Composer Quest: A Songwriting and Music Composition Podcast

Charlie McCarron

Join the quest! Learn how composers and songwriters create music in this podcast hosted by Minneapolis composer Charlie McCarron. Whether you’re a music composition grad or simply an occasional noodler on a guitar, each guest has a new perspective for you on the creative process of composing and songwriting, along with some concrete ideas to apply to your own music.

All episodes

Best episodes

Top 10 Composer Quest: A Songwriting and Music Composition Podcast Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Composer Quest: A Songwriting and Music Composition Podcast episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Composer Quest: A Songwriting and Music Composition Podcast for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Composer Quest: A Songwriting and Music Composition Podcast episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

The art of lyrics with fiction writer Ryan Ruff Smith

Composer Quest: A Songwriting and Music Composition Podcast

01/03/13 • 38 min

Ryan Ruff Smith and I talk about a bunch of lyric-writing techniques, including seeing the big picture, using subtext, writing as a character, and focusing your song ideas.

Going solo with guitarist Peter Frey

Composer Quest: A Songwriting and Music Composition Podcast

01/09/13 • 33 min

Kazyak's Peter Frey shares his new, more personal album See the Forest, See the Trees. He also shares his philosophy on soloing, the pros and cons of touring, and his advice on promoting your music.

Catchy dissonance with Nathan Graves

Composer Quest: A Songwriting and Music Composition Podcast

01/12/13 • 54 min

I talked with my cousin, Nathan Graves, who fronts the band With a Gun for a Face and writes solo music under the name Kurtz. Nate's music is usually pretty dark and dissonant, but strangely catchy. We talk about why avant garde art is important.

Composing textures with theater sound designer Kevin Springer

Composer Quest: A Songwriting and Music Composition Podcast

01/16/13 • 29 min

When does sound become music? That's a line blurred by Kevin Springer's sound art. He designs sound and music for plays, including Tenesse Williams' Summer and Smoke. He has also found a niche for his brand of experimental electronic composing online, and we talk about how he works in this strange musical language.

Taking the stage with drummer Luke Friedrich

Composer Quest: A Songwriting and Music Composition Podcast

01/19/13 • 28 min

Luke Friedrich was too young to carry a musket when he joined his Civil War reenacting unit, so he picked up the fife and drum instead. Now, he plays in more bands than would seem possible, including Crimes, Strange, Rupert Angeleyes, Flowerstalks, Secrets, ThoughtTalk, and his primary songwriting endeavor, Squares. We talk about performing, the music business, and his fascination with horrific lyrical topics.

How to write a pooping duck robot song with Matt Schubbe

Composer Quest: A Songwriting and Music Composition Podcast

01/23/13 • 30 min

Matt Schubbe, the graphic designer behind our 8-bit Composer Quest art, is also a songwriter himself! In this episode, we talk about how he writes songs for (and with) his wife, Donna. Matt tends to choose strange lyrical topics, like a kid getting his head stuck in the banister, or the 1739 invention of a pooping duck automaton.

Composing for iPhone games with Whitaker Trebella

Composer Quest: A Songwriting and Music Composition Podcast

01/26/13 • 40 min

In this episode of Composer Quest, I chat with video game musician and coder Whitaker Trebella. He shares his words of wisdom on writing for games, producing chiptune music, and getting composing gigs through Twitter. He also composes an on-the-spot "quickprov" using Logic Pro. Finally, we ponder what would happen if Beethoven was given a laptop. Would he be making dubstep tracks?

The Okee Dokee Brothers' Joe Mailander on kindie songwriting

Composer Quest: A Songwriting and Music Composition Podcast

01/30/13 • 36 min

I think there's a good chance Joe Mailander will win a Grammy for Best Children’s Album. He and his fellow Okee Dokee Brother Justin Lansing took a trip down the Mississippi river to write some beautiful bluegrass songs for their album Can You Canoe?. We talk about Joe's philosophies on deceptively simple songwriting, work ethic as a DIY musician, and involving the audience. Joe also performs a new Okee Dokee Brothers song called "Echo," which will be a part of their upcoming Appalachian adventure album.

Teaching Kids to Compose with Maia Hamann

Composer Quest: A Songwriting and Music Composition Podcast

02/03/13 • 35 min

This episode, I talk with my girlfriend, Maia Hamann, about how she teaches her young students to compose music. She explains her strategy of breaking music down into individual elements, something all composers could benefit from. Maia shares tips on composing for bassoon. We also get to hear about her unique experience studying Somali music.

Pop music theory with Beatles expert Mitchell Johnson

Composer Quest: A Songwriting and Music Composition Podcast

01/02/13 • 36 min

Mitchell Johnson from Spencer McGillicutty talks about pop music theory, Beatles songwriting techniques, and his “Douchiest Song Challenge.“

Show more best episodes

FAQ

How many episodes does Composer Quest: A Songwriting and Music Composition Podcast have?

Composer Quest: A Songwriting and Music Composition Podcast currently has 166 episodes available.

What topics does Composer Quest: A Songwriting and Music Composition Podcast cover?

The podcast is about Minneapolis, Music, Music Theory, Writing, Podcast, Podcasts, Songwriting, Arts and Performing Arts.

What is the most popular episode on Composer Quest: A Songwriting and Music Composition Podcast?

The episode title 'The art of lyrics with fiction writer Ryan Ruff Smith' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Composer Quest: A Songwriting and Music Composition Podcast?

The average episode length on Composer Quest: A Songwriting and Music Composition Podcast is 50 minutes.

How often are episodes of Composer Quest: A Songwriting and Music Composition Podcast released?

Episodes of Composer Quest: A Songwriting and Music Composition Podcast are typically released every 6 days, 18 hours.

When was the first episode of Composer Quest: A Songwriting and Music Composition Podcast?

The first episode of Composer Quest: A Songwriting and Music Composition Podcast was released on Jan 2, 2013.

Show more FAQ

Composer Quest: A Songwriting and Music Composition Podcast

Charlie McCarron

Top 10 Composer Quest: A Songwriting and Music Composition Podcast Episodes

FAQ

How many episodes does Composer Quest: A Songwriting and Music Composition Podcast have?

What topics does Composer Quest: A Songwriting and Music Composition Podcast cover?

What is the most popular episode on Composer Quest: A Songwriting and Music Composition Podcast?

What is the average episode length on Composer Quest: A Songwriting and Music Composition Podcast?

How often are episodes of Composer Quest: A Songwriting and Music Composition Podcast released?

When was the first episode of Composer Quest: A Songwriting and Music Composition Podcast?

Comments