Bends
Our guests on this week's podcast are Joy and Rhema, founders of Bends. They have combined experience encompassing some of the best groups in the world, including Blue Knights, Cavaliers, Colts, Broken City, and Monarch. Together, they operate Bends, which is a moniker for top and bottom bass, turned into a brand and culture in the drumming community.
Donovan Alanes
Our guest on this week's podcast is Donovan Alanes, who is a performer, educator, designer, and founder of Drumsforall. He's been involved with some of the West Coast's most reputable groups, such as Mission Viejo, RCC, OCI, Blue Knights and Broken City, and now teaches at Trabuco Hills High School, Fountain Valley High School, and Meraki Percussion. In this episode, we talk about Drumsforall, balancing social media presence, and his marching experience as a performer.
Ralph Nader
Our guest on this week's podcast is Ralph Nader, Co-founder of BYOS. He's performed with Beyonce, Travis Barker, Tony Royster Jr, Seeed, and the list goes on. He's been involved with Disney's most prolific performing groups, including the Soundsational parade and the Festival of Holiday's Toy Drummers, and now works with Hampton University's drumline. In this episode, we discuss his early upbringing with the Jackie Robinson Steppers, marching Blue Devils, and the work ethic needed to operate BYOS. We're excited to be back for season 2 of the RMS podcast with our first guest, Ralph Nader.
Jeremy Riley
Our guest on this week's podcast is Jeremy Riley, former snare tech at Pulse Percussion and former battery caption head at Chino Hills High School and Los Alamitos High School. In this episode, we discuss the challenges of maintaining a world class high school program and the facilities needed to set a program up for success.
Glen Crosby, Jonathan Wicks
Our guest on this week's podcast is Glen Crosby, one of the biggest names in marching percussion history, who has worked with the likes of Santa Clara Vanguard, Cadets, and Pulse. Today, he's the Program Coordinator and Director of Percussion for Pacific Crest and is the current drumline instructor for UCLA. In this episode, we discuss his marching and teaching history, the important things he's learned from his time as an educator and performer, and some of his favorite stories along the way.
Matt Gonzalez, Steven Herman
Our guests on this week's podcast are Matt Gonzalez and Steven Herman, bass drum technicians for Broken City and formerly Blue Knights. Hailing from Chino, California, the two share their upcomings as bass drummers and how their marching experience led them to where they are today.
Apex Percussion
Our guests on this week's podcast are Jake Lyons and Chris Parker, co-founders of the performing group and Youtube sensation Apex Percussion. In this episode, we discuss how Jake and Chris met, the making of Apex Percussion, and their experience with integrating concert percussion literature into aesthetic videos.
Brian Stockard
Our guest on this week's podcast is Brian Stockard, Artist Relations Manager for Vic firth and Zildjian. Brian has marched and taught with Cadets and Pacific Crest, and composes for several performing groups across the country. In this episode, we discuss his life before becoming employed by Vic Firth, what it's like being the marching world's Vic Firth/Zildjian rep, and how his job has shifted since the COVID pandemic.
Tyler Doan
Our guest on this week's episode is Tyler Doan, snare drummer for groups such as Broken City Percussion, Pulse Percussion, Blue Knights, and Mandarins. In this episode, we discuss Tyler's marching career, his experience with leadership, and the challenges those leadership positions brought.
Jim Wunderlich, Jonathan Wicks
Our guest on this week's podcast is Jim Wunderlich, WGI Hall of Famer and Music Coordinator/Brass Arranger for Blue Stars. He's worked extensively with heavy hitters such as Blue Devils, RCC and Mission Viejo. On this week’s podcast, we discuss Jim's legacy in the activity as well as where the future will take him.
Austen White, Shane Roderick
Our guests on this week's podcast are Austen White and Shane Roderick, joining me to share some of our favorite memories from nearly half a decade of marching together. While marching various different groups, the 3 if us marched 4 years at monarch and one year at blue Knights in 2019. On this week's podcast, we discuss orchestral vs marching percussion, recapping our years together and how our lives have changed since then.
