#507 Yun Ju (Alice) Pan- Percussionist, Educator, Composer, and More!
This week’s guest is Yun Ju Pan. Describing Yun Ju (Alice) ’s artistry, marimba legend Keiko Abe wrote:
“Alice has natural musicality and performs with great sensitivity. I am convinced that her playing will deeply touch the hearts of audiences.”
This praise captures the expressive depth and nuanced musicianship that define Yun Ju (Alice) Pan, a dynamic performer, educator, and chamber musician.
Yun Ju currently serves as Assistant Professor of Percussion at Missouri State University, where she directs the percussion area and leads a vibrant, forward-looking program. She is internationally recognized for her musical sensitivity, interpretive insight, and commitment to advancing percussion education.
An active performer and clinician, Yun Ju has appeared in concerts, festivals, and competitions across Australia, Taiwan, Japan, China, and the United States, including featured performances at PASIC. She collaborates frequently with percussion ensembles, chamber musicians, and distinguished artists, and her educational outreach has brought her to universities and music institutions worldwide. Her teaching specialties range from percussion ensemble techniques and solo marimba artistry to curriculum design and pedagogical development.
Yun Ju holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Percussion Performance from Michigan State University, a Master of Music from Ithaca College, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music Performance from SooChow University (Taiwan).
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday to Ed Jarusinsky! Ed is a versatile drummer and percussionist with a lifelong passion for music. His sensitivity, diversity, and experience create a musical blend that is both modern and traditional. He received a Jazz Studies Degree from the University of North Texas where he had the privilege of studying with Ed Soph, Dr. Robert Schietroma, and Ron Fink. He is endorsed by Smith Drums and Vic Firth drumsticks and is the author of a drum set method book and CD entitled Rock Solid: The Art of the Groove. A Guide to Becoming a Musical Drummer. Ed has toured the U.S. as well as fifteen other countries and has performed and/or recorded with Kevin McKinney, Robyn Ludwick, Max Frost, Bob Schneider, Ephraim Owens, Charlie Robison, Bruce Robison, Kelly Willis, Nakia and his Southern Cousins, Suzanna Choffel, The Nightowls, Dave Sebree, Van Wilks, Tommy Shannon, The Stingers, Alex Coke, The Guy Lombardo Orchestra, Joel Guzman, and many more.
Ed teaches Drums and Percussion Instruments to students of ages 10 and up. His teaching style is relaxed and fun with a strong emphasis on musicianship and individuality. He has been on the faculty at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Upper School for over a decade teaching music theory and rock band classes. Ed Jarusinsky is honored to perform and teach for a living and is eager to share his knowledge at the Austin School of Music.
Happy Birthday to Pete ZImmer! Pete, moved to New York City in June of 2001, and has since established himself as one of the top-call drummers in New York City’s jazz scene. Originally from Waukesha, Wisconsin, Zimmer has made his mark nationally and internationally as a versatile and articulate drummer, bandleader, sideman, composer, educator, and record label entrepreneur.
Since 2004, Pete Zimmer released five (5) critically acclaimed albums as a leader on his own record label, Tippin’ Records. The albums showcase both his constant swing on the drums and his skillful and melodic compositions. His composition, “Time That Once Was,” a moving ballad recorded on his first album Common Man, was recently licensed to Sony Pictures Television where it was featured in the opening scene of the series they produce “Masters of Sex” (Episode 307, Monkey Business), aired on Showtime. He has received many accolades from major publications. "Pete Zimmer has learned his New York lessons well, as his dry tone, meaty swing beat and subtle accents make him an old hand” (Down Beat), and "Zimmer's drumming boasts a crisp, swinging command with judicious musicality." (Modern Drummer)
Zimmer’s band has performed at many of the prominent jazz venues in New York City including: The Blue Note, Jazz Standard, Smoke Jazz Club, Smalls Jazz Club, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Birdland Jazz Club, The Kitano, Fat Cat, and Cornelia Street Café. He has toured throughout much of the USA and the United Kingdom. Throughout the years his group has featured many of the top musicians in New York City including: Mike Rodriguez, Joel Frahm, Jeremy Pelt, George Garzone, Peter Bernstein, Avi Rothbard, David Wong, Peter Slavov, Rick Germanson, Toru Dodo, John Sullivan, Mike DiRubbo, Ryan Kisor, Vitaly Golovnev, George DeLancey, Jerry Weldon, Joseph Lepore, Jaleel Shaw, Robert Rodriguez, Jeb Patton, and others.
