#465 PASIC Recap Part 2- Feat. Ivan Llanes, Kassandra Kocoshis, Lenny Kumar & Stefon Harris!
Today’s guests have been on previously (except for Lenny). To hear those interviews, check out…..
Ivan Llanes - Episode #279 and Episode #386.
Kassandra Kocoshis - Episode #12 and Episode #311.
Stefon Harris - Episode #19 and Episode #391.
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday to Ji Su Jung! Born in South Korea, she is a rarity in the world of percussion having begun her studies at the age of four. Her exceptional talent was recognized early on and led to recitals and concerto performances at such a young age that she needed a small platform to stand upon just to reach the keyboard of the instrument. That platform was soon left behind as her stature and musical voice matured and numerous solo performances ensued. In 2011, she came to the United States where she completed her undergraduate studies at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, thanks to a generous grant from The Brookby Foundation in Wisconsin, and later received her Masters and Artist Diploma from the Yale School of Music under the tutelage of famed percussionist Robert van Sice.
Her exceptional potential quickly blossomed into professional success leading to concerto performances including the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra with Marin Alsop, Colorado Springs Philharmonic with JoAnn Falletta, Houston Symphony with Daniel Hege, the Aspen Festival Orchestra with Michael Stern, Grand Rapids Symphony with Marchelo Lehninger, the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra with Peter Oundjian, Boise Philharmonic with Eric Garcia, the Windsor Symphony in Canada with Robert Franz and the Romanian Symphony Orchestra. Miss Jung made her commercial recording debut this season at the invitation of Pulitzer prize winning composer, Kevin Puts performing his spectacular marimba concerto with Marin Alsop and the Baltimore Symphony for the Naxos label. Her recitals across America have also won over new audiences for the marimba and her appearance at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C resulted in an unexpected invitation to join the faculty at The Peabody Institute. Ji Su has garnered numerous prizes in national and international competitions. She was the first percussionist in twenty six years to win the First Prize and the Audience Choice Award at the 2018 Ima Hogg Competition of the Houston Symphony and was a laureate in the International Marimba Competition in Linz, Austria in 2015. NPR radio host Fred Childs welcomed her as an artist in residence for his nationally syndicated program, Performance Today. During her week with him in Minneapolis, she performed many of the seminal pieces in the marimba repertoire introducing the instrument to listeners in every corner of the country. While in Minnesota, Jung’s concerts for children were highly successful reflecting her love for bringing classical music to young audiences. Ji Su has presented master classes at numerous conservatories and universities around the world including the Curtis Institute of Music, New York University’s Stienhardt School, The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, and the Beijing Central Conservatory in China and she serves on the faculties of the Curtis Institute of Music as well as the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University.
As the repertoire for marimba in mixed ensemble is growing rapidly, Miss Jung has become an active chamber musician alongside her solo concerts. Her first commercial chamber CD of Garth Neustadter’s Seaborne with The Percussion Collective is due for release in 2023. This all-star collection of young percussionists performs recitals and concertos in major concert venues around the world and she has been a core member since its inception. She has also appeared at the Yellow Barn and Norfolk Chamber Music Festivals where she performed with many of today’s greatest chamber musicians including legendary pianist Gilbert Kalish and Roger Tapping, formerly of the Takács String Quartet. Starting in the 2022-2023 season, Ji Su will join forces with luminary flutist Marina Piccinini to form a duo performing in both North America and Europe.
Happy Birthday to Satnam Ramgotra! Satnam Ramgotra brings 30+ years experience to the Hollywood landscape as a studio musician for TV & film, a composer & a live-performance drummer & percussionist for world-renowned artists. Blending his training in Indian classical music with modern percussive styles allows him to create within a wide array of genres from punk & funk to classical & jazz. Ramgotra says, “I have an instinctual ability to capture the colour, style & emotion of what is intended to be created musically”.
Amongst the ‘A-list’ composers he collaborates alongside he is a house-musician at Hans Zimmer’s Remote Control Productions & worked on such projects as The Lion King 2019, The Dark Knight & Black Hawk Down as well as a co-composer on Dunkirk. His versatility in the industry allows him to perform, record or tour with artists like Beck, Sting, Pharrell Williams, Macy Gray, Shakira & he has appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno & the 84th Academy Awards. You may have also heard his work on the A&E, Discovery, Epix, Food Network, History Channel, MLB, NFL, NHL Showtime networks as a composer for the boutique music library house Extreme Music.
