This week’s guest is Dr. Annie Stevens. Annie, an active soloist and chamber musician throughout the U.S. and internationally, is the Associate Professor of Percussion at Virginia Tech. She has performed internationally at music conservatories in England, Spain, China, France, Germany, and Trinidad. In 2017, she was invited as a fellow to attend Ensemble Evolution, a performance seminar hosted by the International Contemporary Ensemble at the Banff Centre in Banff, Canada. Nationally, she has collaborated with New York’s Ensemble Signal and the Grammy nominated Metropolis Ensemble, as well as performed and lectured at over 35 universities, at four international conferences, and featured on NPR’s "Performance Today."

As a member of the percussion duo Escape Ten, Annie maintains an active performance calendar around the United States and abroad, having recently performed in 2022 at the Eastman School of Music, Steinmetz Hall in Orlando, and the Percussive Arts Society East Region Day of Percussion in Greensboro. In 2019, Escape Ten was featured at the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles conference (WASBE) in Buñol, Spain, and the 3rd Meeting of Contemporary Percussionists in Xabia, Spain. Escape Ten collectively contributes to the growing repertoire of percussion music by commissioning composers, and publishing these new works under the Escape X Series through Keyboard Percussion Publications. Their Escape Ten Signature Mallets are available through Malletech, a series that includes 5 different types of mallets, perfect for chamber percussion repertoire. The duo has also performed a keyboard showcase concert at the 2016 Percussive Arts Society International Convention, the Leigh Howard Stevens Summer Marimba Festival, Atlanta's prestigious Spivey Hall, the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, Jacksonville’s Cummer Museum, and numerous universities.

As an advocate for new percussion solos and chamber music, Annie has been a part of commissioning over 45 new works for percussion. She has been featured in performances at the International Computer Music Conference, the Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the U.S., and the New Interfaces for Musical Expression conference. She performs in a faculty quartet, October Sky, whose mission is to actively commission, record, and perform works for tenor, violin, cello, and percussion. Their debut album will be released on the MSR Label in 2023.

Annie is the principal timpanist for the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, where she was recognized as "impeccably responsive" by the Roanoke Times. On March 25, 2023, Escape Ten will be soloists on the U.S. premiere of John Psathas’ The All-Seeing Sky, with the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra. She has also performed with the festival orchestras of the Music Academy of the West, the National Orchestral Institute, the Aspen Music Festival, and the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra (Florida). She can be heard on the albums, Our Favorite Things (Ravello Records) and Colours of a Groove by Escape Ten, and Blue Earth County with the Kelly Rossum Quartet. Annie's primary teachers include Michael Burritt, Alan Abel, Chip Ross, Bill Cahn, She-e Wu, and Tom McGowan, and she holds degrees from Northwestern University (B.M.), Rutgers University (M.M.) and The Eastman School of Music (D.M.A).

Annie endorses Malletech instruments, Remo drumheads, Blackswamp Percussion, and Dream Cymbals and Gongs, and she is the Chapter President for the Percussive Arts Society, Virginia/D.C. Region. She lives in Blacksburg, VA with her husband and violinist, John Irrera, and their two young daughters.

Annie Stevens is the Associate Professor of Percussion in the School of Performing Arts at Virginia Tech where she teaches studio percussion and directs the VT percussion ensemble (VTP). As a member of the percussion duo, Escape Ten she maintains an active performance calendar around the United States and abroad, having recently performed with the Escape Ten duo at the 2019 World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles conference (WASBE) in Buñol, Spain, and the 3rd Meeting of Contemporary Percussionists in Xabia, Spain. Escape Ten, comprised of Annie Stevens and Andrea Venet, performs new repertoire throughout the U.S. and abroad, collectively contributing to the growing repertoire of percussion music by commissioning composers, and publishing these new works under the Escape X Series through Keyboard Percussion Publications. The duo has also performed a standing room only showcase concert at the 2016 Percussive Arts Society International Convention, the Leigh Howard Stevens Summer Marimba Festival, Atlanta's prestigious Spivey Hall, the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, Jacksonville's Cummer Museum, as well as numerous universities.

As a chamber musician and soloist, Stevens has performed internationally at music conservatories in Beijing, Guangzhou, and Xi’an, China, The Academy for the Performing Arts in Trinidad, the Paris Conservatory with the Eastman Percussion Ensemble, and has toured throughout Germany as timpanist with the Detmold Chamber Orchestra. In 2017, she was invited as a fellow to attend Ensemble Evolution, a performance seminar hosted by the International Contemporary Ensemble at the Banff Centre in Banff, Canada. Nationally, she has collaborated with New York’s Ensemble Signal and the Grammy nominated Metropolis Ensemble. Local engagements include those with the Roanoke Symphony as the principal timpanist, the Wintergreen Summer Music Festival, and the Garth Newell Music Center. She can be heard on albums, Blue Earth County with the Kelly Rossum Quartet, and Escape Ten’s, Colours of a Groove and Our Favorite Things (Parma Recordings label).

