The Bandwich Tapes

In this episode, I sit down with singer-songwriter CJ Hooper to talk about building songs—and confidence—as an independent artist without rushing the process. We dig into how moving from Texas to Washington shaped his musical perspective, and why honest, story-driven country music seems to resonate no matter where you live.

CJ and I talk about releasing Over Yonder, his second album just a year after his debut, and the surprisingly self-confronting experience of hearing your own voice back in the studio. We also get into early cassette-tape influences, playing in a band with musicians decades older than him, cutting his teeth at open mics, and slowly figuring out how his original songs want to live in the world. It’s a conversation about patience, craft, and letting the work grow naturally—one song at a time.
Music from the Episode:
Burn it Down (CJ Hooper)
Lookie Over Yonder (CJ Hooper)
Rain Song (CJ Hooper)
Thank you for listening. If you have questions, feedback, or ideas for the show, please email me at [email protected].
The theme song, "Playcation", was written by Mark Mundy.

In this episode, I sit down with percussionist Colin Currie for a wide-ranging conversation about curiosity, originality, live performance, and the lifelong pursuit of musical meaning. Colin is one of the most influential percussionists of our time, known for his deep commitment to contemporary music, his close collaboration with composers, and his transformative interpretations of Steve Reich’s work. This conversation explores how curiosity, patience, and listening have shaped his career and his approach to music-making.

We begin by talking about technology, access to recordings, and the changing landscape of music education. Colin reflects on growing up in a time when discovering music required effort, intention, and physical presence in libraries and record shops. He shares concerns about students learning pieces by copying online performances rather than developing their own ideas, and he speaks passionately about the importance of solitude, curiosity, and learning music on one’s own terms.

Colin traces his musical beginnings back to early childhood, from piano lessons at age five to his first drum lesson at six, describing the joy, excitement, and physical energy that initially drew him to percussion. He talks about how that sense of wonder has never left him and why live performance remains a magical, irreplaceable experience. We explore why percussion continues to evolve so rapidly, how technique has advanced across the field, and why musical intent always matters more than virtuosity alone.

A significant portion of the conversation focuses on Colin’s connection to contemporary music and the composers who shaped his artistic identity. He describes hearing The Rite of Spring as a teenager, discovering post-war modernist composers through library scores, and developing an instinctive attraction to music that felt strange, challenging, and unfamiliar. Colin shares how his love for new music was never about understanding it intellectually, but about responding to it emotionally and instinctively.

We also dive deeply into Colin’s relationship with Steve Reich, including their first meeting, their long-standing collaboration, and the formation of the Colin Currie Group. Colin reflects on recording Music for 18 Musicians at Abbey Road Studios, explaining how the goal was to capture the intensity and emotional risk of live performance rather than create a polished studio artifact. He talks about groove, sonority, emotional depth, and why Reich’s music demands both precision and expressive freedom.

Colin discusses his growing role as a conductor and how stepping onto the podium has changed the way he listens, leads, and collaborates with ensembles. He shares stories from recent performances, lessons learned from orchestral musicians, and how listening remains the central skill, whether playing or conducting. We also talk about his record label, Colin Currie Records, crowdfunding new projects, and the upcoming release of a Steve Reich album featuring Sextet, Double Sextet, Six Marimbas, and Dance Patterns.

As we look ahead, Colin reflects on 2026 as a landmark year, including Steve Reich’s 90th birthday, dozens of performances of Reich’s music worldwide, and the premiere of Colin’s 40th percussion concerto. This is a thoughtful, inspiring conversation about curiosity, commitment, and the lifelong responsibility of serving music.
Music from the Episode:
Mallet Quartet (Steve Reich - Colin Currie Group)
Music for 18 Musicians - Section VI (Steve Reich - Colin Currie Group)
Thank you for listening. If you have questions, feedback, or ideas for the show, please email me at [email protected].

In this episode, I sit down with drummer Kim Trammell for an honest, wide-ranging conversation about groove, identity, longevity, and finding your way back to joy in music. Kim is an intensely musical player whose feel, touch, and sound are unmistakable, and this conversation traces her path from early classical training to decades of professional drumming in Memphis and beyond. We talk about how her background in piano and orchestral percussion shaped her approach to the drum set, why timpani was such a formative instrument for her, and how classical technique translated naturally into tone, touch, and control on the kit.