Happy Birthday to Ross Pederson! Ross is an explosive, sensitive, dynamic, and compelling voice on the drum set and in the studio, Ross has in the last decade emerged as an in-demand drummer and producer in Brooklyn, NY. Ross has shared the stage with renowned, diverse and prominent musicians/artists as Fred Hersch, Snarky Puppy (recorded on their first album, The Only Constant), The Manhattan Transfer, Take 6, Eddie Gomez, Kenny Werner, Patti Austin, Shayna Steele, David Cook, Chris Potter, Melissa McMillan, Grace Kelly, Emmy Rossum, Jessie James, David Binney, Lew Soloff, Nir Felder, Will Lee, Kevin Hayes, Jean-Michel Pilc, Rufus Reid, Mark Egan, Francois Moutin, Ben Wendel, John Ellis, Tim Lefevbre, Gary Versace, Oz Noy, Marc Johnson, Patricia Barber, Henry Hey, Lynne Arriale, Johannes Weidenmueller, Jon Hendricks, Madeline Eastman, Joe Martin, Taylor Eigsti, John Abercrombie, Billy Drewes, Rich Perry, Wycliffe Gordon, Gilad Hekselman, Pete McCann, Kate McGarry, Ralph LaLama, among many others. As a sideman, Ross has recorded on dozens of albums ranging from Jazz trio to Indie Rock. He is a current member of the bands of Shayna Steele, Melissa McMillan and Grace Kelly, The Manhattan Transfer, as well as a frequent member of the Kenny Werner and Fred Hersch Trios. In addition to his jazz roots Ross stays in touch with his rock, pop, and singer-songwriter roots, playing with and producing jazz, soul/R&B, folk, rock, and indie-electronic artists in Brooklyn at his home studio.
Gig Alerts
Guns and Roses have added new dates to their forthcoming tour in 2026.
Here’s how to watch the Rockafeller Center Tree Lighting ceremony in NYC on Wed Dec 3rd. The performers have been announced.
Educational Spotlight
Registration for the PAS Percussion Ensemble Competition and Festival (PECAF) series opens on Monday, December 8, at NOON Eastern Time. This regional series allows student percussion ensembles high-level competition experience, organized and adjudicated by leading percussionists and percussion educators. Registration is First-Come, First-Served, and some locations fill VERY quickly. (We’re talking by 10 minutes after they open quickly). So make sure to set your alarms to register in time!
More Info HERE.
PECAF Locations for 2026:
North Texas Percussion Festival, Forney High School, Feb. 27-28
University of Tennessee Percussion Festival, Feb. 28
Utah Valley University, March 7
University of Missouri, March 14
UCF Celebrates the Arts, University of Central Florida, April 6
The University of Texas at San Antonio, April 11
Portland State University, April 18
Colorado State University, April 25
McCallum High School, Austin, TX, April 25
Langham Creek High School, Houston, TX, May 2
PASIC Virtual Sessions this month. These video clinics are free and open to all through December 31, 2025. Visit pas.org/pasic to see the schedule and access the sessions (or use the Guidebook app). Sessions debut at the times listed on the schedule, in the Eastern time zone.
Iconic Recording
Damon picked the iconic recording for the week. It is “I Can See Clearly Now” performed by the late Jimmy Cliff. It was originally recorded by Johnny Nash and featured the Fabulous Five as the backing band.
Music News
After singer Olivia Dean calls out “vile” reselling practices, Ticketmaster will partially refund fans affected by the so-called “typo.” Meanwhile, CEO Michael Rapino addresses the matter. -Article
Three years ago, ticked-off Swifties sued Live Nation and its Ticketmaster subsidiary over the Eras Tour “ticket sale debacle.” Now, multiple amended complaints and twists later, the suit is officially proceeding. -Article
A death metal band from Portland, OR is no more after the members had an explosive falling out. Vitriol guitarist Keith Merrow, bassist Brett Leier, and drummer Andy Vincenzetti all three say they quit because of a dispute with their frontman Kyle Rasmussen. -Article
As streaming companies make record profits, independent artists struggle. Representative Rashida Talib introduced the Living Wage for Musicians Act to tax companies like Apple Music and Spotify, and generate a new streaming revenue for the artists. These platforms would not be successful without artists and our independent artists deserve to be compensated fairly.
This is the clip about touring that has been making the rounds on social media.
PASIC Booth Interviews - Part 2
The song leading into Ivan’s interview is, “Soy Yo” from his album, ‘La Vida Misma’.
Ivan talks about what he was presenting in his first clinic, attending his first PASIC.
The song leading into Kassandra’s interview was a traditional Buleria with guitarist Vahagni.
She talks about her Flamenco based clinic and some other adventures, like teaching at LACC.
The clip leading into Lenny’s interview was from a Tassa Band in Trinidad.
Lenny talks about his instrument, his musical adventures as well as the book he wrote.
The song leading into Stefon’s interview is, “Life Signs” from the album by Stefon called, “Sonic Creed: Vol. 2 - Life Signs”
Stefon talks about his clinic and the new app he created called Harmony Cloud Pro.
Here’s an example of what you can sound like after getting the app and working with it!
