#301 Ayano Kataoka- Marimbist, Percussionist, Educator and More!
Percussionist and marimbist Ayano Kataoka is known for her brilliant and dynamic technique, as well as the unique elegance and artistry she brings to her performances. She is currently Professor of Percussion at the University of Massachusetts Amherst , and has been a season artist of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center since 2006 when she was chosen as the first percussionist for the society's prestigious residency program, The Bowers Program (formerly Chamber Music Society Two), a three-season residency program for emerging artists offering high-profile performance opportunities in collaboration with The Chamber Music Society. A retrospective of her early life along with interviews and performances were featured on the CMS' live stream program Artist Series in fall 2021.
Together with cellist Yo-Yo Ma at the American Museum of Natural History , Ms. Kataoka gave a world premiere of Bruce Adolphe ’s Self Comes to Mind for cello and two percussionists, based on a text by neuroscientist Antonio Damasio, and featuring interactive video images of brain scans triggered by the live music performance. She presented a solo recital as part of the prestigious B to C (Bach to Contemporary) recital series at Tokyo Opera City Recital Hall , which was broadcast on NHK, the national public station of Japan.
Other highlights of her performances include a performance of Steven Mackey ’s Micro-Concerto for Percussion Solo and Chamber Ensemble at Alice Tully Hall , a theatrical performance of Stravinsky's Soldier's Tale at the 92nd Street Y with violinist Jaime Laredo and actors Alan Alda and Noah Wyle , and performances of Bartok's Sonata for Two Pianos and percussion with pianist Emanuel Ax . Her music festival appearances include Music@Menlo , Chamber Music Northwest , Yellow Barn , Lake Champlain , Caramoor , Bridgehampton , Skaneateles , Emerald City Music , ChamberFest West , and Salt Bay Chamberfest . Her performances can be also heard on the Deutsche Grammophon, Naxos, New World, Bridge, New Focus, and Albany recording labels.
Since 2013, Ms. Kataoka has toured in the US and Mexico extensively as a percussionist for Cuatro Corridos , a chamber opera led by Grammy Award winning soprano Susan Narucki and noted Mexican author Jorge Volpi that addresses human trafficking across the US-Mexican border. The recording of Cuatro Corridos on the Bridge Records label has earned a 2017 Latin Grammy Nomination in the Best Contemporary Classical Composition category.
A leading proponent of contemporary repertoire, Ms. Kataoka has commissioned and/or premiered works for percussion by such composers as George Crumb , Paul Lansky , Alejandro Viñao , James Wood , and Lukas LigetiShe is particularly drawn to compositions that involve the whole person, using standard percussion instruments and unique musical materials along with spoken voice, singing, acting, and elegant props. She has given numerous performances and master classes throughout the US and Canada featuring Stuart Saunders Smith 's percussion/theatre music. She also appeared as an onstage musician with a small acting part in the Yale Repertory Theater production of Shakespeare's All's Well That Ends Well.
A native of Japan, Ms. Kataoka began her marimba studies at age five, and percussion at fifteen. She started her performing career as a marimbist with a tour of China at the age of nine. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from Tokyo University of the Arts, her Master of Music degree from Peabody Conservatory , and her Artist Diploma degree from Yale School of Music , where she studied with marimba virtuoso Robert van Sice .
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday to Nate Wood. Grammy nominated Nate Wood is a drummer/multi-instrumentalist and mastering engineer based in New York City. Nate is a founding member of the Grammy nominated quintet Kneebody. Kneebody released their self titled debut album in 2005 on trumpeter Dave Douglas’s label Greenleaf Music. In 2007, Kneebody released “Low Electrical Worker” on Colortone Media. They completed an album of arrangements of Charles Ives compositions with singer Theo Bleckmann and released the recording “12 Songs of Charles Ives” which was nominated “Best Classical Crossover Album” Grammy Award (2009, Winter and Winter). Kneebody’s latest record “The Line” was released on Concord Records in 2013.
