On this edition of music/Maker with Tyler Kline: Composer Marc Mellits is one of the most frequently performed living American composers, known for his rhythmically vibrant, vividly orchestrated, and viscerally engaging music. His works have been commissioned by Kronos Quartet, Bang on a Can All-Stars, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and many more, and are performed around the world.

In this episode, Marc traces his creative path from improvising at the piano as a kid to becoming a leading voice in contemporary music. He and host Tyler Kline discuss the value of beautifully engraved scores, why writing music that’s fun to play has fueled his success, and how his connection to Romania has shaped both his personal and artistic life.

For more on all things Marc, visit marcmellits.com.

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music/Maker episodes release every other Thursday!

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Season 2 of music/Maker with Tyler Kline kicks off with another solo episode, where Tyler reflects on his own creative practice and artistic journey.

This time, he turns the tables on himself and answers the same questions he usually asks his guests: What is your first artistic memory? What are the pillars of your creative practice? What artistic artifacts changed your creative world? Tyler explores these questions and more in a candid, personal conversation to open the new season.

Tyler can be found online at tylerklinemusic.com.

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music/Maker is back for Season 2 — a podcast featuring longform, unfiltered conversations with composers and other artists about how they think, how they work, and how they live. Hosted by composer Tyler Kline, the show dives into the heart of creative practice, exploring craft and process, philosophy and inspiration, and the honest, often messy parts of being an artist — from uncertainty and doubt to purpose and persistence. New voices, new stories, and a deeper look into the creative life.

Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

New episodes debut Thursday, May 15, 2025 – and release every other Thursday.

music/Maker is online at musicmakerpodcast.com.

music/Maker with Tyler Kline is a production of Loose Leaf Transmissions: Made for All Ears. Online at www.looseleaftransmissions.com.

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On today's episode of music/Maker with Tyler Kline, Tyler continues his conversation with film composer Austin Hammonds.

In Part 2 of this conversation, Austin shares his thoughts on craft versus artistry and discusses the role of the Jurassic Park film score along his artistic journey.

Listen to Part 1 here.

Find out more about Austin on his website, https://www.austinhammonds.com/.

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On today's episode of music/Maker with Tyler Kline, Tyler is joined by Austin Hammonds.

With a seamless fusion of neo-classical orchestral mastery and contemporary production flair, composer Austin Hammonds delivers a contemporary twist on a timeless sound. Drawing from a deep well of musical influences spanning centuries, Hammonds intricately bridges colors and textures the past and the present, offering stories a fresh perspective on the enduring beauty of orchestral music.

Hammonds remains steadfast in his dedication to projects that allow him to explore the full spectrum of orchestral expression. Whether crafting traditional orchestral landscapes or pushing the boundaries with innovative and less-traditional scores, he is driven by a profound belief in the power of collaboration. 

This episode is the podcast's very first two-parter, and it is a deep dive into the world of film scoring. In this conversation, Austin and Tyler discuss their similar backgrounds–and how that starting point led them toward different paths entirely–plus, Austin shares thoughts on the importance of his composition mentors, and we touch on the role of taste in Austin’s work, as well as matters of process and philosophy as it pertains to collaborating with directors and producers.

Find out more about Austin on his website, https://www.austinhammonds.com/.

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On today's episode of music/Maker with Tyler Kline, Tyler is joined by Mahdis Golzar Kashani.

Born in Tehran in 1984, Mahdis Golzar Kashani is an internationally acclaimed Iranian composer and pianist whose work has earned her recognition across prestigious stages and institutions worldwide. She began studying piano at the age of six under the guidance of renowned musician Javad Maroufi and Art and Literature School of IRIB, and gave her first solo concert at 14 at Seda va Sima University. Although she initially pursued a degree in electronic engineering at Azad University, her deep-rooted passion for music led her to switch paths and obtain an M.A. in composition from Sooreh Art University.

Over the years, Mahdis has performed at prominent festivals and venues globally, including the Classical to Contemporary Music Festival in Tehran, the 4020 Music Festival in Austria, and piano recitals at Niyavaran Hall. She has also collaborated with the chorus of Vahdat Concert Hall at Roudaki Hall and participated in international composition workshops such as the Heidelberg Festival in Germany and the Oxford Song Festival in the UK. Her work has been commissioned by prestigious institutions like the Campus Lemmens Instituut LUCA in Belgium, further cementing her place in the global classical music community, Hermes Ensemble, Hypercube Ensemble, Sitkovetsky Trio, Haft Craft Ensemble, Woodwork Reed Quintet, and Babylone Orchestra. 

