Featuring conversations and discussions on life experiences, learning moments, music, and a dash of drums—all from personalities and friends from the world of symphonic percussion.
ABOP is the Alliance of Black Orchestral Percussionists, a nonprofit organization that focuses on mentoring future generations of Black percussionists.
Publisher
Alliance of Black Orchestral Percussionists - ABOP
In this episode, we bring together the voices of our ABOP protégés from across the country—students, graduates, and emerging professionals—to share their experiences in pursuing a career as a Black orchestral percussionist.
Our protégés speak candidly about the highs and lows of this path. You’ll hear Jakalin Bryant discuss the steep costs and joyful rewards of mastering multiple percussion instruments; Torrance Buntyn Jr. reflect on the thrill of performing timeless works and the hurdles of competitive auditions; and London Johnson unpack the realities of representation and the drive to prove one’s place on and off stage.
Donielle Woodard, Alexa Clawson, and Ashlee Dudley invite us into their worlds, balancing practice schedules, networking, burnout, and the challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated field; while Milik Green and Sean Edwards remind us of the importance of resilience, self-worth, and finding joy in sharing music with others. Together, they create a vibrant portrait of the modern Black percussionist’s experience.
This podcast is brought to you by the Alliance of Black Orchestral Percussionists (ABOP). ABOP is a nonprofit dedicated to guiding the next wave of Black orchestral percussionists. www.abop.us
29 Aug 2026
Episode 36. To the New Generations of Musicians
This episode features a variety of artists in the music industry, offering their thoughts, advice, or stories to the new generations of musicians. The artists include Joe W. Moore III, Craig Paré, Quintin Mallette, Paul Tracey, Don Johns, Pedro Fernandez, Camille Delaney-McNeil, Delton Davis, Mark Converse, Ricky Micou, and Christopher Thompson.
Swing by our website (www.abop.us) and check out the Program Notes for more info on the artists (www.abop.us/abop-podcasts/).
This podcast is brought to you by the Alliance of Black Orchestral Percussionists (ABOP). ABOP is a nonprofit dedicated to guiding the next wave of Black orchestral percussionists. www.abop.us
31 Jul 2026
Episode 35. Timpani Maintenance Talk
Raynor Carroll and Damion Frigillana dive into the world of timpani maintenance, sharing insights and tips for both students and seasoned pros. We’ll explore everything from tuning gadgets and mallets to mutes, stools, keys, and even drum manufacturers and sizes. We’ll also touch on bowls, heads, pedals, gauges, counter-hoops, tension rods, struts, spiders, casters, protection, transport, and those pesky buzzes, rattles, and other annoying sounds.
Don’t forget to swing by the website (www.abop.us) and check out the Program Notes for this episode for even more helpful info (https://abop.us/abop-podcasts/).
This podcast is brought to you by the Alliance of Black Orchestral Percussionists (ABOP). ABOP is a nonprofit dedicated to guiding the next wave of Black orchestral percussionists. www.abop.us
Who has been a guest on ABOP PODCAST
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Ricky Burkhead
Terry McKinney
Don Parker
Wesley Sumpter
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
67,391
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 26 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
8
Social presence
0
YouTube
76
Engagement
32
Contact ABOP PODCAST
Guest appearances
Does not typically book guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Questions about ABOP PODCAST
Who hosts ABOP PODCAST?
Raynor Carroll host the show. Published by Alliance of Black Orchestral Percussionists - ABOP.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes bi-weekly, based on its RSS feed.
Does ABOP PODCAST take guests?
The show does not typically feature guests, based on episode analyses.
Host of ABOP PODCAST?
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