#453 Dr. Erin Walker Bliss- Percussionist, Educator, Non-Profit Director and More!
This week’s guest is Dr. Erin Walker Bliss. Erin is a Lecturer in World Music at the University of Kentucky. Her undergraduate and graduate degrees are from Northern Illinois University and DePaul University respectively, and she holds a Doctoral of Musical Arts Degree from the University of Kentucky. Erin is also ABD in a PhD in musicology/ethnomusicology at UK. Erin has taught courses in music appreciation, jazz history, Asian music, and the history of rock at the University of Kentucky and was a temporary instructor at Northern Illinois University in the summer of 2007. As a percussionist with an extensive background in world music, Erin’s diverse musical interests have allowed her to travel to Korea, Trinidad, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Thailand, Canada, Croatia, and throughout the United States. She has presented papers at various conferences including SEM, CMS, IASPM, Musica Scotica, and Music in 19th-Century Britain. She is a founding member of the nief-norf project, a contemporary percussion ensemble. In Lexington, Erin is the director of the Central Music Academy, a non-profit music program that gives free music lessons to financially disadvantaged children.
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday to Roland Dénes! Roland is the timpanist for the Budapest Festival Orchestra. Roland was born in Szolnok, in 1974. He started his music studies in his hometown, then continued them in Budapest under Gábor Madarassy. In 1989 he was admitted to the Béla Bartók Secondary School of Music, where he studied with Oszkár Schwartz. In 1993 he won a prize at the National Percussion Competition and started his studies at the Franz Liszt College of Music, where he earned his degree in 1997. From 1996 until 2006 he was a member of the BM Duna Symphony Orchestra. As of 1998 he has been involved in the productions of the BFO. From 2009 he regularly gives master classes in Hungary (Franz Liszt Academy of Music, College of Music, Pécs) and abroad (University of Maryland, USA, Columbus, USA). As of 2011 he has been invited to work with foreign orchestras (Berlin Konzerthaus Orchester, l’Orchestre Symphonique de Radio France). Since 2010 he has been an official representative of the Fromme Company in Vienna. He has been a regular guest artist at the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra since 2015.
Happy Birthday to Little Johnny Rivero! Little Johnny has performed all over the U.S., Canada, Europe, Africa, Asia, Caribbean and the South Pacific. Born in New York City to Puerto Rican parents, Rivero, as young boy, was drawn to Latin jazz and the sounds and rhythms of the rumbero players in the NYC area. At age 10, Johnny began practicing percussion and joined his school band. Soon after, he took dance lessons, which eventually led to performances on stage with the bands of the era at such famous venues as the Manhattan Center, the Colgate Garden, the Copacabana, and the Palladium. At age 14, Rivero joined Orquesta Colon, the youngest Latin band in New York City, and recorded two albums with them.
In 1973, Rivero moved to Puerto Rico with his parents, and joined La Sonora Ponceña in 1974. After playing bongos with them for a year and a half, he switched to congas, which rekindled the love he had with the instrument as a small child. Rivero attributes the rhythms and professional conduct he learned from Quique Lucca and his son, Papo Lucca, as qualities that have made him what he is today. During the 16 years Rivero played with La Sonora Ponceña, he traveled worldwide and made 18 highly respected albums with them. - Read more
Happy Birthday to Chris Berry. Chris has performed or recorded with AJR, Iggy Pop, Hot Chip, Yeasayer, Holy Ghost!, Joakim, Roosevelt, The Juan Maclean and many more!
Happy Birthday to Charles Ruggiero! Charles was born to be a drummer. The son of world renowned jazz musician Vinnie Ruggiero, Charles spent his early years surrounded by the "who's who" of jazz. There was always music around, and with musicians like Art Blakey, Philly Joe Jones, Freddie Hubbard, and Jon Hendricks coming to spend time and play, it was only a matter of time before he caught the bug and asked his father to play the "bang-bangs."
As a teenager, Charles got serious about drumming, playing anywhere he could. Soon, local high schools and colleges, as well as professional theatre groups, and popular local bands throughout western N.Y. started to hire him. After winning a seat in the New York State All State Jazz Ensemble, music colleges came calling. Manhattan School of Music offered a full scholarship and a chance to study with famed jazz educator Justin DiCioccio, so he jumped at the chance. The jazz scene in New York City in the early 90's was vibrant and he was plying regularly with his own "who's who" of jazz, including Joshua Redman, Peter Bernstein, Jane Monheit, Ryan Kisor, Joel Frahm, Sam Yahel, Brad Mehldau, Myron Walden, Chris Potter, and Dwayne Burno, to name a few.
Happy Birthday to James Williams! James Williams began his music career at the very young age of 6 years. It was in a local church in south Georgia, where his father was head pastor, that Williams would later develop his abilities while serving on the music ministry. Having participated in music programs offered during his public school education, James tested other instruments but settled on drums as his main interest. Later - when his family moved to Monterey, California - Williams joined the jazz band at Monterey High School. With the support of the Monterey Jazz Festival, he would receive his first international touring experiences and be set firmly on the path toward continued musical development. He began his collegiate studies at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts and would later go on to complete his studies and receive his Bachelor and Master degrees from the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp in Belgium.