Emily Soder, Yuuka Okura, Veronica Wicks
Our guests on this week's podcast are Emily Soder, Yuuka Okura, and Veronica Wicks. Emily is a quad player, marching with groups such as Dark Sky, RCC Fall, BKPE Indoor, Blue Stars and Battalion. Yuuka has played snare for Bluecoats, Blue Knights, and Broken City. This week, we discuss their introduction into the marching arts, gender inequality in the activity, and the mental health aspect of marching percussion.
Brandon Zackey, Jonathan Wicks
Our guest on this week's podcast is Brandon Zackey, quad drummer for Glassmen, Pulse, Blue Devils and RCC. He has appeared on shows such as The Office, American Idol and Big Love and has taught at San Diego State University, Chaparral High School, Pacific Crest and Dark Sky Percussion. Outside of the marching activity, Brandon is an avid drum set player. He was a Grand Finalist for the 27th Annual Guitar Center Drum Off and just finished tracking drums for his upcoming album with Enterprise Earth.
Paul Buyer, Andrew Barlow
Our guests on this week's podcast are Paul Buyer and Andrew Barlow. Paul is the Director of Percussion, Director of Music, and Professor of Music at Clemson University, and Andrew is a doctoral student at University of North Carolina Greensboro studying Percussion Performance and Ethnomusicology and serves as Percussion Faculty at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke. On this week's podcast, we discuss education at the University level, the importance of drumline repitoire beyond show music, and Paul's new book Drumline Gold: Innovative Systems for Marching Percussion Excellence.
Zach Borromeo, Sean Parra
Our guests on this week's podcast are Zach Borromeo of Blue Knights and Broken City, and Sean Parra from Blue Devils and RCC. On this weeks podcast, guests Zach Borromeo (Blue Knights, Broken City) and Sean Parra (Blue Devils, RCC) reflect on their last season with their respective indoor groups and how the pandemic has affected their life since.
Daniel Recoder, Suvin Varghese, Jonathan Wicks
Our guests on this week's podcast are Daniel Recorder and Suvin Varghese, both quad techs for Bluecoats. While Daniel taught from 2014-2019, Suvin joined in 2016 and still teaches there currently. While Daniel runs Forte Athletics and works as a physical therapist, Suvin works as a school psychologist and techs for the quads at Broken City. On this episode, we discuss their journey together, the state of mental health regarding the marching arts, and the culture of the Blue Q.
Matt Regua, Jonathan Wicks
Jonathan Wicks joins us for another episode to talk with Matt Regua, co-founder of Percussion IQ and an educator in the SoCal area, working with RCC Indoor and RCC Fall. In this episode, we discuss the beginnings of Percussion IQ, the process for Percussion IQ tests, and how social media can be deceiving for young students.
Aundray Edwards, Jonathan Wicks
Jonathan Wicks joins us for another episode to talk with Aundray Edwards. Aundray is currently the assistant director of percussion at Brazoswood High School and is a bass drum tech for Monarch Independent and Mandarins. He's worked with the likes of Cy Creek High School, Cy Fair High School, Guardians and Colts. He has been an educator of mine from my sophomore year of high school all the way to my age out at Monarch.
Chelsea Levine
Chelsea Levine is the owner of Seavine and is an active cymbal instructor, working with the likes of Spirit of Atlanta and Rhythm X. She's behind several online platforms such as Rudimental Mindset and Virtual Arts. In this episode, we discuss the beginnings of Seavine, how Seavine has adjusted during COVID, and how Virtual Arts is shaping the future of the marching activity as we know it.
Mike Jackson, Veronica Wicks
Mike Jackson and Veronica Wicks are the duo behind some of the most successful battery sections in the DCI/WGI realm. Mike has been an active designer in the activity, working with the likes of Santa Clara Vanguard, Bluecoats, Blue Knights, RCC, Broken City, Mission Viejo and Vista Murrieta. He's a board member/co-founder of SCPA and was inducted into the WGI Hall of Fame in 2010. Veronica Wicks has been working alongside Mike for almost a decade, bringing his compositions to life as the battery caption head for Broken City and Blue Knights from 2014-2019. Together, they've been trailblazers for pushing the bounds of creativity and artistry.