Welcome to the Percussion Pedagogy Podcast!

This is my interview with Jeff Luft of Luft Mallets and I’m so excited to share this with you!

Jeff makes world-class timpani mallets and is always trying new things! If you are interested in instrument making, starting a business, or just listening to a cool guy talk about life, this is the episode for you!

If you haven't checked out his mallets, tambourines, and drum pads you are missing out! Make sure to head over to his website https://www.luftmallets.com/ and grab a pair or two!

Thank you for listening and please take a second to RATE and REVIEW us on Apple Podcasts.

 Thanks for being on the show, Jeff! I had a blast talking with you!

Luft Mallet's IG


Much love,

Tommy Dobbs

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Edited/Mastered by Darci Wright
Original Music by Ryan Robinson
Graphic Design by Janell Ann

Welcome to the Percussion Pedagogy Podcast!

This is my interview with Neil Grover of Grover Pro Percussion and I’m so excited to share this with you!

Neil is no stranger in our field and his instruments are used all over the world by the most distinguished performers and educators. Anyone that has ever used one of his tambourines, triangles, or wood blocks knows that they are second to none. But what you might not know is how he got his start. This episode is all about how he created his first triangle and tambourine as well as how he started one of the most successful percussion instrument businesses in the US. 

If you haven't checked out his triangles, tambourines, wood blocks, and mallets you are missing out! 

Thank you for listening and please take a second to RATE and REVIEW us on Apple Podcasts.

 Thanks for being on the show, Mr. Grover! This was an inspiring interview and I hope you enjoy!

Grover Pro Percussion Website

Grover Pro IG


Much love,

Tommy Dobbs

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Edited/Mastered by Darci Wright
Original Music by Ryan Robinson
Graphic Design by Janell Ann

Just a little episode to let you know what's coming! 

Everyone Monday for the next month, a new episode will drop from a top professional about practicing. 

Check out the this episode for an Idea of what's coming and thank you for the support!

This is a special back to school episode for us!

Our host, Dr. Tommy Dobbs, takes about ten minutes to discuss his experience teaching and living through the pandemic. This episode is all about positivity and the surprising growth that happened for him and his students during the Fall 2020 semester.  

This is another chance for people to get to know more about our host and a chance for him to share some positivity with the world. 

 We hope you enjoy!

 For the holiday’s, we thought it might be nice for everyone to get to know our host a little bit more. 

The idea was to share some childhood stories, experiences from college, and life events that help direct his path to becoming a university professor. 

Anyway, this was a scary adventure for him but we hope you enjoy!

 Stay safe, Friends!

 This is a very special episode and features one of my best friends, Jamie Wind Whitmarsh!

Jamie is a fabulous composer, percussionist, and human being. And, I am leading a Percussion Quartet Consortium with him as the composer. The work is entitled American Biomes and it is a full concert length work (40-50 minutes), written for percussion quartet (with limited instrumentation), and can be programed in its entirety or as individual movements. 

 I have commissioned Jamie a lot over the years because I, much like a lot of other university programs, have some incredibly talented students but limited rehearsal space and gear options. So, this piece is on the scale of a David Maslanka work but written for a quartet with limited instruments, i.e. one of each of the main keyboard instruments (marimba, vibes, glock, chimes, etc.), drums (toms, bd, snare drum, etc.), and found objects. 

With the deadline to join the consortium coming up, I wanted to take a moment and highlight the project for those that might be interested in joining. 

Here’s the overview and how to join:

-       $200 buy in (can be split up however you want)

-       $23 additional solos, duet, and ensemble pieces will be delivered to you via Dropbox

-       Receive the piece by January 15th, 2021

-       Join by contacting me at tommy.dobbs@uafs.edu or jwhitmarshmusic@gmail.com 

 I hope you enjoy this episode and check out some of Jamie’s work and his podcast.