Nate has also performed or recorded with many notable artists including Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders, Dave Grohl, Brian May and Roger Taylor (Queen), Chris Squire (Yes), Elliot Easton (The Cars), Chaka Khan, Wayne Krantz, Billy Childs, Tigran Hamasyan, Donny McCaslin, Sting and many others.
Nate was featured in Modern Drummer in March of 2014, and placed in the 2015 Modern Drummer reader’s poll among the top 5 drummers in his category.
Along with his work as a sideman, Nate has released 3 albums of his own material, where he performed, recorded and mixed everything himself. His newest album “Another Time” was released in July 2014.
Nate also masters records for artists from around the world.
Happy Birthday to Arthur Lipner is one of the top keyboard percussionists of his generation. He specializes in vibraphone, marimba and steel drums. Arthur’s career has spanned three decades since he began performing professionally at age 14. Arthur’s live performances and recordings convey an exuberant drive of creativity and depth. jazzenews.com (London) said, “Arthur Lipner occupies a prominent role in the foregrounding of vibraphone and marimba in jazz and popular music.” All Music Guide called him “an extremely melodic and creative jazz/worldbeat-conscious vibes artist.”
In 2019, Arthur was invited to perform/adjudicate at percussion festivals in China and Russia. In 2018, he performed/adjudicated at the first-ever Australian International Vibraphone Competition. As a bandleader, guest soloist and educator, Arthur has been to over 30 countries including Ghana, Iceland, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Costa Rica, England, Scotland, Iceland, Morocco, Malaysia, the Caribbean and many more.
As a recording artist and NYC session player, Arthur has appeared on over 50 albums. “Two Hands, One Heart” (2015) is a “best of” double-cd collection documenting his first 25 years as a freelance recording artist. His album “Brasilian Vibes” (2010) was nominated for “Album Of The Year” by the Brasilian Press Awards. Recording session appearances have included Bluegrass, Traditional Jazz, Brasilian, Funk, Caribbean and other eclectic styles. From 2016-2018 he recorded nine solo albums on vibes, marimba and steel drums for the NYC-based label Solo Sounds. These included solo versions of West Side Story, Paul Simon’s “Graceland”, Bob Marley’s “Legend”, and a collection of Drake songs on steel drums.
Venues at which Arthur has appeared is a one-of-a-kind mix illustrating his strong desire to share and interact with different cultures. In addition to concert halls, jazz clubs and recording studios around the world, Arthur has performed with Tuvan Throat Singers from Russia, The National Dance Company of Ghana in a small rural village, in the streets of Rio de Janeiro for Carnival, in Chiapas Mexico’s “Marimba Park”, at the Royal Palace in Marrakesh, in the mountains of Norway on an ice xylophone he constructed with award-winning ice sculptor Bill Covitz, and more. He premiered his concerto MALLET FANTASIA with the Nat’l Symphony of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro. He has toured in Europe/Latin America over 70 times. He has performed at five PASIC’s.
As an educator, Arthur has been a guest artist and clinician at many percussion festivals around the world. He has presented over 300 workshops on six continents. These include the prestigious Juilliard School, Yale University, Royal College of Music (London), Swedish Academy of Music (Stockholm), Gnesin Academy of Music (Moscow), Sweelink Conservatory (Amsterdam), Conservatoire Superieur (Paris) and Sydney Conservatorium (Australia). He has been a faculty member of The Brabants Conservatory (Holland), Univ. of Bridgeport (CT), Drummers Collective (NYC) and SUNY Purchase. From 2000-2008 Lipner served on the Board of Directors of The Percussive Arts Society.
Almost 100 of Arthur’s compositions have been released on recordings. His music has been used on radio, film and tv soundtracks in such places as Finland, Japan, Belgium, The Netherlands, and England. Arthur has written two widely-adopted method books, THE VIBES REAL BOOK (1996) and “Jazz Mallets: IN SESSION” (2000), the first-ever play-along book for vibes and marimba. He was commissioned to write music for the UK’s 2020 ABRSM Tuned Percussion series. The story of Lipner’s inner and outer journeys are featured in the documentary TALKING STICKS.
