Episode
Casey Cangelosi: Constraints, Curiosity, and the Expanding World of Percussion
- Podcast
- The Bandwich Tapes
- Published
- May 14, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3353
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://share.transistor.fm/s/3c203aa6
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Summary
On this episode of The Bandwich Tapes , I sit down with composer, performer, and educator Casey Cangelosi for a conversation that moves comfortably between teaching, podcasting, composing, and the realities of building a life in the percussion world. Casey teaches at James Madison University , where he directs a busy percussion studio and constantly balances artistic ambition with the practical challenges of giving students meaningful performance opportunities. We talk about how he approaches programming percussion ensemble, often leaning toward smaller-group repertoire that allows more students to develop chamber instincts and real musical ownership. That naturally leads into a larger discussion about education, specifically the gap that can exist between strong performance skills and deep knowledge of repertoire. Casey makes a compelling case for listening, score study, and curiosity as essential parts of becoming a complete musician. A big part of Casey’s recent creative life has been the Percussion Podcast , where he hosted more than 300 episodes of conversations with percussionists and composers. He reflects honestly on what that project gave him, as a communicator, teacher, and community builder, as well as the real workload of producing that many episodes and the challenge of keeping conversations fresh over time. We also spend time inside Casey’s composing process. He talks about the difference between writing for hands versus writing for humans, and how limitations, instrumentation, skill level, or context can actually unlock more interesting musical ideas. Increasingly, he’s thinking about accessibility in repertoire: writing music that still feels compelling but can reach more performers instead of only fitting one ideal player. Toward the end, Casey shares…