Annie has been featured at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention on numerous occasions, the Virginia Music Educator’s Association annual conference, the New Interfaces for Musical Expression international conference, the International Computer Music Conference, the Society for Electro-Acoustic Music, the International Trumpet Guild, the College Music Society National Conference, and the International Trombone Festival.

Stevens earned a D.M.A. degree from the Eastman School of Music where she studied percussion with Michael Burritt. Her research interests are in the area of chamber percussion, percussion pedagogy, and world percussion. She has pursued research on the music of Paul Lansky, having presented a lecture recital entitled, "From Electronic to Acoustic: A Study on Paul Lansky's Acoustic Percussion Music." She also holds degrees from Northwestern University (B.M.) and Rutgers University (M.M.), and spent a semester abroad at the Hochschule für Musik in Detmold, Germany. Her teachers include Michael Burritt, She-e Wu, Bill Cahn, Alan Abel, Chip Ross, and Tom McGowan. Previously, she has served as a faculty member at Christopher Newport University and the University of West Georgia. Annie is a Malletech Performing Artist, a Remo artist, a Dream Cymbals and Gongs artist, and serves on the Board of Advisors and music technology committee for the Percussive Arts Society. Annie currently lives in Blacksburg with her husband and violinist, John Irrera.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to Aaron Serfaty! Aaron was born in Caracas, Venezuela. He began playing drum set at the age of fifteen and started to play professionally at seventeen. He did extensive work as a session and touring drummer from 1980 until 1991 with local and international artists such as Frank Quintero, Ilan Chester, Guillermo Carrasco, Carlos Mata, Guillermo Davila, Soledad Bravo, Elisa Rego, and El Trabuco Venezolano. He was also busy doing jingle sessions for Coca-Cola, Pepsi, 7-up, Bubbilicious, Toyota, Renault, Fiat, and several regional products.

In 1991 he moved to Los Angeles to study Jazz and African American studies at the California Institute of the Arts. Aaron has also taken lessons with Peter Erskine, Joe LaBarbera, Jeff Hamilton, Jerry Steinholz, and Juan Oliva. Since his move to the US he has played with artists like Stan Kenton’s 100th birthday celebration orchestra at The Hollywood Bowl (on percussion), Arturo Sandoval, Sergio Mendes, Jon Anderson, Oscar Hernandez, Otmaro Ruiz, Dori Caymmi, Rique Pantoja, Teka, Oscar Castro-Neves, Denise Donatelli, Kristin Korb, Kathleen Grace, Bill Cunliffe, Shelly Berg, Justo Almario, and Alan Pasqua among many others.

He has done sessions on drums and/or percussion for many artists, among them Jon Anderson, Arturo Sandoval Larry Williams, Joe LaBarbera, Juan Carlos Quintero, Juan Gabriel, Eddie Reyes, Brian Swartz, Todd Hunter, a song for the movie Rio, Angry Birds Samba, Along Came Poly, and other independent releases - see “Albums” page for more! Aaron has also recorded jingles for Viceroy (worldwide campaign, 2001) and EA Sports MLB (2001).

Tours have included Arturo Sandoval’s European, Asian, and Latin American tours between 1991 and 1996, and Australian tour 1997. Jon Anderson’s 1993 Latin American tour, Larry Williams’ Japan tour 2003, Shelly Berg with the Orquesta Sinfonica Simon Bolivar, Caracas 2009.

He has done clinics and master classes at the Lima Jazz Festival in Peru (2006), First Latin American Drummers Festival in Caracas, Venezuela (2004), French Polynesia Conservatory of Music in Papeete, Tahiti (2005), Conservatorium Van Amsterdam (March 2018), and Amherst College (April 2018).

As a teacher he has taught at Los Angeles College of Music (1997-2014), at The California Institute of the Arts (2000-2014) and is currently on faculty at the University of Southern California (1997-present) where he conducts the Latin Jazz Ensemble, teaches drum set, and a Latin Percussion class.

Happy Birthday to Paulo Stagnaro! Over the last decade, with a myriad of performances across the globe, several studio projects as a sideman, television appearances, and contributions in Jazz, Pop, Latin, and World music, Two-time Grammy-Award Winning percussionist Paulo Stagnaro has established himself as an innovative voice in today’s generation of creative young artists. Hailed by jazz legend Ralph Peterson as “a young master percussionist,” Stagnaro has been a force on the ever-evolving New York music scene since moving to Brooklyn, NY in 2012.