Happy Birthday to Danny Cummings. The first Latin percussion instrument that Danny Cummings ever acquired was a second-hand conga he persuaded his parents to buy him for his 21st birthday. "I remember thinking that black fiberglass drum marked the beginning of a new era for me," says Cummings. And perhaps it did: In the 20 years since, the London-based percussionist has recorded with such rock notables as the late John Martyn, Dire Straits, Tina Turner, George Michael, Les McKeown, Penguin Café Orchestra, Elton John, The Pet Shop Boys, Simply Red, Daniel Beddingfield, Talk Talk, David Sylvian, Mark Knopfler and Bryan Adams. His playing is particularly well showcased on "Ocean Drive" by The Lighthouse Family, and on the cabaret-tinged "Shag Tobacco" by vocalist Gavin Friday (on which Cummings recorded more than 60 overdubs). He also appears on Knopfler's CD Kill To Get Crimson and on Bryan Adams' most recent album, On a Day Like Today.
At age 12, Cummings began playing snare drum in his school band, then got hooked on percussion with a pair of bongos that his grandparents brought him from Trinidad. His early musical influences included Curtis Mayfield, Isaac Hayes, and Bill Withers, and "as any percussionist who plays congas in contemporary music will tell you, Santana (Carlos) was a most powerful influence."
Today, in addition to congas, shakers, and tambourines, Cummings plays a collection of original African instruments and experiments with electronic sounds: "I like the idea of blending very traditional instruments with futuristic, cosmic things."
Danny has embarked on several projects with Knopfler, both as part of Dire Straits and Knopfler's solo band. The last Dire Straits album, On Every Street, featured Cummings as a percussionist and he also contributed to Knopfler's solo album releases All the Roadrunning, Kill to Get Crimson and Get Lucky. He toured with Knopfler on the tours for each of these albums, and featured on the live CDs and DVDs On The Night and Real Live Roadrunning (featuring Emmylou Harris).
Cummings also appears on Guy Fletcher's albums Inamorata (2007) and Natural Selection (2010).
He now lives in the south of England with his wife and 2 boys.
Happy Birthday to Andy Sanesi. Andy is a Los Angeles based drummer, He is currently the drummer for living legend Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and also plays with Missing Persons whom he has played with for the last 5 years. His own band Blanco Diablo has a residency at The Mint in LA and plays regularly at other venues. Additionally Andy has played with and continues to play with a seemingly endless array of artists from virtually every genre of music. Some other artists Andy has worked with are Sebastian Bach, Johnny Rivers, LP, Elle King, Post Modern Jukebox, Dave Binney, Oz Noy, Eminem, Rihanna, Arturo Sandoval, Aloe Blacc, John Zorn, Nir Felder, Brian Charette, The Nick Hexum (of 311) Quintet, Nomad Trio with Scott Henderson and Rufus Philpot, The Julian Coryell Trio with Joe Bagg, John Beasley, Tim LeFebvre Doug Webb, Mitch Forman, Bob Shephard, Ben Shepard, Jerry Vivino, Hadrian Ferraud, Steve Weisberg, Hal Wilner, Carl Verheyen, Gryphon Labs, Sonny Liston (featuring members of Suicidal Tendencies) and Brian Baker’s various projects.
Happy Birthday to Jose Madera. Prior to joining Tito Puente over 35 years ago , Madera play for four years with the famous Machito Orchestra , and recorded with many artists of R & B ( including James Brown , Diana Ross, David Sanborn and Aztec Two – Step) . As an arranger for Fania Records Plant , played in several comrciales successes, and through the years has composed music for the Fania All- Stars, Larry Harlow , Johnny Pacheco , Willie Colón, and Celia Cruz . Although he has recorded some 75 albums in 20 years, as well as numerous radio jingles and film soundtracks , Madera still had time for his other career : for 15 years he had worked as a teacher and conductor in a high school for the performing arts with private funds, in the city of New York.
