A2SO Releases Interview with Longtime Timpanist Jim Lancioni

By: Aug. 10, 2015
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What do you like about playing Beethoven?
He write lots of notes for a timpanist and his music is sometimes loud, aggressive and angry. I like that.

How many times have you played the 3rd Symphony?
Probably 4 or 5 times now.

What are the challenges of playing Beethoven?
His music has lots of notes and therefore requires a lot of concentration. The scherzo of the 9th Symphony is very difficult for the timpanist.

Many people are thrilled about Garrick Ohlsson performing with the A2SO.Who has been the most memorable soloist you have performed with and why?
I played with Ravi Shankar when he played with the Grand Rapids Symphony. I was in high school, he had incense burning on the stage, and the music we played (Concerto for Sitar and Orchestra) was a whole new sound and experience to me as a senior in high school.

Which famous musicians do you admire? Why?
  • Frank Zappa as he is a brilliant composer and performer.
  • Buddy Rich - Greatest drummer that ever lived.
  • Itzhak Perlman - Love his sound.
  • Arie Lipsky - Great personality and a very gifted conductor.
What are your fondest musical memories? In your house? In your neighborhood or town?
As a child, I listened to my mother teach violin lessons every night after school.

Do you get nervous before a performance?

Yes, depending on what we are playing. Mozart, not so much. Mahler, Stravinsky, Strauss I get a bit of adrenaline pumping before the performance.

What advice would you give to beginners who are nervous?
Take a deep breath before you play any particular passage and just try to relax. If you find you have a particular problem with certain things (long soft rolls, for example) practice long soft rolls every day to promote muscle memory and relaxation.
When and why did you start playing?
I started playing in fourth grade. My whole family played instruments so I picked the drums when asked what I wanted to play. I always like the drums (I liked the beat) in AM rock radio of the 60s.

Which instruments do you play?
All percussion instruments and a little piano.

What was the first tune you learned?
"Mary had a little lamb" on the piano.
How often and for how long do you practice?
3 to 4 days a week and I try to get in 1 to 2 hours in when I practice.

How do you balance your music with other obligations?
It is difficult but if I am not teaching at night I will find time to practice.

What is your favorite pastime?
Riding my bike in the summertime.

Who is your favorite composer?
J.S. Bach.

What was your dream job as a child?
I really wanted to be an eye doctor or drummer
If you could meet one person dead or alive who would that be?
Wolfgang Amadeaus Mozart

What two celebrities would you pick to be your parents?
Hugh Beaumont and Barbara Billingsley

What would be the thing that you would choose to go back in time and do differently?
I would have gotten a teaching degree instead of just a performance degree.

Who are your heroes?
My parents and some of my private teachers.


What's your favorite pig out food?
Ice Cream

What's the first piece of music you ever fell in love with?
Nielsen's 4th symphony. When I was in seventh grade my private teacher sent me home with a recording of this piece and I was hooked after the first listen. I knew then that I wanted to be timpanist.


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