Composer Quest: A Songwriting and Music Composition Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Throat Singing and Chopping Beats with Prism House Apr 10, 2013

Show notes

Brooklyn experimental duo Brian Wenner and Matt O’Hare talk with me about their production process in episode 30 of Composer Quest. In the latest Prism House EP, Reflections, Brian Wenner’s beats are made from chopped-up field recordings of pop cans and squeaking doors. Matt O’Hare, the visuals man of the duo, is also a very talented musician. He explains how The Simpsons has helped him become an excellent throat singer.

Musical Illusions with Dr. Diana Deutsch Apr 06, 2013

Show notes

I was thrilled to talk with Dr. Diana Deutsch, a pioneer in the field of music perception and psychology (she literally wrote the book on music psychology). Diana has discovered a number of famous musical illusions. Prepare to have your mind blown by the octave illusion, the scale illusion, the tritone paradox, the mysterious melody, and the speech-to-song illusion "Sometimes Behave So Strangely," made popular by Radiolab. Diana also explains how composers can benefit from studying these perceptual illusions.

Orchestrating a Time Travel Musical with George Maurer Apr 03, 2013

Show notes

Jazz Pianist George Maurer has been a working composer for over twenty years. In episode 28 of Composer Quest, George imparts his words of wisdom on making a living as a composer. He also shares tips on arranging music for orchestral instruments. George's latest project, Empire Builder, is a musical set on a time-traveling train, and we get to hear George at the piano, talking through his composition process for this musical.

Metal 101 with Devin Earlywine Mar 30, 2013

Show notes

Metal isn't for everyone, but guitarist Devin Earlywine is okay with making music 90 percent of listeners won't enjoy. In Composer Quest Ep. 27, Devin talks about how metal isn't all about doom and gloom. He even admits his band Idiopathic Necrotization started as a joke to have fun with the ridiculousness of the gore death metal genre. In most of his music, Devin tries to avoid thinking of his audience at first, so there are no roadblocks between the purest musical idea from his brain to the finished song.

Arranging New Standards with Chan Poling Mar 27, 2013

Show notes

Most famous for his songwriting in the new wave band The Suburbs, Emmy-winning composer Chan Poling has gravitated lately to performing pop music from other iconic songwriters. His jazz trio, The New Standards, features Chan on piano, John Munson (of Semisonic fame) on bass, and Steve Roehm on vibes. In episode 26 of Composer Quest, Chan talks with me about his arranging, songwriting, and film scoring.

Cassette Tapes and Synesthesia with Warren Hildebrand Mar 23, 2013

Show notes

Songwriter Warren Hildebrand of Foxes in Fiction has a special sensory gift. He experiences images and color when he listens to certain music, and hears tones when he sees certain images. In this episode of Composer Quest, we talk about how this synesthesia shades how Warren makes music. Warren also talks about why he loves audio degradation, and why he started the cassette tape label Orchid Tapes. This interview with Warren, by complete chance, happens to be a perfect follow up to my previous interview with synesthetic composer Mary Beth Huttlin.

Synesthetic Composing with Mary Beth Huttlin Mar 20, 2013

Show notes

Dr. Mary Beth Huttlin is not only a talented composer and clarinetist, but she's also gifted perceptually. She has perfect pitch and a constant stream of melodies in her head to draw from. Mary Beth also experiences auditory-visual synesthesia, meaning she perceives colors when she hears music. In episode 24 of Composer Quest, Mary Beth talks with me about how these gifts affect the way she listens to and makes music. We also discuss why Bach is possibly the coolest composer ever.

Mary Ellen Childs on Music Composition Mar 16, 2013

Show notes

Prolific composer Mary Ellen Childs writes music for everything from orchestral instruments to zippers. In episode 23 of Composer Quest, she shares her creative process, which often involves bouncing ideas off of her experimental percussion ensemble Crash. Mary Ellen brings us behind the scenes of a few of her major works, including Click, Dream House, Wreck, and an upcoming project which will combine scents and music.

Quest 1: Arrange Pop Songs for Bassoon, Clarinet, and Oboe Mar 14, 2013

Show notes

Your Composer Quest quest, should you choose to accept it, is to arrange a pop tune or movie/TV theme for the Twin Cities Trio, which is Maia Hamann on bassoon, Karen Jennings on oboe, and Mary Beth Huttlin on clarinet. They're looking for fun tunes to perform for children in schools.

Dessa on Writing Hip Hop Lyrics Mar 13, 2013

Show notes

Rapper and poet Dessa somehow found time to join me over the phone for Composer Quest Episode 21, in the midst of her nationwide tour (SXSW, New Orleans, Nashville, etc.). I was honored to talk with Dessa about her creative process of writing and arranging hip hop songs. In this episode, we get a glimpse behind the scenes of Castor, the Twin, which features more tender jazz arrangements of her original beat-based songs produced by the Doomtree crew.