Jose has written many arrangements for countless commercial Latin artists and has recorded or worked with many of them as well. Some of them include: Larry Harlow, Johnny Pacheco, Chico O’Farill, The Lincoln Center Afro-Cuban jazz orchestra, Celia Cruz, Tito Rodriguez, Fania All-Stars, Willie Colon, Joe Farrell, Machito, Graciela, Mario Bauza, Willie Rosario, Earl Klughand Eddie Palmieri, just to name a few. Jose has also worked and recorded with many pop, R&B and jazz artists. Some of them include Diana Ross, James Brown, Dizzy Gillespie, Paquito D’Rivera, George Benson and Lionel Hampton among others.
Jose has performed on over 250 recordings. He has worked on several television show soundtracks including “The Simpsons” and several motion picture soundtracks including”The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love,” where he was the musical arranger and conductor for the Tito Puente segment of the film. Jose also taught the art of playing Latin percussion instruments at BOYS HARBOR in New York City for 28 years.
Jose has done and continues to do musical clinics around the country at various schools. He was the musical director of the Latin Giants of Jazz from 2001 to 2009. Jose continues his musical direction with the Mambo Legends Orchestra, a band comprised of former members of the Tito Puente Orchestra, which is dedicated to performing new creative Latin and Latin jazz concepts, as well as some of the music of Machito, Tito Rodriguez and Tito Puente.
Happy Birthday to Bob Weiner. Bob is a drummer and percussionist who has toured and performed with Harry Belafonte, Itzhak Perlman, Betty Buckley, Jon Lucien, Dianne Reeves, Andy Statman, Rebecca Paris, Kenny Werner, Bob Moses, and many others. He has taught at the Drummers Collective (New York, NY) , New England Conservatory (Boston, MA), and Berklee College of Music (Boston, MA). He has also co-authored two important percussion books, Afro-Cuban Rhythms for Drumset with Frank Malabe and Brazilian Rhythms for Drumset with Duduka da Fonseca (Alfred Music). He holds a Masters at Lesley University in Inter-Disciplinary Studies and has taught a course in the Expressive Therapies program (Lesley University) entitled “Community and Therapeutic Applications of Drumming.” Bob currently teaches percussion and drumming to 5 College music students, as well as privately. Bob has a particular interest in depth psychology (Jungian studies) and contemplative practices (meditation, tai chi/qi gong) and how they apply to the arts and improvisation.
Gig Alerts
You can sign up for a FREE live 60 minute online training webinar where (friend of the show) Ari Herstand will be discussing how small-mid level tours are working these days around the US. He will go through what the current club and promoter deals are for reputable mid-size clubs. And he will breakdown everything you need to book a successful tour.
The Global Citizen campaign to end extreme poverty saw more than $2.4 billion in commitments. Here’s a peek at the breakdown.
The 2022 Global Citizen Festival saw more than $800 million announced to end extreme poverty. $1.6 billion was announced by the European Commission and Canada as part of the seventh replenishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. Of that funding, more than $440 million was earmarked exclusively to initiatives to end extreme poverty on the African continent–with the remainder intended to reach people across the world. - Article
Damon spoke at the CD Baby DIY Musician Conference in Austin this past August. The notes for his seminar “Get the gig, Keep the gig!” are up on his WEBSITE and you can download them FOR FREE.
Also, if you want to see Damon play, there are a bunch of new dates up also on his website.
Educational Spotlight
The PASIC schedule is now up. You can CLICK HERE to see it and download the app to your device.
The Marc Quinones Masterclass is now up on the Conga Chops website. You can watch the full Masterclass for FREE with your 7-Day Trial.
