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 homepagePayton MacDonald’s William Paterson University pageVoid Patrol’s Bandcamp pageSonic DivideSonic ParksPrevious Podcast Guests mentioned:Mika Godbole in 2026Colleen Bernstein in 2022Michael Udow in 2025Steven Schick in 2025Julie Spencer in 2021John W. Parks IV in 2018Other Links:Ray DesRoches“Persephassa” - Iannis XenakisJohn FerrariM’Bemba BangouraHector MoralesSteve NelsonJohnathan BlakeAlarm Will SoundStefan FreundNew Jersey Percussion EnsembleJohn H. BeckBlackearth Percussion GroupSteve ReichCharles WuorinenMax RoachPhilly Joe JonesElvin JonesJohn MedeskiGlenn GouldGordon StoutVida ChenowethLeigh Howard StevensClair Omar MusserLive at Birdland - John ColtraneUnit Structures - John ColtraneAli Akbar KhanBob BeckerSilence - John CageRudimental Solos for Accomplished Drummers - John PrattPortraits in Rhythm - Tony Cirone12 Studies for Snare Drum - Jacques DelecluseH. Robert ReynoldsMark StoneColin StetsonStephen RushReggie WorkmanRoscoe MitchellJohn AlfieriBobby HutchersonMilt JacksonJason TreutingLawson WhiteSteve OwenFred BugbeeTed PoorDoug PerkinsAnthony Di SanzaBlake TysonCHiPs Freeze frame endingApocalypse Now trailerHeart of Darkness trailerOppenheimer trailerDenis VilleneuveSteven SoderberghThe Dispossessed - Ursula K. Le GuinDisgrace - J.M. CoetzeeCanada - Richard FordThe Human Stain - Philip RothGeorge OppenDylan ThomasCharles BukowskiFluxusMASS MoCA“Just Ancient Loops” - Michael Harrison & Bill Morrison - Maya Beiser, celloRaves:Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) - Sly Stone with Ben GoodmanWTF: Episode 1666 - QuestloveSLY LIVES! aka The Burden of Black Genius trailer