Also, all the music you hear during the episode was taken from the American Biomes sketches, which was Jamie using the voice memo app to record himself playing piano and marimba . Also, there’s a short clip at the end (when Jamie is telling a funny story about me) that was used with permission of my good friend, Brian Nozny. Reach out to him to find out more about that piece. 

 https://www.jamiewhitmarsh.com/

 https://www.okmmc.org/

 https://www.jamiewhitmarsh.com/podcast

Series Two: Audio and Video Recording Technology - The Gear You Need

Episode Three: Interview with Dr. Matt Filosa and Dr. Matt Jordan

Dr. Matt Filosa is currently an elementary school music teacher in Texas. Along with this appointment, he has been the co-founder of the design company, Synced Up Designs, as well as the a percussion specialist, writer/arranger for some of the major WGI/DCI marching arts groups (Cadets and Music City Mystique), and an active performer throughout the United States/abroad.

Dr. Matt Jordan is currently the Assistant Professor of Percussion at Jacksonville State University. He is also the front ensemble arranger for Music City Mystique, the Music Coordinator and Sound Designer for the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps, and a Music Advisor for the Colts Drum and Bugle Corps. Prior to starting at JSU, Matt was the Concert Percussion Marketing Manager for Pearl Corporation/Adams Musical Instruments, and Assistant Director of Bands/Instructor of Percussion at Middle Tennessee State University.

Thank you for giving up your time, Dr. Filosa and Dr. Jordan!

Make sure to Like, Subscribe, Rate, and Review us! Thanks!

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Visit www.tommydobbspercussion.com for more information about what these two are up to.

And check out @thepercussionpedagogypodcast on Instagram for pictures, updates, and more. 

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The music you hear was created by my good friend, Ryan Robinson.
All graphic design work was done by Janell Anne.
PPP is edited and hosted by me, Tommy Dobbs.

Series Two: Audio and Video Recording Technology - The Gear You Need

Episode Two: Interview with Evan Chapman - Percussionist, Composer, and Videographer

Evan Chapman is a percussionist with Square Peg Round Hole, a composer, a freelance drumset player, and the founder of the production company Four/Ten Media. 

 He has recorded the biggest names in our field and has reviews from the largest press/news companies in the world. But most importantly, he is a wonderful person and always open to helping others, especially with audio/video questions. 

This episode comes with a handout for those that are looking to purchase recording equipment and I hope you enjoy the show. 

Thank you to Evan for giving up your time to talk with me and please let us know what you think of the episode. 

Make sure to Like, Subscribe, Rate, and Review us! Thanks!

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Visit www.tommydobbspercussion.com for more information about what Kyle is up to.

And check out @thepercussionpedagogypodcast on Instagram for pictures, updates, and more. 

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The music you hear was created by my good friend, Ryan Robinson.
All graphic design work was done by Janell Anne.
PPP is edited and hosted by me, Tommy Dobbs.

Series Two: Audio and Video Recording Technology: The Gear You Need

Episode One: My Interview with Mr. Kyle Ratayczak, Sales Representative for Sweetwater Sound

This series is all about getting you the information you need to start incorporating A/V technology into your everyday lives. So, we are starting right at the source with a sales representative for the largest retailer of pro audio gear, Kyle Ratayczak. 

Kyle’s outlook and approach to this topic is very clear and direct. He has also put together a handout, linked below, which pairs well with this episode! 

Feel free to contact him directly if you have any questions. 

I hope you enjoy this episode and thank you, Kyle, for giving up your time to talk with me!

Handout: https://www.tommydobbspercussion.com/series-two-a-v-recording-technology

Kyle's Contact Information at Sweetwater:

(800) 222-4700 Ext. 3039
TEXT HIM: 260-247-8715
kyle_ratayczak@sweetwater.com
Bio: https://www.sweetwater.com/kyle_ratayczak

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Visit www.tommydobbspercussion.com for more information about what Kyle is up to.

And check out @thepercussionpedagogypodcast on Instagram for pictures, updates, and more. 

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The music you hear was created by my good friend, Ryan Robinson.
All graphic design work was done by Janell Anne.
PPP is edited and hosted by me, Tommy Dobbs.

Series Two: Audio/Video Technology - The Gear You Need
 
Teaser Episode 1: Introducing Our First Guest, Kyle Ratayczak from Sweetwater Sound

Welcome to our new series and keep an eye out for Kyle's full episode coming on Monday!

This teaser and the full episode on Monday are brought to you by The Sound Solution Project by Black Swamp Percussion. The Sound Solution Project is a two-week educational event put on by BSP, starting August 17th through August 31st. This Project provides educational and performance video content from BSP Shop and BSP Artists/Educators.

