Shows
Just Add Music (with Minna)15. Just Add...Notation (Overture Series)Send us a textDon't have the CALM app yet? Fear not! My love letter to Notation episode is here to help you rest that weary body and heavy eyelids. Cozy up with your favorite blanket and hear me wax poetic about my love for the art of notation (the art of creating sheet music). While some composers view notation time as drudgery, I find it soothing and a constant reminder of how the human body moves to make music. Notation is creating a choreography manual for a musician to read and react to. In an e...2024-05-2722 min
Just Add Music (with Minna)16. Just Add...The Layer Cake (Overture Series)Send us a textThe big day is here! Time to go to the studio and finally record the final versions of these two short pieces. It's August 2023 and we are in Oakland at 25th Street Studios with a 13 piece string section, a trumpet player, a french horn player and a flutist. I am conducting and producing the session. Listen to how we build each piece layer by layer. Thank you to Gabe Shephard at 25th Street for tracking the orchestra and to Adam Muñoz for mixing our tracks!Welcome to Just Add Mu...2024-05-2725 min
Just Add Music (with Minna)17. Just Add...Memories of Mariah (Overture Series)Send us a textAt last, the final episode of the Overture Series is here!It's been 3 months since that first call and finally I get to hear the final reveal on tour, loud and proud! Welcome to the Season Finale of Just Add Music Season 2, the Overture series!2024-05-2713 min
Just Add Music (with Minna)13. Just Add...Dad's Vacation (Overture Series)Send us a textWe've all felt it, but no one (to my knowledge) has ever named it. You know that feeling when you send your first draft of a fresh new idea, your baby, your precious to someone for their feedback? But you haven't heard anything back yet? What emotions do you feel? I feel relief. I feel like I've earned the right to rest and it feels incredible. Here's an episode dedicated to that special feeling. Welcome to Just Add Music, Season 2, Episode 5!Production Credits:Host, Composer, Music/Audio...2024-05-2110 min
Just Add Music (with Minna)14. Just Add..Music Shout Outs (Overture Series)Send us a textToday we move onto writing the overture for Death Cab for Cutie. My relationship with DCFC goes back to 2011 when I wrote my first string arrangements for their Codes and Keys album. Shortly thereafter, we toured an orchestral collab set in 2012 with the Magik*Magik Orchestra. Because of this history, the writing process for DCFC felt so different from what it was like writing for The Postal Service. If writing for the Postal Service felt like being at a party with a bunch of people you don't know, writing for DCFC felt like grabbing...2024-05-2125 min
Just Add Music (with Minna)12. Just Add...Better Second Drafts (Overture Series)Send us a textIt's been about a week since I fiddled around with the first draft of the Postal Service Overture. During that week of waiting, I felt overwhelmed with the amount of fixing I was going to have to do. The memory of the draft in my head turned out to be way worse than the reality of what was sitting on my hard drive so when I actually sat down to work on the piece, it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. It happens to the best of us! Welcome...2024-05-2119 min
Just Add Music (with Minna)10. Just Add...The First Brainstorm (Overture Series)Send us a textWelcome to the 2nd Season of Just Add Music!For this series, we are delving into the behind the scenes of the composing process by tracking the lifecycle of 2 short music commissions from start to finish. The pieces in question? Two 1-minute orchestra overtures for the bands Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service to open their 20th Anniversary Tour in 2023 and 2024.Join Minna as she walks through the ups and downs of the composing process and works through ideation, brainstorming, sketching, editing and execution for these two...2024-05-1313 min
Just Add Music (with Minna)11. Just Add...Bad First Drafts (Overture Series)Send us a textWelcome to the 2nd Season of Just Add Music!For this series, we are delving into the behind the scenes of the composing process by tracking the lifecycle of 2 short music commissions from start to finish. The pieces in question? Two 1-minute orchestra overtures for the bands Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service to open their 20th Anniversary Tour in 2023 and 2024.Join Minna as she walks through the ups and downs of the composing process and works through ideation, brainstorming, sketching, editing and execution for these two...2024-05-1334 min
Just Add Music (with Minna)9. Just Add...The Assignment (Overture Series)Send us a textWelcome to the 2nd Season of Just Add Music! For this series, we are delving into the behind the scenes of the composing process by tracking the lifecycle of 2 short music commissions from start to finish. The pieces in question? Two 1-minute orchestra overtures for the bands Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service to open their 20th Anniversary Tour in 2023 and 2024. Join me as I walk through the ups and downs of the composing process and works through ideation, brainstorming, sketching, editing and execution for these two...2024-05-1314 min