Kim shares her early musical story, starting with Suzuki piano at a young age, followed by rudimental snare drum training and a strong classical percussion education at the University of Memphis. She explains how she never took formal drum set lessons, instead transferring everything she learned in orchestral percussion into real-world playing situations. We talk about the importance of sound production, the influence of Fred Hinger’s timpani approach, and why understanding how to pull sound from an instrument matters more than simply hitting it.

A significant chapter of the conversation centers on Kim’s years playing professionally in Memphis, including formative experiences on Beale Street and a pivotal five-year house gig at a casino in Tunica, Mississippi. Kim describes playing eight hours a day across constantly changing genres, learning how to truly listen, and developing pocket by following seasoned musicians who demanded restraint, patience, and deep time feel. She reflects on how those experiences reshaped her sense of groove, taught her how to place notes behind the beat, and forever changed how she hears music.

We also dive into Kim’s decision to step away from full-time performing and pursue a second career as a massage therapist. She speaks candidly about burnout, the physical toll of decades of drumming, and the emotional cost of turning music into a constant source of income. Kim explains how studying body mechanics and healing work transformed her relationship to her own body and helped her rediscover music as a source of joy rather than obligation. We talk about posture, self-care, and why musicians so often neglect their bodies until something breaks.

The conversation turns deeply personal as Kim and I discuss sobriety, presence, and self-forgiveness. Kim shares her long journey of choosing sobriety, recognizing unhealthy patterns, and reclaiming clarity, health, and emotional honesty. We talk about how the music industry can normalize destructive habits, why change is frightening but necessary, and how being fully present is one of the greatest gifts musicians can give themselves and others.

We also explore Kim’s perspective on social media, identity, and self-worth. She reflects on joining Instagram later in life, why she shares music without chasing validation, and the dangers of tying personal value to views, likes, and algorithms. Kim speaks powerfully about separating self-worth from musical ability, encouraging younger musicians to protect their mental health and remember that music is something they do, not who they are.

We close by talking about groove, pocket, bass, and drum relationships, favorite drummers, Memphis’s rich musical legacy, and the importance of honoring the song above all else. This is a thoughtful, vulnerable, and profoundly human conversation about music, healing, and staying connected to what matters most.
Thank you for listening. If you have questions, feedback, or ideas for the show, please email me at [email protected].
The theme song, "Playcation", was written by Mark Mundy.

In this episode, I sit down with percussionist, composer, and author Russell Hartenberger for a deep and reflective conversation about sound, mentorship, history, and the long arc of a musical life. Russell’s influence on percussion performance, composition, and pedagogy is immeasurable, and this conversation traces the remarkable path that led him from a childhood in Oklahoma to the center of some of the most important musical movements of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

We begin with Russell’s early years studying percussion with Alan Abel in Oklahoma City and how that formative mentorship shaped his relationship to sound, mechanics, and musical discipline. Russell shares stories about studying at the Curtis Institute of Music with Fred Hinger, including the now legendary focus on sound production and timpani tone that defined his approach to every percussion instrument. We talk about why timpani study is foundational for all percussionists and how concepts of weight, touch, and resonance translate across the entire percussion family.

Russell reflects on graduating from Curtis during the height of the Vietnam War and on the sudden pivot in his life when an orchestral job offer was withdrawn because of the draft. He recounts his years performing with the United States Air Force Band in Washington, D.C., describing how military band life mirrored many aspects of orchestral performance while also providing structure during a turbulent moment in American history. We discuss the impact of performing military funerals at Arlington National Cemetery, the discipline of daily rehearsals, and how that period ultimately created space for further academic and artistic exploration.

A pivotal chapter of the conversation centers on Russell’s graduate studies at Wesleyan University and his introduction to ethnomusicology and non-Western musical traditions. Russell describes his early studies in African Drumming, tabla, and gamelan, and how these experiences fundamentally reshaped his musical worldview. This path led directly to his introduction to Steve Reich in 1971, where Russell became involved in the creation and early performances of Drumming. He offers a rare, firsthand account of learning Reich’s music by rote, rehearsing as the piece was being written, and discovering the subtle rhythmic feel that would come to define the Reich ensemble’s sound.

We explore the formation of Nexus and how improvisation, global instrument collections, and collaboration shaped the ensemble’s identity. Russell explains how Nexus and Reich’s music intersected, how percussionists became central to rhythmic interpretation, and how early Nexus performances helped introduce Reich’s music to a broader percussion community. He reflects on how later generations of performers have built upon that foundation, adapting the music to new contexts while maintaining its core integrity.