Pete Zimmer is a highly regarded educator and clinician. He has presented clinics and masterclasses at many top collegiate jazz programs throughout the United States and United Kingdom. He is a faculty member with the New York Jazz Academy since 2009.
As an active sideman, Zimmer can be heard on the latest recording by legendary bassist Ron McClure Trio, Hope and Knowledge. (McJolt Records, 2017) He has also performed and/or recorded with the likes of: George Garzone, Rodney Jones, Ron McClure, Dennis Irwin, David Schnitter, Akiko Tsuruga, Rick Germanson, Julius Tolentino, Gene Perla, Wayne Escoffery, Dan Nimmer, and many others.
Pete Zimmer’s record label, Tippin’ Records, was originally established to feature his own projects, but after having much success with his first few releases, it did not take long for other artists to solicit their projects to Tippin’. In 2009 Zimmer decided to expand the catalogue and encompass additional artists. The first additional artist was trumpeter Vitaly Golovnev with the release of To Whom It May Concern and was followed by guitarist Kyle Asche Organ Trio (featuring legendary organist Melvin Rhyne), Blues for Mel. The label now has a total of one dozen releases and six artists.
Before moving to New York, Zimmer studied at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois and at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, earning his bachelors degree. At the Conservatory he was fortunate to have apprenticeships with master musicians and teachers Danilo Perez, Cecil McBee, George Garzone, Bob Moses, Jerry Bergonzi, and Bob Brookmeyer.
Happy Birthday to Munyungo Jackson! Percussionist, Composer, Arranger, Producer, Author and four time Grammy Winner Darryl Munyungo Jackson possesses an ever-increasing collection of instruments with which to execute his craft. That is one of the reasons this warm and unassuming West Coast artist can be found in virtually any musical setting—whether it’s Funk, Pop, Jazz, Latin, Reggae, or traditional dance music of such countries as Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, Haiti, Brazil and Cuba.
Despite his youthful appearance, Munyungo is no newcomer: in his over thirty years of playing, he has developed an awesome versatility and became a well-respected and much requested session, concert and tour player. He has performed with Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder, Sting, Kenny Loggins, Herbie Hancock, Dianne Reeves, the Zawinul Syndicate, George Howard, Ronnie Laws, The Temptations, Four Tops, The Supremes, Bennie Maupin, Bill Summers, Marcus Miller, and dozens of others, including numerous ethnic music and dance troupes.
Munyungo was born in Los Angeles, California, into creative surroundings: his parents, Arthur Jackson Jr. and Genie Jackson, both maintained various involvements in music, dance and writing, and Munyungo is the nephew of the legendary jazz, pop and blues singer and pianist Nellie Lutcher who was on Capital Records.
As a child, Munyungo was required to take classical piano lessons, and did so until he was nineteen years old. But in his high school years, when one of his buddies started a Latin jazz band, seventeen-year-old Munyungo found himself uncontrollably attracted to the sound of the timbales, and his interest in piano began to fade. He began spending more and more time with the percussionist in that band, soon discovering that he was quite skillful at observing and remembering the techniques. His first opportunity he purchased his very own set of timbales.
During this period, Munyungo’s father was program director of a jazz radio station. The benefit to Munyungo was the constant exposure to much music. He happily surrounded himself with the albums of the many Latin artists of the day such as Mongo Santamaria, Willie Bobo, and Tito Puente, and practiced by playing his timbales along with these albums. Soon, his system of observation-plus-practice proved to be an effective method of self-training, and it wasn’t long before he formed a Latin jazz band with his classmates.
Munyungo’s passion for the timbales was only the beginning. From that point, he made the natural progression to Congas, Bongos, Latin Percussion and beyond, eventually to religious Bata Drumming, and numerous drums and percussion from many different cultures.
Subsequently, he met and worked with traditional drummers from Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, China and Japan resulting in a collection of over four hundred percussion instruments and drums from all over the world — all of which he plays proficiently.
Why that name? On several occasions, he performed with some players from Africa and the Caribbean, who would shout “Munyungo!” (Which is a Zulu word meaning “door” or “entrance”) to cheer him on as he played — and it wasn’t long before the word attached to him as a nickname.
Now, for him, the name means “Gateway to Heaven.” -Bio
Happy Birthday to Michael Compitello! (also on Episode #245 and PASIC Recap #3) is a dynamic, “fast rising” (WQXR) percussionist active as a chamber musician, soloist, and teaching artist.
