Pete's Percussion Podcast - Pete Zambito
Pete's Percussion Podcast: Episode 510 - Payton MacDonald
Episode 510 - Payton MacDonald Pete's Percussion Podcast William Paterson University (NJ) Percussion Director and Music Department Chairperson Payton MacDonald stops by to talk about his college job, the challenges of getting jobs in higher education, and the facilities at the school (03:15), how he handles and maintains his physical and mental health with involvement in so many creative activities, his years as a founding member of Alarm Will Sound, and his move towards improvisation as the basis of his creative performances now (26:40), growing up in Idaho Falls (ID), his early percussion and band experiences, his exposure to a wide swath of genres from a young age, and his experiences mountain biking (45:40), attending the University of Michigan for undergrad and studying with Michael Udow (01:00:00), attending Eastman (NY) for his grad degrees, developing a freelancing career and setting himself up for success on the college teaching level, and his years teaching at the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh (01:08:25), and finishes with the Random Ass Questions, with segments on music in competition, personal health, practical clothes, motorcycles, making fried rice, great books and poetry, administrative duties, and new music concerts (01:24:35). Finishing with a Rave on the 2025 documentary Sly Lives! (01:53:50). Payton MacDonald Links: Payton MacDonald’s homepage Payton MacDonald’s William Paterson University page Void Patrol’s Bandcamp page Sonic Divide Sonic Parks Previous Podcast Guests mentioned: Mika Godbole in 2026 Colleen Bernstein in 2022 Michael Udow in 2025 Steven Schick in 2025 Julie Spencer in 2021 John W. Parks IV in 2018 Other Links: Ray DesRoches “Persephassa” - Iannis Xenakis John Ferrari M’Bemba Bangoura Hector Morales Steve Nelson Johnathan Blake Alarm Will Sound Stefan Freund New Jersey Percussion Ensemble John H. Beck Blackearth Percussion Group Steve Reich Charles Wuorinen Max Roach Philly Joe Jones Elvin Jones John Medeski Glenn Gould Gordon Stout Vida Chenoweth Leigh Howard Stevens Clair Omar Musser Live at Birdland - John Coltrane Unit Structures - John Coltrane Ali Akbar Khan Bob Becker Silence - John Cage Rudimental Solos for Accomplished Drummers - John Pratt Portraits in Rhythm - Tony Cirone 12 Studies for Snare Drum - Jacques Delecluse H. Robert Reynolds Mark Stone Colin Stetson Stephen Rush Reggie Workman Roscoe Mitchell John Alfieri Bobby Hutcherson Milt Jackson Jason Treuting Lawson White Steve Owen Fred Bugbee Ted Poor Doug Perkins Anthony Di Sanza Blake Tyson CHiPs Freeze frame ending Apocalypse Now trailer Heart of Darkness trailer Oppenheimer trailer Denis Villeneuve Steven Soderbergh The Dispossessed - Ursula K. Le Guin Disgrace - J.M. Coetzee Canada - Richard Ford The Human Stain - Philip Roth George Oppen Dylan Thomas Charles Bukowski Fluxus MASS MoCA “Just Ancient Loops” - Michael Harrison & Bill Morrison - Maya Beiser, cello Raves: Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) - Sly Stone with Ben Goodman WTF: Episode 1666 - Questlove SLY LIVES! aka The Burden of Black Genius trailer
