Composer Quest: A Songwriting and Music Composition Podcast

For the next Composer Quest quest, we’re partnering up with Opera on Tap Twin Cities again to premiere new arias and art songs. You can write for up to 4 voices accompanied by electronic piano. Optional additional instruments are Bb clarinet, bassoon, and euphonium. Send your new composition to charlie@composerquest.com and twincities@operaontap.com on or before December 28 at 11:59pm central time.

By day, he works for living legends Danny Elfman and Inon Zur. By night, he composes film scores himself and “re-scores” classic films like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Inception, and Saving Private Ryan. In this episode of Composer Quest, Alex Ruger talks about his personal challenge to add score to scenes that, admittedly, should not have music. We also discuss his vegetable-based sample library, Lord of the Rings music theory, and how he got the gig with his longtime hero, Danny Elfman.

What do Chopin and Jimi Hendrix have in common? What do “Graceland” and “Yesterday” have in common? How do mp3s work? What is the purpose of music? These are just a few of the random topics Paul Cantrell and I talk about in today’s episode of Composer Quest. He has a ton of golden nuggets for composers, and you’ll get to hear him live at the piano, explaining the composing styles of Chopin, Brahms, and Paul Cantrell himself. Make sure to check out Paul’s piece The Broken Mirror of Memory at innig.net, and the new version on bass clarinetist Pat O’Keefe’s Contents May Differ. If you’re in Minnesota, make sure to check out Paul’s New Ruckus events – I always enjoy going to his Composer Nights.

It isn’t every day you hear about a CD release party at a nursing home. Music therapist Angela Johnson worked with some older folks to create a CD of songs that include everything from sage advice to dog barks. In this episode of Composer Quest, Angela gives us the lowdown on being a music therapist, and she shares what it’s like dealing with death on a regular basis. She also plays some of her beautiful songs live.

Mike Olson schooled me in the ways of old-fashioned analog electronic composing, where you only have dials and cords to create music with. In this episode of Composer Quest, Mike shares how his creative process works when he’s at his Moog modular synthesizer. We also talk about how to sound-treat your home studio, and what makes music go from merely “perfect” to “hair-raisingly transcendent.”

For the 12th Composer Quest quest, I challenge you to write a piece of music for flute choir, with parts that can be performed by beginner, intermediate, and advanced students. We’ll be collaborating with the Minnesota Suzuki Flute Teachers Association, who have some fun concerts lined up to premiere these Composer Quest submissions. For the inside scoop on this challenge, take a listen to my talk with two of our collaborating teachers (and exceptional flutists), Bethany Gonella and Andrea Myers.

For this special 100th episode of Composer Quest, I thought I’d invite back my songwriter guest from the very first episode: Mitchell Adam Johnson. If you heard that episode, you know Mitchell has a knack for bringing music theory into his pop songwriting. We talk about chord progressions, “bizarro” tritones, Motown bass lines, and deep questions like “What’s the purpose of music?” Mitchell is releasing his first ever solo EP, Half Moon Lane, in just a few weeks, and this is a sneak preview of his beautiful new songs. Also, stick around until the end of the episode, and you’ll get to hear a new song collaboration between Mitchell and me.

I’ve been putting out more Composer Quest episodes over the past year and a half than most people can keep up with. So I was taken aback when I heard that Dan Wheeler had listened to all 90+ episodes TWICE (and some three times)! In this 99th Composer Quest episode, Dan shares his top ten moments from the podcast and talks about how they influenced his composing style.

After his time as a helicopter pilot in the army, Jon Brantingham returned to his love of music theory and composing. He’s been inspiring people with his practical approach to learning composition, which he’s been sharing in his blog and podcast, Art of Composing. In this episode of Composer Quest, Jon and I talk about what makes a good melody, how to modulate using “pivot chords,” and how to channel Beethoven without outright copying him. We also chat about what he’s been learning in his UCLA film scoring program. It’s a longer and more theory-heavy talk than usual, but it got my composer gears going, so I hope you enjoy it too!

I’m excited to announce our 11th Composer Quest Quest, brought to you by our woodwind friends, the Twin Cities Trio! You may remember them from such quests as Quest #1, in which my podcast listeners and I arranged some fun music for oboe, clarinet, and bassoon. Now, the trio is back to inspire you to write and/or arrange music for them on the theme of Halloween. You can either find an existing spooky song (Thriller, the Addams Family theme, etc.) or write one yourself. Send your oboe, clarinet, and bassoon music (PDFs and mp3 or MIDI) to twin.cities.trio@gmail.com on or before Friday, October 17th. You can submit more than one piece if you want. Take a listen to this announcement episode with Mary Beth Huttlin to learn more.

When Jeff Russo’s band Tonic hit it big in the 90s, he was just beginning to get interested in film and television scoring. Now his IMDb page is chock full of major TV credits, including composing for CBS’s Hostages, 50 Cent’s Power, USA’s Necessary Roughness, Showtime’s Weeds, etc. His most creatively fulfilling work, though, has been on the FX show Fargo, for which he just got an Emmy nomination. I’m excited to bring you my interview with Jeff, which marks the start of Composer Quest: Season 3. We get a behind-the-scenes glimpse into how Jeff writes for Fargo, and he explains why a classical music theory background isn’t necessary to compose for orchestra. He also talks about the creative challenge of scoring the upcoming CSI: Cyber.

In the last summer Composer Quest episode, we got to hear from two entertainment lawyers about how to get your music into films and TV, without getting screwed by a bad contract. In this episode, we hear the story of someone who DID get screwed by the music industry, jazz musician Jimmy Norman. He had to keep gigging at age 74 just to scrape by, even though he had worked with the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley, and co-wrote the Rolling Stones hit “Time Is on My Side.” Jason DeBose, producer of the documentary The Music Never Dies, came in to tell me Jimmy’s story. Also in this episode, we get to hear a philosophical panel discussion from the Minnesota Music Coalition about giving your music away for free. When does it make sense to offer free downloads? And should you let someone else use your music in a film for free?

For the 10th Composer Quest quest, I challenge you to write a string quartet inspired by autumn. You have until September 1st to send me your composition (charlie@composerquest.com), and the best string quartets will be performed at the Underground Music Cafe on September 21st at 6pm. In this quest announcement episode, I pull out my dusty violin and give a few tips on writing for strings.

If you’re a songwriter or composer, you may have been approached by a filmmaker who wants to use your music in his or her film. After the initial burst of excitement, a few practical questions should be going through your head: What should I charge? Who will own the music? Will I be able to collect royalties? Should I ask for a chunk of the film’s profits? Should I write the contract myself or hire a lawyer? These are just a few of the topics covered in this special summer episode of Composer Quest, featuring a talk by entertainment lawyers Ken Abdo and Dan Satorius. Thanks to the Minnesota Music Coalition and McNally Smith for hosting this talk at the 2014 MN Music Summit. I highly recommend listening if you’re a songwriter or composer, so you can make the most out of getting your music placed in a film and avoid getting stuck with a crappy contract.

In this special summer episode of Composer Quest, composer Adam Conrad shares a ton of great insights about how music works in film. He also explains why he transitioned from using MIDI mockups to writing everything by hand, for real musicians.