Paulo has toured, performed and/or recorded with NEA Jazz Master Paquito D’Rivera, Grammy-Winner Angelique Kidjo, Jazz Legend Dave Liebman, Danilo Perez, Issac Delgado, Rosa Passos, and formed part of the all-star rhythm section for Sting’s 25th Anniversary Rainforest Fundraiser at Carnegie Hall featuring James Taylor, Paul Simon, and Stephen Stills.

He has been a part of international Superstar Ricky Martin’s touring band since 2014, garnering his second Grammy Award in 2015 for “A Quien Quiera Escuchar.” Stagnaro endorses Latin Percussion Instruments, Sabian Cymbals, Vic Firth Sticks, Remo Percussion Heads, Roland, Reflexx Pads, CRS Cymbal Resonance Systems and Earthworks Audio.

Happy Birthday to Dr. Brian Zator! Dr. Brian Zator is the Director of Percussion at Texas A&M University-Commerce and a Past-President of the Percussive Arts Society. At A&M-Commerce, he coordinates all percussion activities including Percussion Ensemble I, II, & III, Drumline, "Panimation" and Pan2 Steel Drum Bands, “Samba LeÁ£o” Brazilian Ensemble, undergraduate and graduate applied lessons, and the percussion methods and literature courses. He earned his Bachelor of Music Education degree from Baylor University, Master of Music degree from the University of Michigan, and his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of North Texas. He is also a student of world-renowned marimba artist, Keiko Abe, having performed and studied with her in Japan.

As a marimba/percussion soloist or ensemble director, Dr. Zator has performed at seven Percussive Arts Society International Conventions (PASIC), the Texas Music Educators Association Convention, the Texas Bandmasters Association Convention, the College Band Directors National Association Convention, the North Texas Keyboard Percussion Symposium, as well as abroad in China, Brazil, Japan, Australia, Switzerland, Argentina and Luxembourg. He has been a soloist with groups such as the Lone Star Wind Orchestra, the University of North Texas Wind Symphony, the Baylor Woodwind Quintet, the A&M-Commerce Wind Bands, the Conroe and The Woodlands Symphonies, and with college and high school percussion ensembles around the country. He made his Carnegie Hall debut with the A&M-Commerce Wind Ensemble in the spring of 2012.Dr. Zator and the A&M-Commerce percussion ensemble were one of the three winners of the 2010 PAS International Percussion Ensemble Competition and performed a showcase concert at PASIC 2010. In 2012 they released “Epic Proportions,” featuring music from their showcase concert. The ensemble also presented a concert at PASIC 2006 featuring works of Minoru Miki and in 2007, released a CD entitled “Sohmon III: New and Unknown Percussion Works of Minoru Miki.”Dr. Zator has two solo CD's released on Equilibrium Records: “Zamiki: Music for Solo Marimba” and a chamber-works CD entitled, “Zoomorphs”. He is the author of the method book, "Keyboard Fundamentals with Play-Along Tracks", published by Innovative Percussion. He is also the author and performer on several iBook publications providing detailed video instructions and full-length performances for popular marimba solos including Yellow After the Rain, Rain Dance, Sea Refractions, and The Tempest. He was a member of The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps and taught the University of Michigan drumline. Active within the Percussive Arts Society (PAS), he currently serves as Immediate Past-President on the Executive Committee and Keyboard Editor for Percussive Notes. He has also served on the PAS Board of Directors, the Keyboard and Percussion Ensemble Committees, written reviews for Percussive Notes, and has adjudicated the PAS International Percussion Ensemble, Composition, and Solo Marimba competitions. Dr. Zator is proud to be a performing artist and clinician for Innovative Percussion, Evans, Sabian, and Black Swamp.

Gig Alerts

Bonnaroo is happening June 13-16th. You can buy 1, 2, or 4 day tickets with parking and camping options. Catch friend of the show, Jordan Rose with Maggie Rogers on Friday June 14th.

The 38th New York Salsa Festival is happening in Brooklyn, NY on Saturday June 8th. Friend of the show, Bobby Allende will be there with his band 8 Y Mas.

The Second Annual Zildjian Jam will be happening in New Orleans on Tuesday April 30th, during Jazz Fest at Tipitina’s. Several friends of the show will be performing including: Zach Danziger, Joe Dyson, Taku Hirano, and Pedro Segundo.