Williams has toured North America, Europe and Asia regularly over the years performing at blockbuster festivals such as Bonnaroo, Fuji Rock Festival, Montreux Jazz Festival, Field Trip, PukkelPop, Umbria Jazz Festival, Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival, and the Tokyo Jazz Festival amongst many others. He’s made a career performing a wide variety of music with artists from across the globe spanning several genres. James has backed many artists including GRAMMY award winners and nominees Gary Burton, Burt Bacharach, George Duke, Patrice Rushen, Wynton Marsalis, Emily King, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, Jewel, Talib Kweli and others both onstage and in the recording studio. Williams has also broadened his performance scope to include theater, having been an original cast member in the Off-Broadway, Off West End, and West End productions of "Bacharach Reimagined" in New York City and London afterward a collaborator with Antwerp's Theater De Spiegel in Belgium.
In 2021, Williams helped to launch Inspired By Berklee, a global collaborative project between Berklee College of Music and Inspired Education, a group of 64+ K-12 schools around the world. The main component of this partnership is to send Berklee artists to Inspired Education schools to enhance their current performing arts programs and ignite creativity in their students. Williams also guests occasionally as drum instructor in the Royal Conservatoire Antwerp's Jazz department.
James has recently toured with Europe’s TheColorGrey , Robin McKelle, Portland; North America’s Amos Lee, Emily King, Joey Dosik, and South Africa’s Tutu Poane. His playing can be heard on recent and upcoming releases from recording artists Cory Henry, Milo Meskens, TheColorGrey, Mooneye, Mizuho, and Emily King to name but a few.
Gig Alerts
The Rise Sky Lantern Festival is happening in the Mojave desert in Nevada from Oct 3rd-5th. Friend of the show Lenny Castro will be playing with John Mayer.
The Telluride Blues and Brews Festival will happen from Sept 12th-14th in Telluride, CO.
There are some timpani and percussion job openings over on the Musical Chairs (dot info) website.
Educational Spotlight
There are new drumset artists announced for this year’s PASIC 50! Make sure you register and book your hotel ASAP. Act quick!
Iconic Recording
Erin picked the iconic recording for the week. It is, “Todii” by Oliver Mtukudzi from the album, ‘Tuku Music’
Music News
The MTV VMA awards happened on CBS. You can stream them over on Paramount +. You can also see the nominees and winners HERE. -Article
Lady Gaga cancels her Miami concert last-minute due to vocal strain, but vows to reschedule “as quickly as possible.” -Article
U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib plans to reintroduce the Living Wage for Musicians Act in Congress on September 29. Workers’ unions are drumming up support. -Article
Erin Walker Interview
The song leading in and out of the interview is called, “Pines Long Slept in Sunshine” by Christopher Adler featuring Erin on percussion. You can snag it over on BANDCAMP.
Damon had Erin’s husband, Dr. Andy Bliss on in the past.
Damon was connected to both Blisses by friend of the show, Kassandra Kocoshis.
Erin and Kassandra went to DePaul University (Erin for her masters).
Erin teaches at the University of Kentucky where she also got her doctorate.
Erin is a big shoe fan. Specifically John Fluevog.
Erin has two doctorates!
Erin studied Scottish Drumming. She mentions the Pipe drumming museum. Damon mentions the restaurant and music venue, Oran Mor.
Erin also studied ragtime Xylophone. She mentions Bob Becker.
Damon mentions Red Norvo and Teddy Brown.
Erin got her undergrad from Northern Illinois University.
Shout-out to Morris Palter, Heather Thorn, and Sammy Herman.
Erin studied with friend of the show, James Campbell.
Erin runs a non-profit called Central Music Academy.
Erin talks about her grant writing process. She mentions the platform, Instrumentl, Foundation database, and Foundation Center.
She also mentions using A.I. Like ChatGPT and Gemini.
Erin transitions to her PASIC preview. Come see her on Thursday morning November the 13th.
Erin teaches in Kentucky and her husband Andy teaches in Tennessee.
They are a Kentucky basketball household.
Shout-out to Coach John Calipari.
Nief-Norf was started by Andy Bliss, Kerry O’Brien, and Erin.
Erin talks about being with a partner who works in the same field.
Erin’s dad is responsible for her eclectic music taste.
Shout-out to Birch Creek Percussion Camp.
Erin still has a pen pal.
Erin has issues flying. She did EMDR therapy to ease that form of travel. Damon mentions the A-Team.
Erin picks the iconic recording.
Damon mentions the Mbira as the national instrument of Zimbabwe.
Shout-out to Robert Chappell , Rich Holly, Liam Teague, Dr. Cliff Alexis, Alan O'Connor, Ted Atkatz, Eric Millstein, Mike Green, Al Payson, James Campbell, Rick Clayburn, and Barry Miller,
Erin uses Innovative percussion implements.
Erin talks about her vices.
You can follow Erin on Facebook.
