growth opportunity to the role of judges in shaping the future of our art, the Mikes volley and trade broadsides on the positives, negatives, ins, and outs of individual performance contests.

Also featured: Mike C and T continue to develop a comprehensive taxonomy of sporting events.

MikeDrop is Mike Compitello and Mike Truesdell

Making a video, and want visible Mikes but not visible mics? We’ve got you covered. The Mikes discuss the various types of videos classical musicians are deploying and peel back the gild from their own video-making experiences, covering ideation, execution, and collaboration, particularly with the astonishing Four/Ten Media. Diners, swimming pools, isolated wooded areas, smoke machines: let’s go!

MikeDrop’s recording of Retrouvailles, by George Aperghis

Mike T’s video of An Elemental Thing, by Liza Lim

Mike C and Hannah Collins’ video of Down Down Baby, by Robert Honstein

Four/Ten Media

MikeDrop finds a method (book) to the madness of instructional percussion books, sharing their go-to texts while quizzing one another about George Hamilton Green’s rules for practice and hatred of glancing blows.

Audio wizard: Rebecca Moore

Choices, choices. The Mikes share how they select mallets for a variety of situations.

Mike T. endorses Marimba One Mallets

Mike C. endorses Vic Firth mallets and sticks

Rebecca Moore is our amazing audio engineer.

Is teaching more about what one teaches, or how one teaches? The Mikes share their insights on key concepts and structures in percussion pedagogy.

Fast fact: Mike T. teaches at Ithaca College and Mike C. at Arizona State University.

Rebecca Moore is the expert behind the sound of these episodes.

Mike C and Mike T see how well they REALLY know one another glimpse into each others’ creative minds and personal approaches to spending time developing ideas both big and small.

Thank you, Rebecca Moore, for the wonderful work fixing our audio!

http://www.oktavenaudio.com/

MikeDrop calls in reinforcements from a classical music heavy hitter: Ryan Streber, composer and engineer at Oktaven Audio, one of the leading recording studios for contemporary and classical repertoire. Ryan’s razor-sharp ears, gentle demeanor, and insightful sonic choices have had the Mikes returning time and time again to Oktaven for recording projects, and we were delighted to have some time to turn the microphone the other direction and learn more about Ryan’s life in music. Topics in this mega-episode include:

• Ryan’s musical background

Thank you, Rebecca Moore, for your audio magic!

Get ready to tap that! The Mikes bounce like a hovercraft over contentious (but bouncy) waters to debate using practice pads for good and evil in one’s musical development. The Duo discusses pad selection, and setup, and makes some recommendations for pads in several categories. Pads mentioned, in no particular order:

• Ikea bath towels

Mike C endorses Vic Firth pads and sticks, Beetle Pads, and Remo drumheads.

Rebecca Moore is our wonderful audio editor.

When is now? It doesn’t matter! The Mikes share their excitement and joy for the details in the world with a short episode covering:

Cognitive Neurology

Mike’s summer of museums

Rituals in sporting events

The running style of Wimbledon ball boys

Marathon training

Thanks to Rebecca Moore for the amazing work on our audio!