Percussion

"Traditional styles have been played the same way for many years. It can be hard to break that tradition if you're not from the area where a style comes from. You may have ideas but hesitate to express them because of the fear that natives of that area will criticize you; when somebody outside a culture makes changes to a tradition, sometimes people don't take it that well. I would say, respect the tradition and study it, but then build from there. Experiment and express yourself, make it your own. Don't let the tradition stop you; use it as a starting point. Because things have to keep changing."

"Playing in a band is the culmination of everything my students do in music. All the practicing, all the listening, all the training—it all comes together in a band. It's important to understand all those dynamics and what's necessary to support them. Developing the capacity to listen while playing is paramount in becoming a good musician."

"One of the hardest things about playing marimba is that you need an eight-and-a-half-foot wingspan. Note accuracy is the bane of our existence. A bar of a marimba is something like an inch and a half wide, so as you're flailing around over eight and a half feet, the challenge is to be able to swing a mallet and hit the right target. We like that people enjoy a concert, aside from the beautiful sound, because it's fun to watch."

"There is a misconception that you take one course in Latin music, therefore you know it all. That'd be like saying you studied one Bach prelude, therefore you understand Baroque music. When it comes to Latin music and Latin jazz, it goes very deep."