#284 Jeff Stern- Percussionist, Educator, Co-Founder of the Icarus Quartet and More!
This week’s guest is Jeff Stern. Known for performing “with precision and an impressive attention to timbral detail” (Boston Musical Intelligencer), percussionist Jeff Stern has developed a voice to listen for in today’s contemporary music scene. He has performed extensively throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia, and has collaborated with and championed the work of a number of the world’s preeminent composers. Recent premieres include Alejandro Viñao’s Stress and Flow with The Percussion Collective, James Wood’s Secret Dialogues for solo marimba, and John Luther Adams’ Sila at Lincoln Center’s Out of Doors Festival. As a proponent for the music of our time, Stern also actively commissions works by composers of his generation, such as Thomas Kotcheff, Emma O’Halloran, Robert Honstein, and Juri Seo.
Stern is the executive director, co-artistic director, and founding percussionist of 2 piano/2 percussion group icarus Quartet. Winner of the 2019 Chamber Music Yellow Springs Competition, icarus is quickly gaining the attention of composers, presenters, and audiences everywhere. The 2021-22 concert season brings the Quartet to Florida State University, Community Concerts at 2nd, Music in the Valley, Northern Iowa University, the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, the Kennedy Center’s REACH, and more, including an international debut at the Vienna Summer Music Festival. Fervently adding to its rich body of repertoire, icarus also premieres works by Ruby Fulton, Douglas Knehans, David Crowell, Amy Beth Kirsten, Scott Lee, and the two winners of its second annual student composer collaboration program, iQ Tests. The Quartet’s anticipated commercial album featuring the music of Michael Laurello, Brad Lubman, and Paul Lansky is slated for release on Furious Artisans records in Spring 2022.
With The Percussion Collective, Stern has toured the United States, performed on a live broadcast for WXQR’s Midday Masterpieces, and given a featured evening performance at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention. He rejoins the Collective in the 2021-22 season for Chris Theofanidis’ Drum Circles concerto for four percussionists with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Michael Francis as well as the world premiere of a new work by Emmy Award-winning composer Garth Neustadter for the International Arts and Ideas Festival.
Additional highlights of Stern’s upcoming season include icarus Duo appearances with percussionist Matt Keown presented by Allegro Chamber Music Series in Philadelphia and Piano Spheres in Los Angeles with piano duo HOCKET. Stern also collaborates with the “Pershing’s Own” member Doug O’Connor playing duos for marimba and saxophone, with percussionist Nonoka Mizukami in Philip Glass’ Concerto Fantasy for two timpanists with the Peabody Wind Orchestra, and with members of the National Symphony Orchestra on Washington DC’s Constellation Chamber Concerts series.
Stern performs as an extra percussionist for the Baltimore Symphony and with several new music ensembles including Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra, Mind on Fire, NewPrism Ensemble, NakedEye Ensemble, and ensemble mise-en, with whom he toured to Hong Kong in 2018. He has appeared at the Yellow Barn Music Festival, the Bang on a Can Summer Festival, the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, and the Eighth Blackbird Creative Lab, and can be heard on the Albany, Elm City, Bright Shiny Things, figureight, and Cantaloupe record labels.
Stern serves as Lecturer in Percussion at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. He holds a B.M. from UMass Amherst, an M.M. from the Peabody Conservatory, where he was awarded the Harold Randolph Prize in Performance, and an Artist Diploma from the Yale School of Music.
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday to Dr. Alex Casmiro. Alex is the Associate Director of Bands and a lecturer at the University of New Haven, where he teaches the Chargers Marching Band, the Brazilian Drum and Dance Ensemble, and courses in World Music. He has performed with the Austin Symphony, the Omaha Symphony, and the Round Rock Symphony. Alex also served as the Assistant Director of Athletic Bands at Duke University and was the percussion teacher at Creighton University.
Happy Birthday to Ari Herstand (pronounced Ar*ee Her*stand). He is the author of the best-selling book How To Make It in the New Music Business (Norton / Liveright Publishing | Second Edition November 2019). It remains at the top of the Amazon charts and has been widely adopted by music business schools worldwide.
His music business advice blog, Ari's Take, has become the go-to resource for independent musicians on how to run a successful music career in the NEW music business. Herstand's well-researched, relatable, no BS approach is why so many musicians continue to trust him for advice. He offers encouragement without condescension and maintains a "we're all in it together" attitude not found elsewhere in the space.
Ari Herstand is an independent musician who has played over 700 shows around the country, has opened for or toured with Ben Folds, Cake, Matt Nathanson, The Milk Carton Kids and Ron Pope, has performed on Ellen, and has had his music featured in countless TV shows, commercials and films. He currently leads the 1973 funk project Brassroots District.
Herstand has written for many of the top musician trade magazines and websites including Music Connection Magazine, American Songwriter, Digital Music News, Playback Magazine, CD Baby, Tunecore, Reverbnation, Roland, Discmakers, ASCAP, Hypebot and others. He has been a featured speaker at SXSW, BBC One's Amplify, ASCAP Music Expo, SF MusicTech, CD Baby's DIY Musician Conference and Berklee College of Music.