Just Add Music (with Minna)8. Just Add...Real Chords (Bonus Episode and 2023 Sign Off)Send us a textAfter listening back to the Charlie Brown Episode I recorded 5 months ago, both my producer and I thought it left things a bit unresolved. I've always taken a bit of pride in my ability to play most things by ear, but here and there I come across a piece where I have to admit defeat and buy the sheet music online. This was one of those times! To all who took the time to listen to this podcast over the holidays, thank you! Recording these got me through some to...2023-12-2519 minJust Add Music (with Minna)7. Just Add...Sad Little Christmas Trees (A Charlie Brown Christmas)Send us a textMerry Christmas to all who celebrate! I'd love to say I saved this episode for last to match with the Christmas holidays but in fact I saved this episode for last because I was feeling very unconfident about my ability to play jazz or even talk about it. I debated not recording this one because the music is so outside my wheelhouse but it brought up some topics I felt were relevant to a freelancer's creative life. How do you know when to work on a skill to improve, and how do you...2023-12-2520 minJust Add Music (with Minna)6. Just Add...Yenta (The Fiddler on the Roof)Send us a textOh Yenta, Yenta, Yenta. This episode is dedicated to my dear friend Agii, who has always been there for me in good times and bad. Your podcast inspired me to make my own and our daily chats are life giving. The spirit of Fiddler on the Roof reminds me of you and of your family's path to the states. I'm so grateful for our friendship, Happy Hanukkah my friend. Here's to the new year!2023-12-2523 minJust Add Music (with Minna)4. Just Add...Broomsticks (Fantasia)Send us a textIt's hard to overstate how impactful this film was to me as a young watcher and listener. Before I understood the Korean or English words being spoken at me as a baby, I was able to understand the musical gestures I was seeing and hearing on the screen with this film. Being able to understand a story with just visuals and music and no speaking was impactful beyond my comprehension and I'm so grateful for this film that transcends all language in any country as a universally understandable piece of art. W...2023-12-2514 minJust Add Music (with Minna)5. Just Add...High Cs (Amadeus)Send us a textWelcome to the 4th VHS tape of our series: Amadeus!This is the first of the tapes that isn't really a kids movie. There are depictions of suicide attempts, blood, sex, etc. But, there are also many more depictions of sublime music, so make the call yourself on who in your house gets to watch this movie and who doesn't. The way Salieri talks about Mozart's music is some of the most enticing, appetizing, soul affirming descriptions of classical music you'll find in cinema. Please enjoy this Oscar winner for Best...2023-12-2532 minJust Add Music (with Minna)3. Just Add...Solfège (The Sound of Music)Send us a textCan't afford music lessons for your kid in this economy? Just buy the Sound of Music and play on repeat. Maria was my first music teacher and she taught me so much about how music is constructed, complete with puppet shows and rolling hills. It'll be the best $14.99 you'll spend this year. Julie Andrews: baby's first music teacher. 2023-12-2518 minJust Add Music (with Minna)2. Just Add...Mermaids (The Little Mermaid)Send us a textThe first episode of the VHS Tapes Series.Join me as I explore the VHS Tapes of my childhood that were my first music teachers. First up: The Little Mermaid!This was recorded in early May 2023 before the new version came out. I had seen the trailer online but the movie hadn't dropped yet. I loved Halle's version of the song as well, including her ascent to that high note on "aboooooooove". This music is truly timeless, thank you to Howard Ashman and Alan Menken for composing this heart...2023-12-2426 minJust Add Music (with Minna)1. Hi...Welcome to Just Add MusicSend us a textHi! Welcome to Just Add Music, a podcast for the music curious, aspiring music makers and anyone in need of a creative companion on a lonely day. My name is Minna. I'm a professional composer living in the Bay Area. 15 years ago I started an orchestra called The Magik*Magik Orchestra and have composed music for hundreds of bands, filmmakers, artists on creative projects of all kinds. The one thing I wish someone had told me when I was younger was that you don't need to be a star to...2023-12-2407 min
Toledo SymphonyLAB™Sister CitiesInspired by the Toledo Symphony's Sister Cities chamber concert, we welcome a special guest: Mrs. Rogene Kohler (on the Toledo Sister Cities International Board, and President of the Toledo German Sister Cities Committee). Hear about all of Toledo's nine Sister Cities (plus hopefuls and at least one "divorcée"), We also hear a wonderful selection from the chamber program, Kala Ramnath's Amrit - part of the Kronos Quartet's Fifty for the Future project (track information below, used by permission). Composed by Kala Ramnath on violin, arranged for string quartet by Reena Esmail © 2016 Inner Sunset Publishing ℗ 2016 Kronos Performing Arts Association Commissioned for...2021-09-2900 min
Mentor My Mix: Forward Never Straight!Martin Luther McCoy: The Rebel Soul SoundMartin Luther McCoy: singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer, and native San Franciscan. Martin Luther shares stories of his career starting from a gospel music childhood in San Francisco’s Bayview, to performing and touring with Philadelphia-based Hip Hop Band, The Roots, and being cast as Jo-Jo in the Hollywood musical, Across The Universe. Experiences and lessons learned, including adapting to an industry shift from physical to streaming services, and networking and making opportunities in the competitive music industry. Learning to balance what feeds your soul and the business savvy required to nurture the relationships that drive success. Building his "team" including in...2021-03-091h 21
The Counter ChroniclesSpecial Report - NYC Baked Goods with Minna ChoiRound 2 of our Baked Goods Special Report, except this time I trek around town picking up various baked goods in New York City (hint this is a Brooklyn specific edition). Minna Choi, back for a 3rd spot on the pod, tries to guess what I picked and we discuss why these items and bakeries made it into the top 3 choices. Enjoy a little silliness and carb overload with us during these dark winter months. 2021-02-2139 min