Originally aired 11/21/2017
Composer Darien Shulman returns to talk about his experience writing for a new television series: how he got the job, the process from beginning to end, and what he learned along the way about organization and workflow.
Originally aired 11/6/2017
After a Summer hiatus, Dennis returns for a conversation with composers Elizabeth Alexander and J. David Moore, two of the founding members of the Independent Music Publishers Cooperative, a group of eight composer-publishers working together to market and distribute their music. The cooperative’s shared website provides a central hub where directors and performers can browse the group’s individual catalogs simultaneously, and serves as a guide to the composers’ best work.
Links:
Independent Music Publishers Cooperative
IMP on Facebook
Elizabeth Alexander
J. David Moore
Originally aired 8/15/2017
In case you haven’t yet heard the news, composer David Maslanka passed away last week on August 6 after a brief battle with cancer. David, along with his son Matthew, was a guest on the show back in January for Episode #38.
Reading other composers’ and performers’ reminiscences of him online, it’s impossible to overlook the impact he’s had in our corner of the world and beyond. From his simple exhortation for composers to Just Show Up when it comes to writing every day, to his acknowledgement about our craft that “nothing about what we do is convenient,” he has been a source of encouragement and inspiration for many composers over the decades.
So this week, in honor of his memory, I’m rebroadcasting episode 38 on Forging Your Own Path with David Maslanka.
Links:
David Maslanka
The Portfolio Composer: In Memoriam David Maslanka
Originally aired 8/7/2017
BONUS CONTENT: Dennis and the anthology curators do a live Q&A session »
Watch the video here »
Originally aired 8/7/2017
This week, Garrett Hope of The Portfolio Composer joins Dennis to make a few exciting announcements, including a new partnership with the American Composers Forum, a new distribution outlet for self-published composers, and gigantic new call for scores – all to make composers’ lives better.
BONUS CONTENT: Dennis and the anthology curators do a live Q&A session »
Watch the video here »
Links:
NewMusicShelf
NewMusicShelf Anthologies Call for Scores
American Composers Forum
The Portfolio Composer: The Vexing Problem of Unplanned Vacations
Originally aired 7/25/2017
Ed Windels returns to talk about the benefits and drawbacks of having a full-time day job in addition to your composing.
Originally aired 7/18/2017
Composer Tony Manfredonia returns to talk about his bifurcated career of writing concert music and music for video games.
Links:
Tony Manfredonia
Tony on Twitter
Tony on Soundcloud
Wayward Isles teaser trailer
Originally aired 7/3/2017
Composer Griffin Candey talks about the importance of securing performances of new, large-scale works before you write them.
Links:
Griffin Candey
Griffin on Twitter
Sweets by Kate
OperaRox
Originally aired 6/13/2017
This week, I’m joined by composers Jamie Leigh Sampson and Andrew Martin Smith, the co-founders of ADJ•ective New Music, as they talk about the benefits and challenges of forming a composer collective, how they handle publishing and distribution for their composers, and the value they’ve found in running a podcast about new music.
Links:
ADJ•ective New Music
ADJ on Twitter
Lexical Tones podcast
Originally aired 6/4/2017
Mezzo-soprano Megan Ihnen and composer Alex Shapiro return to MPP to talk about the ins and outs of commissioning new music from the perspective of the composer and the commissioner.
In the course of the conversation, we discussed:
Links:
Alex Shapiro
Megan Ihnen
Alex Shapiro on NewMusicBox: “Let’s Make a List”
New Music USA commissioning resources
Originally aired 5/30/2017
Composer Garrett Schumann talks about building a local music scene, investing in yourself, and the nuts and bolts of economical live streaming.
Links:
Garrett Schumann
Garrett on Twitter
Æpex Contemporary Performance
Æpex on Facebook & Twitter
The Awesome Foundation
Salt Arts Documentation
Tech mentioned on the show:
Zoom H4N
Logitech C920
Open Broadcaster Software
Originally aired 5/22/2017
MPP celebrates one year of episodes with some reflection on the past year, a look ahead to the coming months, and a drink with return guest Jay Venute.
Originally aired 5/21/2017
Dennis is joined by composers Tony Manfredonia and Ed Windels to share even more reactions to the third New Music Gathering, held in Bowling Green, OH.
Links:
Tony Manfredonia
Ed Windels
REXduo
Ed Windels: 5 to 9 Composer
Originally aired May 18, 2017
Dennis is joined by soprano Elisabeth Halliday and composer Spencer Arias to talk about their reactions to the third New Music Gathering, held in Bowling Green, OH.
Links:
New Music Gathering
Elisabeth Halliday
Spencer Arias
Steven Schick: In Pursuit of an Externally Facing Artistic Practice
ÆPEX Contemporary Performance
Originally aired 5/8/2017
Entertainment lawyer Marc Ostrow returns to MPP to talk about recent legal and legislative developments in copyright and licensing, including bipartisan legislation to make the Register of Copyrights a Presidential Appointment, and the Fair Play Fair Pay Act.
Links:
Marc Ostrow
H.R.1695 – Register of Copyrights Selection and Accountability Act of 2017
“A Declaration of Independence for the Copyright Office”
H.R.1836 – Fair Play Fair Pay Act of 2017
Music Tech Policy: What’s in the New Fair Play, Fair Pay Act?
Will the Fair Play Fair Pay Act Get a Fair Hearing This Time?
Originally aired 4/27/2017
Composer/violist Martha Mooke talks about improvisation, following your passions, and finding balance.
Links:
Martha Mooke
Martha on Facebook
NewMusicBox: “Martha Mooke: Walls, Windows, and Doors”
Fuse Project: Revolution x3 (May 19, 2017)
ASCAP Thru the Walls
The Other Graduation (May 6, 2017)
Originally aired 4/17/2017
Composer & bassist Brian Coughlin has been performing, recording, and touring with the Fireworks Ensemble, which he founded in 2000. The six member ensemble plays in a wide variety of styles, emphasizing its “brazenly inclusive approach to repertoire.”
During the course of our conversation, Brian and I talked about non-linear career paths, meaningful collaborations, being open to a variety of experiences, and learning from your mistakes.
Links:
Fireworks Ensemble
Originally aired 4/11/2017
Robert Paterson is a composer whose career has many facets: he’s a percussionist, he conducts, he runs a successful new music ensemble, he runs a boutique record label, and he’s launching a new festival of new music in 2018. He joins me this week to talk about running composition competitions, believing in yourself, dealing with rejection, and having support systems in place.
Links:
Robert Paterson
American Modern Ensemble
American Modern Recordings
Mostly Modern Festival
The Portfolio Composer Ep. 2: Robert Paterson
The Portfolio Composer Ep. 108: Robert Paterson on Selling Yourself
Originally aired 4/42017
I met composer Reg Unterseher at the Chorus American conference a few years ago, and was taken with some of the things he had to say about how composers can be better-served by the community. He joins me this week to talk about the benefits of curation, the future of electronic scores, and different forms of distribution and publication.
Links:
Reg Unterseher
Reg on Facebook
Northwest Choral Publishers
Originally aired 3/2/2017
After ten months of doing this show, I finally managed to get my husband, Darien Shulman, on the podcast! Darien is a composer who started his musical career as a concert music composer, and has made the transition to writing for TV and film. He also wrote the MPP & CGDB theme music, and does the MPP voiceover.
In this week’s episode, we talk about different philosophies of music education, writing for commercials, and what it takes to kill your darlings.
Download the episode here »
Links:
Darien Shulman
Darien on Twitter
Storefront Music
Brooklyn Music Factory