#39 Michael Spiro- Master Percussionist, Educator & Co-Founder of Talking Drums!

MIchael Spiro is a professor at the Jacobs School of Music which is part of the University of Indiana. 

This episode is sponsored by Scott Kettner's World Drum Lessons (dot com)

If you are interested in checking out the jewelry that Karl Perazzo makes, you can click HERE to see more.

The album Batu Ketu is our iconic recording for this week and here is more info on that. This is the track we featured from the album. The song title is "Ochun/Oxum"

Music news this week features an update on the Hand in Hand benefit. They are now up to $65mil raised for hurricane relief funds. ASCAP donates $25k to Musiccares to help provide assistance with shelter, food, instrument and recording equipment replacement and more to musicians affected by the floods and hurricanes. LP also has a cowbell they are selling where 100% of the proceeds go to Musiccares to help musicians affected by the recent storm based tragedies. Here are some other places you can donate to that are trustworthy to help with all the relief efforts. Youcaring is the Ricky Martin and Carmelo Anthony backed charity to help. And as always, you can donate to the Red Cross. 

Festivals that went down over the weekend to celebrate unity as well as relief efforts were the Global Citizens Festival, The Pilgrimage Festival, and the Concert for Charlottesville. 

Here are ways that the flag gets disrespected on a daily basis and you may not have even known it. 

Here's a video interview on the new album by Michael Spiro (out now)....

The definition of Ethnomusicology is the study of the music of different cultures, especially non-Western ones. There is a more detailed description here. 

These are a couple of ways to study musically in Cuba legally. Option 1,  Option 2. 
Michael decided to go to Cuba after having an apprenticeship with Francisco Aguabella. 

The bossed gongs that Michael refers to in Burma are explained here. 

The book/dvd combo Talking Drums can be found here. It was a percussion trio of Michael Spiro, Jesus Diaz and David Garabaldi. 

Michael co-wrote some percussion parts for the show Blast! One of the parts he helped out on that he mentions is the intermission segment. 

The Don Alias show mentioned was accompanied by this flyer.....

This is an explanation of Rock and Roll (and the drumming) by the great Steve Jordan.

This is the link to check out the new album Bakini: En El Nuevo Mundo. The Congadrummer's Guidebook can be found here.

Michael uses Latin Percussion instruments, Vic Firth Sticks, Remo Drumheads, Sabian Cymbals, and DW Hardware exclusively. 

If you'd like to reach Michael, you can follow him on Facebook or email him at: mspiro@indiana.edu