Black Swamp is offering 15% off through Steve Weiss Music and launching two Performance Packs for students and educators. Visit the link below for more information. 

https://www.blackswamp.com/sound-solution-project 

If you like what you are hearing, please SUBSCRIBE to our podcast as well as RATE and REVIEW us. We would really appreciate it!

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The music you hear was created by my good friend, Ryan Robinson.
All graphic design work was done by Janell Anne.
PPP is edited and hosted by me, Tommy Dobbs 

www.tommydobbspercussion.com for more information about our guests. 

@thepercussionpedagogypodcast on Instagram for pictures, updates, and more. 

Series One: Teaching Through COVID-19

Finale Episode: My Interview With Junior High School Director, Christopher Ha.

Chris Ha is in his fourth year as the Assistant Band Director at Kimmons Junior High here in Fort Smith and has a unique perspective on teaching through this pandemic

Chris’s episode is heartfelt, personal, and exactly what you need to hear as we head back into the schools. 

Visit www.tommydobbspercussion.com for more information about what Chris is up to  

And check out @thepercussionpedagogypodcast on Instagram for pictures, updates, and more. 

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The music you hear was created by my good friend, Ryan Robinson.
All graphic design work was done by Janell Anne.
PPP is edited and hosted by me, Tommy Dobbs.

Series One: Teaching Through COVID-19
Episode Three: Interview with Performer and Educator, Jaime Esposito (They/Them)

Warning: This Interview Contains Two Curse Words.

Jaime is percussion specialist at L. D. Bell High School in Texas; a performer and cofounder of the Spectrum Ensemble, an ensemble dedicated to the promotion of LGBTQ composers and performers; and a powerful voice and advocate for marginalized members of the music community. 

Most importantly, Jaime is fun, uplifting, and filled with energy. 

Visit www.tommydobbspercussion.com for more information about what Jaime is up.

And check out @thepercussionpedagogypodcast on Instagram for pictures, updates, and more. 

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The music you hear was created by my good friend, Ryan Robinson.
All graphic design work was done by Janell Anne.
PPP is edited and hosted by me, Tommy Dobbs.

Welcome back to The Percussion Pedagogy Podcast!

We are starting back from a four month break with one of my good friends, Dr. Lisa Kachouee! Lisa is the clarinet professor at Oklahoma City University and she is wonderful!!

This episode is entitled "Internalized Capitalism and the Musician's Mind" and it's one of my favorites so far.

If you like what you hear, please leave us a review. I would really appreciate it. :)

Follow everything Lisa and her students are up to at www.clarinetstars.com and on IG @clarinetstars

Bonus: A Personal Message from Our Host 

We wanted to take a few minutes to say thank you for your support over the last twenty days. We just passed over 700 downloads and can now be heard in nine countries! That’s so incredible. 

We are honored to have your support and we hope you are finding these episodes helpful. 

This is still a teaser. Make sure you listen through for not only a thank you message but also updates on the last two guests as well as the reveal of series two! 

Thank you for your time and we hope you wonderful weekend! 

Series One: Teaching Through COVID-19
Episode Two: Interview with Band Directors, Brad and Crystal Reeves

Brad and Crystal are two very seasoned band directors with years of teaching experience. They are part of an amazing team of directors that covers middles school, freshman academy, and senior high school in the Van Buren School District.

I am fortunate to live close to Van Buren and I visit their rehearsals on a regular basis. Music education in this school district is second to none and I always leave inspired!

If you are a current band director, music education major, or a percussion specialist, you have to check out this episode and see what great activities these directors were up to during the pandemic.

Visit www.tommydobbspercussion.com for more information about the Van Buren Team.

@thepercussionpedagogypodcast on Instagram for pictures, updates, and more. 

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The music you hear was created by my good friend, Ryan Robinson.
All graphic design work was done by Janell Anne.
PPP is edited and hosted by me, Tommy Dobbs.

Teaser Two with Brad and Crystal Reeves!

This is just a taste of what’s coming on Monday and we hope you enjoy. 

We would like to introduce our next guests, Brad and Crystal Reeves. Brad and Crystal are two seasoned band directors who teach in Van Buren, Arkansas. They are part of a larger directing team and have been doing some incredible things with their kiddos during this pandemic!