Michael is dedicated to both honoring his instrument’s most important repertoire and creating dynamic new art through collaborations with composers, performers, actors, and artists in all mediums. He has performed with Ensemble Modern, Ensemble Signal, Ensemble ACJW, and with members of the Bang on a Can All-Stars, Eighth Blackbird, and So Percussion, while appearing in diverse locations such as the Darmstadt Summer Course, the LA Phil’s Green Umbrella Series, June in Buffalo, Mostly Mozart, the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, and the International Festival of Arts and Ideas.
Michael has worked with composers Helmut Lachenmann, Nicolaus A. Huber, David Lang, John Luther Adams, Alejandro Viñao, Marc Applebaum, and Martin Bresnick on premieres and performances of new chamber works. He also champions new and recent works for solo percussion in the US and abroad, organizing and participating in consortium commissions for works for solo percussion from composers such as Christopher Cerrone, Tonia Ko, Amy Beth Kirsten, James Wood, and David Crowell.
With cellist Hannah Collins as New Morse Code, Michael works to catalyze and champion the compelling works of young composers. Through long-term collaboration with colleagues such as Christopher Stark, Robert Honstein, Andy Akiho, Matthew Barnson Tonia Ko, Paul Kerekes, and Caroline Shaw, New Morse Code has created a singular and personal repertoire that reflects both their friends’ creative voices and their own perspectives.
New Morse Code's debut album Simplicity Itself was released in 2017 on New Focus Recordings. Praised as “an ebullient passage through pieces that each showcase the duo’s clarity of artistic vision and their near-perfect synchronicity," (I Care if You Listen) and "a flag of genuineness raised" (WQXR), Simplicity Itself was featured on Spotify's Top Classical of 2017 Playlist and WQXR's New Sounds. New Morse Code was a finalist in the 2014 Concert Artists Guild Competition and recipients of a 2015 Classical Commissioning Grant from Chamber Music America with composer Christopher Stark.
In addition to performing, New Morse Code has worked with composers and performers at universities across the country, the University of Kansas, Austin Peay State University, The Catholic University of America, and Cornell University, in addition to leading interactive performances at Community MusicWorks in Providence, the Geneva Music Festival, and Greenwood Music Camp. New Morse Code are Assistant Directors of the Avaloch Farm Music Institute, a residency program in Boscawen, New Hampshire designed to provide resources for performers and composers collaborating on new works.
As an orchestral musician, Michael has performed with the Lucerne Festival Academy Orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, and the Aspen Festival Orchestra, and with conductors Pierre Boulez, Marin Alsop, Reinbert de Leeuw, David Zinman, James Conlon, Brad Lubman, and Gustav Meier.
Happy Birthday to Lenny Castro! Born in N.Y.C., N.Y on Sept. 19th. 1956 Son of musician, Hector L. Castro, who was pianist and Musical Director for Johnny Pacheco and Celia Cruz as well as having his own group, Conjunto Candela. His first conga and drum set were given to him by his stepfather, George Cordero. Lenny went to the same high school his father attended, Fiorello LaGuardia High School of Music and Art. Lenny also attended Mannes College Of Music, Third Street Music School, All-Boro Band and Orchestra, All High School Band and Orchestra as well as playing in Salsa bands like Johnny Colon, Eddie Palmieri and other local NY bands at the age of 14. At age 19 he was discovered by Melissa Manchester working at the Frank Ippolioto’s Pro Drum Shop. Shortly after that Melissa and the band moved to L.A. where he met musicians like Steve Lukather, David Garfield, Carlos Vega, as well as The Porcaro Family, Chuck Delmonico, and many other. Soon becoming a part of the L.A. scene himself. He Started to work for many producers in L.A. like Richard Perry, Leon Ware, John Stronach, Vini Poncia, James Newton Howard, Bill Schnee, Tommy Lipuma, Russ Tittleman and Lenny Worenker, John Stroud and others. He has toured and recorded with countless artists.
Happy Birthday to Carol Steele! She has been traveling to Cuba for 30 years, and introducing the island to fellow travelers for 20. Carol developed her love of travel as a professional musician, but it was going to Cuba in 1987 when she knew she had found her spiritual home. Carol’s enthusiasm is contagious, as is her love of Cuba, its culture, its history, and most of all, its people. Carol’s professional résumé reads like a Who’s Who of popular music. She has performed or recorded with Peter Gabriel, Steve Winwood, Joan Baez, Tears for Fears, Bette Midler, and many other well-known artists. Carol was the first American woman to play with Los Muñequitos de Matanzas, one of Cuba’s iconic folklore groups, and she toured the United States with Lazaro Ros and Amelia Pedroso, two of Cuba’s most popular and beloved Folkloric singers. Carol’s second passion, besides music, is the study of Cuban Religions of African Origin. She loves to share her knowledge of the history of these spiritual practices, of their survival through music and art, and of how deeply entwined they are into the fabric of everyday Cuban life.
