Composer Quest: A Songwriting and Music Composition Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Audacity Producer Desmond Simmons is Big in Japan Sep 18, 2013

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Desmond Simmons, a.k.a. Precise Hero, produces music using only open-source software – he says his computer is too old to handle anything other than Linux. So how did Desmond’s DIY mixes end up on the Japanese label P-Vine Records? Creative fortitude and a collaborative spirit have been keys to Desmond’s success. In this (50th!) episode of Composer Quest, Desmond shares his thoughts on our remix culture, and why 70s Brazilian music is the best kind to sample from.

Music Composition for the Masses with Anthony Joseph Lanman Sep 11, 2013

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Guitarist, composer, and podcast producer Anthony Joseph Lanman has racked up over 350,000 followers on Soundcloud – a number most classical musicians can only dream of. You’d think this huge listenership (along with advanced composing degrees) would result in instant job opportunities in the composing world, but Anthony is still figuring out how to make a living writing music. Regardless, he has dedicated himself to writing classical music of this era. Through his compositions and his two podcasts, he aims to make classical music accessible to everyone, not just music theory professors. In this episode of Composer Quest, Anthony talks with me about his career path, his music, and his answer to the question, “What would Beethoven be writing today?”

Rhythms of Tanzania with Br. Onesmo Sanga Sep 04, 2013

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The stereotype of African rhythms being complex and fascinating is completely true. I found out firsthand during my nine months in a very remote part of Tanzania, living at Hanga Abbey and teaching English, computers, and music to kids in the village. Since most of these kids don’t have access to instruments, they found a way to make totally compelling songs using only their voices. In this episode of Composer Quest, I feature some of my students’ music, plus an interview with one of Hanga’s coolest monks, Brother Onesmo Sanga. He shares his new music, which features a choir and electronic organ. Hopefully you can understand his end of our conversation, despite poor audio quality and his thick Swahili accent.

Charlie’s Musical Obituary Aug 28, 2013

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I set out to create the first episode of Composer Quest Season Two, and ended up with this heavenly look back at my musical history, embarrassing demos and all. So now, for something completely different…

Quest 4: Elfluenza, the Christmas Musical Aug 07, 2013

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I hereby challenge you to the 4th Composer Quest quest! We will be writing songs for a new Christmas musical, to be performed by the first, second, and third graders at KMS Elementary (in the rural town of Murdock, MN). I wrote music for their Christmas musical last year, and it was a blast hearing my songs performed by these kids, who were so excited about it. Maia Hamann, from episode 10, teaches music at KMS, and she’ll direct the musical. Her mom, Zita Hamann, taught at KMS Elementary for many years, and she has just written a fun story called Elfluenza.

Marketing Your Music with Patrick Hertz Jul 31, 2013

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Tinderbox Music’s Patrick Hertz specializes in promoting music to college radio stations. In this special episode of Composer Quest, I ask Patrick a bunch of listener-submitted questions about the music business. He shares advice on how to get noticed by music supervisors and get your music licensed for TV and film. He also explains how the artists he sees get ahead are (unsurprisingly) the most organized and business-minded. Although our conversation is geared more towards promoting recorded songs, I believe his commonsense advice is useful for classical composers, too.

Young Composer’s Contest Winners Taylor Isberner and James Farrell Jul 24, 2013

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MusicWorks MN Director Tim Cheesebrow (from Episode 19) is the mastermind behind the new Young Composer’s Contest here in Minnesota. Two talented White Bear Lake composers were chosen as the winners. It’s pretty impressive what these students were able to do with their string quartet pieces. In this special Composer Quest episode, Taylor Isberner and James Farrell share their insights for other young composers thinking about trying out this contest next year.

Music Composition and the Law: How to Protect Your Creative Work Jun 26, 2013

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In this special episode of Composer Quest, I talk with entertainment lawyer Blake Iverson of Friedman Iverson Law Firm and entertainment law student Sarah Howes about how to copyright your music and make money from royalties. They provide a bunch of great tips and legal myth-busting for us composers and songwriters.

Quest 3: Arias on Tap Jun 19, 2013

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Join us for the third Composer Quest Quest! Write a classical aria for the Twin Cities Opera on Tap group to perform. For this special podcast episode, I talked with singer Eryn Tvete, who co-hosts the Twin Cities division of Opera on Tap, and opera composer Nick Mroczek. Nick shares some aria composing tips, and Eryn shares tips on getting your piece selected to be performed.

Highlights from the First Composer Quest Concert Jun 01, 2013

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We recently had our first ever Composer Quest concert at Yoga Sol. The Twin Cities Trio performed some awesome listener-submitted arrangements of pop tunes and film/video game scores for bassoon, clarinet, and oboe. We also got to hear the indie pop duo Matt and Donna Schubbe, indie rocker Peter Frey of Kazyak, and indie folker Paul Spring. Here’s a special Composer Quest podcast episode with highlights from the concert.

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