If you like what you are hearing, please SUBSCRIBE to our podcast as well as RATE and REVIEW us. We would really appreciate it!

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The music you hear was created by my good friend, Ryan Robinson.
All graphic design work was done by Janell Anne.
PPP is edited and hosted by me, Tommy Dobbs 

www.tommydobbspercussion.com for more information about our guests. 

@thepercussionpedagogypodcast on Instagram for pictures, updates, and more. 

Welcome to our first episode and the introduction to our first series. 

This series is all about Teaching Through COVID-19 and our first interviewee is Dr. Omar Carmenates, the Associate Professor of Percussion at Furman University.

Omar has been doing some incredible activities with his students during the pandemic and we are excited for you to hear what he’s been up to! 

If you like what you are hearing, please SUBSCRIBE to our podcast as well as RATE and REVIEW us. We would really appreciate it!

Visit www.tommydobbspercussion.com for more information about Omar and his studio.

@thepercussionpedagogypodcast on Instagram for pictures, updates, and more. 

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The music you hear was created by my good friend, Ryan Robinson.
All graphic design work was done by Janell Anne.
PPP is edited and hosted by me, Tommy Dobbs.

Welcome to our weekly episode teaser!

This is just a taste of what’s coming next week and we hope you enjoy. 

We would like to introduce our first guest, Dr. Omar Carmenates. Omar is the Associate Professor of Percussion at Furman University and is a master teacher. He has been doing some incredible things with his studio at Furman during this pandemic and we wanted to share this with you all. 

If you like what you are hearing, please SUBSCRIBE to our podcast (on whatever platform you use) as well as RATE and REVIEW us. We would really appreciate it!

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The music you hear was created by my good friend, Ryan Robinson.
All graphic design work was done by Janell Anne.
PPP is edited and hosted by me, Tommy Dobbs 

 www.tommydobbspercussion.com for more information about our guests. @thepercussionpedagogypodcast on Instagram for pictures, updates, and more. 

Welcome to The Percussion Pedagogy Podcast!

Episode 0 is just a taste of what is coming and gets to the heart of what we are after: sharing information. 

A teaser of our first guest is coming out on Friday, July 17th, and the first full interview episode drops on Monday, July 20th. 

I am so excited that you are here and I hope you enjoyed this introduction.

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Please follow us on Instagram, @thepercussionpedagoypodcast, for pictures, updates, and more.  Also, check out our website, hosted at www.tommydobbspercussion.com, for the unedited video and more information about our interviewees. 

Thank you for tuning in. I am honored that you've given up time out of your day to spend with me and my friends. 


Credits:
All music was created by Ryan Robinson.
All graphic design and logo work was created by Janell Anne.
PPP is edited and hosted by me, Tommy Dobbs.

Welcome to the Percussion Pedagogy Podcast!

This is my interview with Josh Jones and I’m so excited to share this with you!

Josh is currently the Principal Percussionist with The Kansas City Symphony and  Adjunct Percussion Professor at UMKC. 

Josh is also extremely active online with dozens of free educational videos, instrument demonstrations, and truly uplifting content for everyone! Check him out on Instagram and Facebook!

This episode dives into Josh's life, musician background, his snare drum practice routine/materials, and is filled with heartfelt information that will leave you smiling. 

Thank you for listening and please take a second to RATE and REVIEW us on Apple Podcasts.

 Thanks for being on the show, Josh! It was an honor to talk with you!

Josh's Website

Josh's IG


Much love,

Tommy Dobbs 

Welcome to the Percussion Pedagogy Podcast!

This is my interview with Patricia (Patsy) Dash and I’m so excited to share this with you!

Patsy is a section percussionist with The Chicago Symphony (since 1986) and is the founder/director of The Chicago Symphony’s Percussion Scholarship Program (PSP).

 PSP is a wonderful organization that brings in young musicians from the Chicago area for private percussion lessons and concerts! The organization is COMPLETELY FREE and students that are accepted receive instruments/books. This is an incredible organization that has been around for over 25 years and has produced some exceptional performers/humans. 

This episode dives into Patsy’s life, musician background, and has lots of information about the PSP. If you want to know more about her or PSP, check out the links below. 

Thank you for listening and please take a second to RATE and REVIEW us on Apple Podcasts.

 Thanks for being on the show, Patsy! It was an honor to talk with you!