Happy Birthday to Keith Rousu! Keith Rousu is the Director of the Seattle Seahawks Blue Thunder Drumline. Beginning at the age of 12, drumming and sports have been his passions. Spending 4 years in the renowned University of Washington Husky Marching Band Drumline, Keith also played around Seattle in various rock bands before deciding upon a career change. He went back to school for a degree in Sports Management and that led to where it all began with the Seahawks. He has arranged music and instructed clinics for a few high schools in Washington. Blue Thunder has performed with guest drummers: Alan White (YES), Jason Finn (Presidents of the USA), Mike Derosier (Heart), Steve Smith (yes, thee Steve Smith!) and Scott Rockenfield and all members of Queesnryche. Blue Thunder also has the biggest bass drum in the world, built by Dynasty in spring of 2006, sitting at 100” in diameter. Blue Thunder proudly uses and abuses Dynasty Drums, Sabian Cymbals, Vic Firth sticks and mallets, and Remo drumheads.
Gig Alerts
Friend of the show Jeffrey Barudin has posted some new JOB OPENINGS on his website.
The Country Calling Festival is happening in Ocean City, MD from October 2nd-3rd.
Friend of the show, Mona Tavakoli is on tour with Sara Bareilles for the Good Grief tour. Rumor has it drummer, Derrek C. Phillips is a Blue Devils alum.
Educational Spotlight
The Modern Drummer Magazine Readers Poll is live and you can submit your email and cast your vote.
The Percussive Arts Society has posted the SCHEDULE FOR PASIC. There is also an app that will be updated as we get closer to the Convention in November.
Iconic Recording
Alice chooses “Blues For Gilbert” by Mark Glentworth and explains in the episode why it’s so important to her.
Music News
There are musician grants available through the end of the year.
Artists are preferring residencies over tours.
The House of Representatives passed both the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act (H.R. 979) and the American Music Tourism Act (H.R.1768) within 20 minutes of each other the 15th, and then advanced the MAIN Event Ticketing Act (H.R.2713) out of the Committee on Energy and Commerce the next day. -Article
A federal judge says Trump must provide 30 days’ notice on any changes to the Kennedy Center’s renovation plans, including demolition. The move comes after Trump was photographed overlooking a placard indicating that demolition was forthcoming. -Article
Yun Ju (Alice) Pan Interview
The song leading into the interview is, “The Other Side (of Silence)” by Gordon Stout
Yun Ju explains why she refers to herself as Alice.
Alice is from Taiwan and studied with friend of the show Pei-Ching Wu. She was a member of the Ju Percussion Group.
Alice’s first instrument was piano.
She talks about support from her parents and convincing them music is a great career.
Alice teaches at Missouri State University and previously taught at Northern Alabama University.
She talks about her job duities.
Shout-out to Dr. Tracy Wiggins.
Alice got her bachelors from Soo Chow University in Taiwan, her masters from Ithaca College, and her doctorate at Michigan State University.
Shout-out to Gordon Stout and Gwendolyn Dease.
Alice talks about studying with Keiko Abe.
Alice mentions her wish list of people she would like to study with including friend of the show Steve Houghton and possibly Theodor Milkov.
Alice talks about what she will present at PASIC, where she will present at 8am on Friday.
She wrote a preview article coming out in a forthcoming issue of Percussive Notes.
Damon gives some clinic prep tips, including a green laser pointer.
Alice talks about what she presented at the North Carolina Percussion Symposium.
She talks about her scheduling throughout the year.
Alice is part of the Without Borders Percussion Quartet.
Alice talks about her friendship with friend of the show, Kana Omori.
Damon mentions playing with Kana at PASIC 50 with friends of the show Dr. Matthew Lau and Saturnino “Satur” Tiamson, Jr.
Alice picks out the iconic recording.
Shout-out to Gordon Stout and Andrew Siegmeyer.
She is proudly endorsed by Salyers/Encore Mallets, Yamaha Corporation of America, and Remo Drumheads.
Shout-out to Gordon and Christine Stout, Gwendolyn Dease, Jon Weber, and Alice’s parents, aunts, cousins, friends, and her students.