Also, the first 20 practice loops (Vol. 1) are available.
Iconic Recording
The iconic recording was chosen by Ayano. It is Steve Reich’s “Sextet” performed by the percussion group Amadinda.
Music News
It is Bandcamp Friday again this coming Friday, October the 7th and then again on November 4th and December 2nd.
Jammcard will support Philadelphia’s thriving musician community by opening up the Jammcard app, building a network of vetted pros, bridging the chapters together, bringing opportunities, enabling more collaborations, connections, and events.
Music pros of the region, you can now join Jammcard by applying at Jammcard.com, or in the Jammcard app.
Drum Workshop is celebrating 50 years of innovation with a special, in-person event, and we want to share the experience with you-- artist showcases from our drum family, masterclass clinics, exclusive drum and percussion gear, and a world-first unveiling of our most exciting projects. SAVE THE DATE!
Modern Drummer Magazine today announced an exclusive distribution partnership with Yurt Rock, a widely-recognized producer of loops, samples, and more featuring the world's leading musicians.
The first release planned will be Todd Sucherman “More Than Styx Vol 1” on October 3rd. New releases will keep coming, with libraries featuring Brian Frasier-Moore (Justin Timberlake, Usher, Jill Scott) and Jim Riley (Rascal Flatts) becoming available later this year. -Article
Ayano Kataoka Interview
The song leading into the interview is Steven Mackey’s Micro-Concerto, Movement III. Click, Clak, Clank, performed by Ayano Kataoka, Tara Helen O'Connor, Romie de Guise-Langlois, Kristin Lee, David Requiro, and Hyeyeon Park.
Damon would regularly see Ayano at the Hangar restaurant.
Ayano teaches at the percussion department at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Ayano talks about the audition and selection process for getting the teaching job at the department.
Ayano talks about balancing teaching at the University, summer programs as well as performing live.
Ayano talks about substitute teachers, as well as guest artists, or even artists in residence.
Ayano received the Artist diploma from Yale University. Before that she got her Master of Music degree from Peabody Conservatory.
Being aware of the communication tools and social media trends are something Ayano recommends keeping up with for her students.
Ayano got her Bachelor of Music degree from Tokyo University of the Arts.
She talks about the reason behind coming to the USA. Shout-out to friend of the show, Leigh Howard Stevens and his international marimba competition.
At this competition, she met Robert Van Sice (who was one of the judges), and later in Holland she met Eduardo Leandro, who was one of Robert’s students at the time.
Ayano mentions the marimba piece by Eric Sammut called Four Rotations as a collegiate level piece.
She talks about how she connected with Robert to eventually take lessons with him.
Shout-out to Kuniko Kato.
In the year before she could attend Peabody, she worked and studied english.
She contemplated graphic design before committing music full time.
Ayano talks about how she chose the marimba at a young age. Part of the reason was how much she hated the violin.
In addition to being a marimbist, she also works with percussion ensembles like, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and the Percussion Collective.
Shout-out to Tomoko Kubo.
Damon refers to some Japanese that he knows and how he remembers the phrases. Ayano hips him to a phrase used to bless the food, Itadakimasu. Her friend, Conor Nelson remembers that phrase in a special way.
Ayano does some trail running and some biking. Damon uses the app Trail Link to find bike trails to ride.
Ayano picks the iconic recording. She also mentions some of the percussion ensembles she used to listen to growing up like: Kroumata in Sweeden, Amadinda from Hungary, Synergy Percussion from Australia, and Nexus from Canada.
Ayano mentions the piece Stonewave by Rolf Wallin.
Shout-out to Robert Van Sice and Conor Nelson.
Ayano uses Vic Firth sticks and mallets, Zildjan cymbals, as well as Adams percussion instruments.
Damon and Ayano talk about care for your marimba bars.
You can follow Ayano on her Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
The piece leading out of the interview Is Rebonds by Iannis Xenakis, performed by Ayano.