More about Patsy Dash 

More about the PSP


Much love,

Tommy Dobbs 

We are so excited to share our interview with THE ONE AND ONLY, Jauvon Gilliam!

Jauvon is a triple threat. He is the Principal Timpanist with The National Symphony, the Coordinator of Percussion Studies at The University of Maryland, and the owner of Capitol Percussion and Backline Rentals.

Most importantly, Jauvon is a wonderful human and someone I truly enjoyed talking with.

Checkout his new line of timpani mallets from Innovative Percussion if you want to step up your timpani game and I hope you enjoy the episode!

If you don't mind taking a few seconds to Rate and Review PPP on your streaming services, we would greatly appreciate it!

One Love,

Tommy Dobbs

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Music by Ryan Robinson
Logo by Janell Ann
Find out more about Tommy Dobbs 

Hello, Everyone! 

Here’s our last episode of this series on practicing and we hope you enjoy!

This interview is with marimba soloist, composer/arranger, Artistic Director of Heartland Marimba, and  overall fun human-being, Matthew Coley!

To talk about his accomplishments would take a lifetime. So, instead please head over to his website www.hearmatthewcoley.com as well as search him on YouTube. You will be blown away!

Here’s a few more links to his other organizations as well as links to a few products we talk about on the show.

We hope you enjoy and let us know what you think!

Heartland Marimba

Beetle Percussion Marimba Pad


Also, all the music you hear in this episode was performed by Matthew and are his personally arrangement. To listen more and/or purchase the music, head over to the Heartland Marimba website. 

We would like to welcome back Mr. Ryan Beach to the podcast for PART TWO of our interview with him!

This second installment with Ryan is one of my favorites. While the series is about practicing, this episode focuses mainly on the inner battles we all face as musicians. Whether that’s in the practice room, during auditions, or with your current job. 

Ryan and I get really personal with this one. And if you are someone who went through music school, med school, or are in a leadership role, this is an episode you can relate to. 

Here we go and I hope you enjoy! 

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Ryan is currently the Principle Trumpet with the Alabama Symphony… that’s right! He’s not a percussionist or director! 

However, from getting to know him over the last few years and I know that the information he has is valid for anyone and, after you listen to his episodes, you will agree.

If you like what you hear, head over to his podcast That’s Not Spit, It’s Condensation. as well as check out his website www.ryanbeachtrumpet.com to book a session with him. If you want to get serious about practicing, contact this dude ASAP! 

Thanks for being on the show, Ryan! We are excited to release your episodes to the world. 

All the music you hear on this episode comes from Ryan’s soon to be released album “Insights. New Music for Trumpet and Piano.” Make sure to check that out RIGHT NOW!

We would like to welcome Mr. Ryan Beach to the podcast!

Ryan is currently the Principle Trumpet with the Alabama Symphony… that’s right! He’s not a percussionist or director! 

However, from getting to know him over the last few years and I know that the information he has is valid for anyone and, after you listen to his episodes, you will agree.

If you like what you hear, head over to his podcast That’s Not Spit, It’s Condensation. as well as check out his website www.ryanbeachtrumpet.com to book a session with him. If you want to get serious about practicing, contact this dude ASAP! 

Thanks for being on the show, Ryan! We are excited to release your episodes to the world. 

All the music you hear on this episode comes from Ryan’s soon to be released album “Insights. New Music for Trumpet and Piano.” Make sure to check that out RIGHT NOW!

I am so excited to have Dr. Andy Harnsberger on the show to talk about all things practicing! This new series and, this specific episode, is not going to be the basics on how to practice. Although he does cover some of that. 

This series is more about developing life routines that will better equip you for a future in music or in whatever field you reside in. 

I learn more every time I record these interviews. This one in particular left me humbled, emotional, and uplifted. Andy, it’s always a pleasure talking with you and thank you for being vulnerable enough to share your story. 

If you don’t know about Andy or his program, head over to his website https://www.andyharnsberger.com/ and check out what his amazing studio is up to at Lee University.

Also, make sure to checkout his new album Unbreakable as well as, my personal favorite, Phoenix. 

Also, here are a few links to the articles and books he referenced In the episode:

1. https://bulletproofmusician.com/
2. Stretching for a Pain Free Performance Article
3. The Truths About Practicing