The Cameron Leach Podcast

American violinist Andrew Sords maintains a massive career as both soloist and chamber musician, having performed on 4 continents, collaborated with over 300 orchestras, and appeared on innumerable recital series. He has been profiled by media outlets such as Sirius XM and NPR’s Morning Edition, and recently announced the release of his new contemporary editions company, Green Point Editions.

Dr. Andy Harnsberger is a touring marimba recitalist and clinician, as well as the Director of Percussion at Lee University. In addition to his teaching and performing, he is a widely respected composer in the percussion field whose works can be heard all over the world. He has appeared at universities all over the US, numerous PAS Day of Percussion events, and most recently was featured in a daytime showtime concert at PASIC 2019.

Kyle Peters is the Percussion Instructor at the Eastman Community Music School (ECMS) and a member of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra’s (RPO) percussion section. He has performed with the Orchestra of Northern New York, Finger Lakes Opera, and at the Skaneateles Music Festival, and his chamber music projects include the Leach|Peters Duo (percussion) and Morizio/Peters Duo (saxophone/percussion). He has earned degrees from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam and the Eastman School...

Mike Geisz is a streaming video gamer, online content creator, multi-sport coach, and middle school physical education teacher in Central Ohio. He streams via Facebook Gaming under the name GutsyGeisz, where he is building a community around the game DayZ and others.

Ujjal Bhattacharyya is a percussionist currently finishing his Artist Diploma at Carnegie Mellon University. He is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon and Ithaca College, and has placed at many national and international percussion competitions. He has toured with the Heartland Marimba Ensemble and un/pitched Percussion Trio, and also remixes Raas music for competitive collegiate dance teams.

On this Q/A episode, Cameron answers listener-submitted questions from Instagram. Topics covered include endorsement deals, musical challenges after graduating, how to approach bookings, toilet paper shortage during the pandemic, structuring emails to professors, processes for learning several new pieces simultaneously, standard repertoire, possibly composing new music, and when to build your own website.

Sean Clark is a touring concert percussionist, educator, and rising star in the drum corps activity. He is a fellow member of Orphic Percussion, and the Percussion Caption Head of the Blue Devils B Drum & Bugle Corps. He earned a degree in music education from Fresno State, and is the Director of Percussion for Saratoga High School.

Bob Breithaupt is the Director of Percussion Studies at Capital University, where he has overseen the percussion program for the last 40+ years. Bob is the drummer for the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, Past President of the Percussive Arts Society, and a co-founder of one of the nation’s premier drum shops—Columbus Pro Percussion. He presents clinics all over the world, consults and advises in myriad roles for arts organizations, and has been a musical contractor for decades.

Drew Martin is a Columbus-based freelance musician, working as a percussionist, drummer, arranger, producer, copyist, and educator. His varied work finds him performing in an eclectic mix of groups, ranging from the Newark-Granville Symphony Orchestra to Rhythm X, musical theater companies to opera productions, and more. His recent releases, Modern + Art and the Quarantine Tapes, are available now.

Colleen Bernstein is a touring percussion artist whose work is profoundly intersectional, deeply musical, and highly collaborative. She performs internationally as a soloist and with various chamber projects, and actively pursues social justice through her work as an arts organizer. Colleen has earned degrees from the Eastman School of Music and the University of Michigan.

Currently based in Nashville, Tennessee, Kramer Sell is a nationally touring drummer and percussionist playing with the BoDeans and Tolan Shaw. He is a third generation professional musician, with his grandfather having led a jazz orchestra and his father touring the world with United States Air Force Bands. Kramer earned a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Capital University, and also studied at Belmont University.

Currently based in Denton, TX, the Spectrum Ensemble is a percussion duo made up of Jaime Esposito and Stephen Hall. The ensemble strives to increase visibility of talented Queer musicians and composers through its threefold mission: to commission and perform great music of a high caliber; to increase representation of Queer artists in the classical music world; and to raise funds to be donated to meaningful LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations.

Percussionist and storyteller Cory Hills thrives on breaking down musical barriers through creative, interdisciplinary projects. He has received degrees from Northwestern University, Queensland Conservatorium, the University of Kansas, and was awarded a research fellowship to Institute Fabrica. Percussive Storytelling, a program that brings classical music and storytelling to kids in fun and accessible ways, was launched by Hills while a fellow at Institute Fabrica. Currently, Hills is an...

Percussionist and storyteller Cory Hills thrives on breaking down musical barriers through creative, interdisciplinary projects. He has received degrees from Northwestern University, Queensland Conservatorium, the University of Kansas, and was awarded a research fellowship to Institute Fabrica. Percussive Storytelling, a program that brings classical music and storytelling to kids in fun and accessible ways, was launched by Hills while a fellow at Institute Fabrica. Currently, Hills is an...

Ivan Trevino is a Mexican-American composer and percussionist who has become one of the most recognizable names in the community. He is a member of the cello + percussion quartet Break of Reality, a founder of a new percussion/songwriting collective The Big Trouble, and a regular guest artist at institutions around the world. Ivan and I are collaborating on a new piece for percussion soloist + quartet to be premiered next season.

Catherine Cole is the Artistic Operations Coordinator for The Florida Orchestra, where she handles guest artist relations and behind-the-scenes administrative work, including contracts, travel logistics, and more. She holds degrees from Florida State University and the Eastman School of Music, and has spent several summers at the Eastern Music Festival as a Percussion Fellow.

Durwynne Hsieh is a Bay Area-based composer of orchestral, solo, chamber, and choral works. His music has been performed by the Toledo Symphony, Tassajara Symphony, San José Chamber Orchestra, Marin Symphony, and many others. In addition to his musical work, he has a Ph.D. in molecular biology, with degrees from MIT and UC Berkeley. Durwynne and I collaborated on a new percussion concerto which was premiered the same day that this episode was recorded.

On the third solo episode of the podcast, Cameron previews PASIC, announces a new solo show with Colleen Bernstein, discusses the balance between frustration and gratitude, and talks openly about the hardest month of his performing career. He also digs into the highs and lows of recent performances, and highlights his newest favorite whiskies.

Matthew Salvaggio is the Music Director and Conductor of the Euclid Symphony Orchestra, University Heights Symphonic Band, and Orchestra 19, a 19th-century historical performance practice orchestra. His previous academic appointments include professorships at Hiram College and Lakeland Community College, and he is very involved in the commissioning of new works. Matthew and I are collaborating on a performance of the Sejourne Marimba Concerto with the Euclid Symphony Orchestra on October 27.

Andrea Tafelski (Andē) holds a degree from The Cleveland Institute of Music in Percussion and Timpani Performance. Her classical music experience ranges from her time at CIM to experiences at Brevard Music Center, The Florida Orchestra, Opera Tampa, and more. Her current project is a departure from some of her previous experiences, revolving around an entirely different part of the musical world, mixing singer-songwriter aesthetics with percussion instruments at the forefront. AKA, singing...