The conversation turns deeply personal as Russell discusses his composition Requiem for Percussion and Voices. He shares the emotional and historical influences behind the work, including military funerals, childhood memories of church bells, and the symbolic role of percussion in mourning rituals. Russell explains how the piece came together organically, how its structure revealed itself through the writing process, and how adding voices expanded the work's emotional resonance.

We close by discussing Russell’s current life in retirement, his ongoing writing and scholarship, and his continued engagement with the percussion community through residencies, performances, and significant publications. Russell reflects on writing about Steve Reich’s performance practice, the evolution of interpretation across generations, and the importance of documenting lived musical experience. This episode is a profound meditation on sound, time, mentorship, and legacy from one of percussion’s most thoughtful and influential voices.
Music from the Episode:
The Desert Music (Steve Reich)
One Last Bar, Then Joe Can Sing (Gavin Bryars)
Music for Mallet Instruments, Voices, and Organ (Steve Reich)
Requiem for Percussion and Voices (Russell Hartenberger)
Thank you for listening. If you have questions, feedback, or ideas for the show, please email me at [email protected].

In this episode, I sit down with mandolinist, composer, and bandleader Jacob Jolliff for a wide-ranging conversation about curiosity, discipline, and building a musical life that resists easy categorization. Jacob is one of those rare musicians who move fluently between bluegrass, jazz, classical, and experimental music without losing his voice in any of them. We begin by talking about his love of variety, why collaboration continues to drive his schedule, and how he follows genuine musical curiosity rather than a rigid career plan. Jacob reflects on touring, playing weekend runs versus more extended tours, and why he’s motivated to say yes to projects while the travel still feels energizing.

A significant focus of the conversation is Jacob’s upcoming classical recording, a mandolin concerto explicitly written for him by composer Jesse Jones. Jacob walks through how the project came together, from a lifelong friendship that began when he was a child to a reunion nearly two decades later, after Jesse had become one of the most respected contemporary classical composers in the country. We talk about performing the concerto with an orchestra, recording the work, memorizing a demanding five-movement piece, and learning the nuanced skills required to follow a conductor while still maintaining musical agency. Jacob explains how the music successfully bridges contemporary classical language with bluegrass sensibilities without feeling like a caricature of either tradition.

We also dive deep into Jacob’s years at Berklee College of Music and the fertile Boston roots scene that shaped a generation of genre-bending acoustic musicians. Jacob reflects on studying with John McGann, the early days of what would later become Berklee’s American Roots program, and coming up alongside players like Alex Hargreaves, Dominick Leslie, Sierra Hull, Julian Lage, Brittany Haas, and others. We talk about why conservatories embracing acoustic and roots instruments have changed the musical landscape and why this moment feels uniquely exciting for mandolin, fiddle, and banjo players.

Jacob shares the origin story of his band, including how his time with Yonder Mountain String Band prepared him to lead a project of his own. We talk about the balance between being a sideman and a bandleader, why the best leaders often have deep experience in both roles, and how empathy grows when you’ve carried responsibility from both sides of the bandstand. Jacob walks through how his lineup evolved, why consistency eventually mattered more than flexibility, and how his current band came together organically around shared priorities and musical trust.

We spend time talking about Jacob’s jazz projects, including his standards recordings and the unusual instrumentation of mandolin, bass clarinet, snare drum, and bass. Jacob explains why learning jazz still feels like learning a second language, how making records can be part of the learning process rather than a final statement, and why exploring multiple genres keeps his playing honest. We also talk about his admiration for musicians who dedicate their lives to a single tradition, even as he continues to thrive as a musical generalist.

We close with a thoughtful discussion about Jacob’s practice routine, discipline, and mindset. He explains why he practices nearly every day, how consistency prevents stagnation, and why regularly confronting technical and musical walls is part of long-term growth. Jacob speaks candidly about the psychological challenges of being a driven musician, the tension between ambition and perspective, and why staying curious ultimately matters more than perfection. It’s an honest, inspiring conversation about craft, patience, and the lifelong pursuit of musical depth.
To learn more about Jacob, visit his website.
Music from the Episode:
Large Garbage Barge (Jacob Jolliff)
Moose the Mooch (Jacob Jolliff)
Sheerson Crosses the Rocky Mountains (Jacob Jolliff)
The Good, The Bad, and the Home-Schooled (Jacob Jolliff)
Stumbling Distance (The 376 Years) (Jacob Jolliff)
Thank you for listening. If you have questions, feedback, or ideas for the show, please email me at [email protected].