This episode features my conversation with Justin Faulkner.

Based in Philadelphia, Justin is a drummer, composer, and educator whose passion for music began early on. Starting formal training at age 7, he studied classical music, jazz, and percussion at the Settlement Music School and the Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts, while also receiving instruction from the Principal Timpanist of the Philadelphia Orchestra. As a child prodigy, he stepped onto the professional jazz scene at just 13 years old, and by 2009 had joined the Branford Marsalis Quartet, which is a seat he has held ever since.

Beyond performing, he is deeply committed to education and community, serving as an instructor at Temple University's Boyer College of Music and Dance and mentoring the next generation of musicians with the same encouragement he received.

In our conversation, we talk about how he got his start with formal music education, the importance of listening to the people who have followed this path before you, and how faith and spirituality remains an essential focus in his life.

As this interview ran close to 2 hours, I have divided it into two episodes, so here is Part One of my interview with Justin Faulkner. Follow Justin: https://www.justinfaulknermusic.com Instagram Facebook

This episode features my conversation with Chip Ritter.

Based in Arizona, Chip is a professional drummer recognized for his versatility and showmanship. In addition to maintaining an active freelance career, he has a passion for education and is a co-founder of the Drummers Education Connection Podcast.

Highly regarded for his showmanship, Chip is best known for being the first drummer in history to Juggle 3 drumsticks while playing drums on The Late Show with David Letterman.

In this episode, we talk about his early career aspirations, overcoming mindset obstacles and addictions, and why maintaining strong community connections is essential to navigating your life and career. Follow Chip https://chipritter.com Facebook Instagram YouTube Podcast Drummers Education Connection David Letterman Performance

For this episode, I was joined by renowned session drummer Ash Soan and the legendary David Garibaldi for a roundtable conversation exploring the factors in creating a musical groove.

It was a great opportunity to explore the ideas and perspectives behind what makes music feel good and why that matters so much to the people who dedicate their lives to it.

In our conversation, we talk about the music that sparked their own creative journeys, the importance of exploring beyond your influences to carve out a voice that's uniquely your own, and how the shifts in today's music landscape are changing the way music gets made.

Follow Ash: https://www.ashsoan.com Instagram Facebook YouTube Follow David: Facebook Instagram