As an actor, he has co-starred in TV shows including Transparent, Doubt, Aquarius, Mad Men, 2 Broke Girls, The Fosters, Sam & Cat and Touch.
Gig Alerts
Jeff has some upcoming events with his group (icarus Quartet) and the Percussion Collective.
Damon will be performing with Morgan James on June 21st (Make Music Day) at Astor Place at 5.30pm in NYC.
You can check out other gigs Damon is playing by CLICKING HERE.
Damon will be speaking at the DIY Musician Conference in Austin, TX from August 26-28 (Damon’s birthday is the 28th). He will also be doing a live podcast interview with a very special guest.
To find out more details and get reduced tickets, CLICK THIS LINK.
Damon will be giving a clinic/performance at PASIC this November. You can REGISTER HERE if you would like to attend.
The Blue Note Jazz Festival is going on right now. CLICK HERE for more details and artists performing.
Educational Spotlight
Daniel Glass will be bringing his highly successful New York Jazz Intensive program back to EUROPE for a second big year! The second annual Daniel Glass European Jazz Intensive will be held October 13-17, 2022, at the Groovekiste Drum Academy, situated in the heart of the stunning German Rhineland region. For more info, check out the videos below, as well as THIS LINK.
Indiana Wesleyan University is having its 15th annual Marimba Seminar featuring, Leigh Howard Stevens.
You can check out more info here and also the full schedule here. You can register from this link here.
Iconic Recording
The iconic recording for the week was picked out by Jeff. It is “Pyramid Song” by Radiohead from the ‘Amnesiac’ album with Phillip James Selway on drums.
Music News
This first article talks about what is the right way to get on playlists, what kind of playlists are out there, the differences between them, and what kind of playlists can you get your song on? -Article
Here’s the video Damon references with Charles Alexander.
CD Baby is proud to announce our new partnership with Peloton because it means CD Baby artists can now be in the mix!
As part of CD Baby distribution, we can deliver your songs to Peloton, one of the leading fitness brands in the world. Your music could be chosen by their instructors and music supervisors for inclusion in Peloton classes. -Article
Jeff Stern Interview
The song leading into the interview is called “Big Things”, performed by the icarus Quartet.
Jeff started on saxophone and his brother plays piano.
Jeff was introduced to the drums from a friend in middle school.
Jeff marched the Crossmen for a couple of years in the front ensemble under the instruction of Damon, Jack Mansager, Nicole Moyer Darren Hazlett and others.
After the Crossmen, Jeff marched the Reading Buccaneers, then the Blue Stars and then the Cadets.
Jeff attended Umass Amherst for his undergrad degree.
Jeff recalls his audition material for college.
Jeff auditioned for Eduardo Leandro, but ended up studying with, Ian Hale, Ayano Kataoka and Thom Hannum.
Jeff talks about the nuance in teaching with different ensembles and individuals.
Jeff attended a concert at Yale while he was at Umass which inspired him to pursue that university. He ended up attending Peabody for his masters degree. After that, he received an artist diploma at Yale. The latter two under the tutelage of Robert Van Sice.
Jeff talks about how the group icarus Quartet came to be.
He also talks about how the Yale Percussion Group was the impetus for The Percussion Collective.
Damon brings up the logistics of playing with lots of percussion and also the challenges of having two pianos in a group like the icarus Quartet.
Jeff talks about incorporating electronics into an acoustic setup.
The icarus Quartet will be releasing a new album on June 17th called “Big Things”. They will also be at the Kennedy Center as part of the DMV Music Academy’s week-long residency at the Kennedy Center’s REACH, including the world premiere of David Crowell’s Precipice and music from their debut album.
They will also premiere works from composition fellows at the festival as well as faculty composer Anthony Green’s A Series of Harmonies AND perform recent works by David Crowell, Douglas Knehans, and Natalie Dietterich alongside music from their debut album at the Vienna Summer Music Festival Residency.
Shout-out to Donnie Johns!
Damon mentions some places to eat in Austria Vienna.
The Hotel Sacher for their Torte Cake.
Apple Strudel at any of THESE PLACES.
Baked goods at Cafe Demel
There are some other good suggestions by this blogger on THIS POST.
Jeff talks about how he deals with mental health challenges, and how breaks are very important to him. He also brings up THIS BON IVER VIDEO.
He also talks about listening to his body and what makes him happy vs what is detrimental to him.
You can check out Jeff with the icarus Quartet, on his Website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, The Percussion Collective, or at Peabody Institute.
Jeff gives a shout-out to Damon, Jack Mansager, Ayano Kataoka, Thom Hannum, and Robert Van Sice.
Jeff uses Vic Firth sticks and mallets, Zildjian cymbals, Evans drumheads, Pearl Drums and Adams Concert Percussion.
The song leading out of the interview is “Textures” by Paul Lansky, performed by the icarus Quartet.