Educational Spotlight

PAS Chapter Events

2024 PAS Missouri Chapter Day of Percussion

Saturday, April 13

Battle High School - Columbia, MO

2024 PAS Ontario Chapter Day of Percussion

Saturday, April 27

University of Windsor - Windsor, ON, Canada

The Magnolia State Percussion Festival - MS Chapter

Saturday, April 27

Jones College - Ellisville, MS

2024 PAS Tennessee Chapter Day of Percussion

Saturday, April 27

Trevacca Nazarene University - Nashville, TN

2024 PAS Connecticut Chapter Day of Percussion -Shout-out to Marcos Torres.

Sunday, April 28

Naugatuck High School - Naugatuck, CT

California Competitive Percussion Festival & Central California Day of Percussion -Shout-out to Jeff Queen.

Friday & Saturday, May 3-4

California State University (Friday) & Clovis North High School (Saturday)

Fresno, Fresno, CA

2024 PAS Washington Chapter Day of Percussion

Saturday, May 18

Mount Vernon High School, Mount Vernon, WA

Iconic Recording

The first iconic recording is “Thriller” by Michael Jackson. While Ndugu Chancler and Jeff Porcaro split the drum chair for this album and Paulinho Da Costa plays percussion on it, for the title track Thriller, the drum programing is done by Michael Jackson. -Personnel.

The other iconic recording is ABBA’s, “Lay All Your Love on Me” performed by Caroline Shaw & Sō Percussion (with friend of the show Jason Treuting).

Music News

On April 1, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services instituted a 250% visa fee increase for global musicians hoping to tour in the U.S.

Artists, advocacy groups and immigration lawyers are concerned it could have devastating effects on emerging talent worldwide and local music economies in the U.S. -Article

2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class: Cher, Mary J. Blige, Ozzy Osbourne, A Tribe Called Quest

Dave Matthews Band, Foreigner, Peter Frampton and Kool & the Gang will also be inducted at the Oct. 19 ceremony, which will air live on Disney+. -Article

After expanding its Ticketmaster partnership in late 2023, TikTok has finalized a global ticketing pact with AEG’s AXS, enabling users to purchase event passes in-app. -Article

The Tennessee General Assembly has passed a bill to create a live music fund for musical artists and venues, and now it heads to Governor Bill Lee’s desk to await a signature. The bill provides a potential structure for a live music fund that will eventually provide grants to venues, promoters, and performers. -Article

Congratulations to everyone involved in the WGI Percussion Championships in Dayton, OH.

Annie Stevens Interview

The song leading into the interview is called “Fast Lane” performed by the Escape Ten duo from the album, ‘Our Favorite Things’.

The interview starts with Damon and Annie reminiscing over the St. Viateur bagels in Montreal.

They were both a part of the Montreal Chapter’s Day of Percussion events.

Annie recaps the last few months and performances and masterclasses with her duo, Escape Ten.

Annie just hosted the Percussive Arts Society’s, Virginia Chapter’s, Day of Percussion.

Annie is the president of the Virginia/D.C. Chapter.

Annie teaches at Virginia Tech and explains her job duties.

Annie mentions the Day of Remembrance and run that happens in town.

Annie talks scheduling with her job at Virginia Tech, her duo Escape Ten, playing with the Roanoke Symphony, being a mom and more! She and her husband use the iCal.

Shout-out to the Late Nite mallets by Malletech, developed by friend of the show, Tony Miceli.

Annie talks about her PASIC clinic.

Shout-out to the George Hamilton Green 50 Lessons Book.

Damon brings up the Harmony Cloud app developed by friend of the show, Stefon Harris.

Annie talks about a study abroad program in Spain that is open to anyone, not just Virginia Tech students.

Annie attended Northwestern University and studied with Michael Burritt for her undergrad.

Then she got her masters from Rutgers University studying with Alan Abel and She-e-Wu.

She finished off with her Doctorate degree at Eastman School of Music.

Annie has been a PAS member since middle school.

Shout-out to fellow percussion studio classmates: Sean Connors, Chris Jones, Ivan Trevino, Maria Finkelmeier, and Amy Garapic.

Annie talks about her journey to Virginia after the University of West Georgia, and Christopher Newport University.

Annie has a collaboration with dance called The Memory Palace Project.

Annie talks about how she and Andrea (Venet) met for the formation of their duo.

She talks about how the tasks are divided up.

Annie talks about social media.

Annie picks out the iconic recordings for the week. Shout-out to the late great Ndugu Chancler.

Annie uses Remo Drumheads, Dream Cymbals, Black Swamp Percussion, and Malletech Instruments and Mallets.

Shout-out to Michael Burritt, Alan Abel, Chris Diviney, She-e Wu, and Tom McGowan.

Annie grew up in Kingwood Texas, near Houston.

Annie talks about travel logistics and decisions that go along with that.

You can reach out to Annie at Virginia Tech, or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. The Escape Ten duo also has their own social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

The song leading out of the interview is “Clear Midnight” by the Escape Ten duo from the album, ‘Our Favorite Things’.