About Panhead

About Panhead

Performing professionally throughout the United States and within a multitude of musical, social, and cultural settings, Joseph has paved his road as a music educator and performer. Joseph was born in Cleveland, Ohio and raised in Boca Raton, Florida. He relocated to Wichita, Kansas to study Music Education and study percussion under the direction of Dr. Joseph C. Combs at Wichita State University where he earned a degree in Music Education.

Joseph spent the summer and fall of 1995 performing from Arizona to Florida at coffee shops, small pubs, private parties, even street corners. Playing daily he shared his Caribbean Jazz music with any and all who crossed his path. Joseph made his way from Wichita, Kansas to Miami, Florida between October of 1995 and January of 1996. It was from here that he departed for the Island of Trinidad, West Indies during the first week of 1996. In Trinidad, Joseph performed with Potential Symphony, a 115 member steel band, for the Pan-O-Rama National Steel Band Competition and also for Potential’s smaller State Side professional working group that performs various social gigs around the island.

In January of 1997, Joseph began a project with songwriter Rocco Guarino. Living in a cottage across the street from the Clearwater Bay in Florida, Joseph and Rocco collaborated on what would become the Trouble Creek, Blue Earth Recording Project. By April of 1997, the recording was finished featuring Alex Kirt - vocals, Kris Hawkins - Guitar, Joseph Casatelli - Bass, Ayan Williams - Drums, and Joseph Peck - Steel Pan & Percussion. Over 70 minutes of music was captured on two-inch 24 track analog tape during the two week recording session at Blue Earth Recording Corporation. Trouble Creek was one of the shortest projects that Joseph has been involved in, but at the same time one of the most rewarding.

The summer of 1997 was spent performing as a duo with master drummer Ayan Williams (Sun Ra, Salt -N- Pepper, Dionne Warwick) in such cities as Atlanta, Memphis, Kansas City, Omaha, Minneapolis, Atlantic City, Virginia Beach, Baltimore, Washington (DC), Philadelphia, and New York. After a solid summer of performing seven days a week, two to three “hits” a day Joseph decided to return to Kansas in August of 1997 to teach and perform.

The 1997 - 1998 school year was spent teaching at Metro Midtown Alternative High School and performing with such groups as Kalinda and Honey Bee Groove. Currently Joseph is preparing a solo recording project, continuing his performances with Kalinda and Honey Bee Groove, and will take on the position as Director of Steel Orchestra at Wichita State University for the 1998 - 1999 school year.

As a drummer/percussionist/steel drummer (pannist), Joseph has appeared on stages with Tuxedo Junction Big Band, Wichita State University Ensembles, Robert Shaw, Old Town Samba School, WSU Opera, Andy Narell, Stainless Steel, Michael Spiro, Kit Kitchener, Pat McJimsey, Rudy Love, Ken “Professor” Philmore, Mike Marshall, Ray Holman, Double Seconds, Pandora’s Box, Monkey Meet, Potential Symphony, Kalinda, Honey Bee Groove, and Trouble Creek.

As a student, Joseph has studied with Dave Samuels, Michael Spiro, Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser, Billy Drummond, Dr. J. Combs, Dom Famularo, Russ Miller, Victor Lewis, Paul Anderson, Steve Houghton, Alex Acuna, Poncho Sanchez, Billy Cobham, Cedric Im Brooks, Ken Philmore, Matt Wilson, and Ellie Mannette (Inventor of the Steel Drum).

As an educator, Joseph has taught in the Primary and Secondary Schools of Maize, Kansas, Wichita’s Metro-Midtown Alternative High School, private instruction, and beginning in the Fall 1998 will direct the Wichita State University Steel Orchestra. Joseph also offers steel drum clinics, through which he shares his knowledge of the art form, explains the cultural history, and performs selections on the instrument.

Joseph has recorded the album Speak To Me! with Pandora’s Box. He performed with Pandora’s Box from 1990-1995. Joseph was also the business manager of Pandora’s Box. In 1997 Joseph recorded the album Blue Earth with Trouble Creek and served as the project manager of this recording. Other recording projects include sessions for jingles and various demos.