In this discussion, Mahdis talks about her journey as a composer, which led her from her native Iran to living and working in Europe. She also tells this powerful story about what led her to decide on being a composer as a career, and shares an in-depth background of challenges she has faced being from Iran and how that has influenced her life and artistic trajectory.

Mahdis is online at https://mahdisgolzarkashani.com/

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On today's episode of music/Maker with Tyler Kline, Tyler is joined by Chris Opperman.

Dr. Chris Opperman wields a special array of expertise. He is a composer of wildly original music, a top orchestrator and arranger, a dedicated and visionary educator, and a trusted advisor for an incredible cross-section of the music industry.

Since starting his Purple Cow Records label in 1998, Dr. Opperman has released seven albums including 2023’s Still Waters, a solo piano album celebrating Winter, and 2010’s The Lionheart, an orchestral rock album. He has also released three EP’s including 2022’s Four Improvisations which feature studio-manipulated piano works, and two singles including “And If You Know” featuring Robert Martin.

Chris holds a Ph. D. In Music Composition and has taught undergraduate and graduate level courses on music theory and composition, popular and classical music history, music technology, and the music industry. 

Chris is a fascinating musician who basically has one foot in the commercial music industry, and one foot in the contemporary concert world. In this conversation, he discusses the influence of Frank Zappa on his music, and his life. He and Tyler also talk about the variety of music that Chris makes and why that’s important to his creative ethos… and how he’s been able to forge his unique path throughout his career.

Learn more about Chris and listen to his music on his website: https://www.chrisopperman.net/.

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On today's episode of music/Maker with Tyler Kline, Tyler is joined by Hannah Selin.

Composer, violist and vocalist Hannah Selin works with acoustic instruments, voices, electronics and field recordings to create striking and vibrant sound-worlds. She grew up in southeastern Pennsylvania helping her parents caretake a cemetery and listening to her mother write songs on scordatura guitar. Her music carries from this a sense of the supernatural, a closeness with the earth, and a love all things resonant. Hannah is co-founder and lead singer with the band GADADU, and violist and founding member of Xanthoria Quartet and Violalia Duo. As a violist, Hannah performs with chamber groups and orchestras throughout the New York metropolitan area.

Hannah’s music has been commissioned and performed by ensembles and soloists including Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra, Voices of Ascension, Ave Sol Chamber Choir, Chromic Duo, S.E.M. Ensemble, Argus Quartet, Network for New Music, and vocalist Stephanie Lamprea. Her choral work “Winter” from Four Mountain Songs won second prize in the 2021 Balsys International Composition Competition, as well as the 2022 Red Jasper Award. Dream Journal and the Apocalypse, her debut album as a composer, was released in April 2024 on Gold Bolus Recordings. In the 2024/25 season, Hannah is working on new commissions for CreArtBox, Kamratōn, SPLICE, and pianist Kathleen Supové with support from the Puffin Foundation and the New York State Council for the Arts. Hannah holds a PhD in composition from Temple University and currently teaches at Rowan University.

In this conversation, Hannah discusses how her entry point into music composition was quite a bit different than maybe most people's and how she works with manipulating sound to discover interesting musical material. Nature is also a significant part of Hannah’s creative process, and she and Tyler get into the weeds about that… and bond over their mutual love of Italo Calvino.

Hannah is online at https://hannahselin.com/.

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On today's episode of music/Maker with Tyler Kline, Tyler is joined by Carlynn Crosby.

Carlynn Crosby is a writer and editor based in Gainesville, Florida, where her interests range from archival research on Florida food and culture to experimental forms of fiction and memoir. She currently works in book publishing and is pursuing a PhD in literature. She has been described as "decent."

Carlynn is a storyteller–she tells stories about Florida places and people, and she and Tyler dig deeply into what that means for her. They also talk quite a bit about food in this conversation, primarily how writing about food can be a catalyst to springboard into other kinds of cultural and societal topics.

You can learn more about Carlynn on her website, https://carlynncrosby.com and read some of her writing on her Substack newsletter at https://growninflorida.substack.com/.

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On today's episode of music/Maker with Tyler Kline, Tyler is joined by Roger Zare.

Roger Zare has been praised for his “enviable grasp of orchestration” by the New York Times and for writing music with “formal clarity and an alluringly mercurial surface.” He was born in Sarasota, FL, and has written for a wide variety of ensembles, from solo instruments to full orchestra. 

Often inspired by science, mathematics, literature, and mythology, his colorfully descriptive and energetic works have been performed on six continents by such ensembles as the American Composers Orchestra, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Sarasota Orchestra, the Australian-based Trio Anima Mundi, the Donald Sinta Quartet, and the New York Youth Symphony.

This conversation is an absolute deep dive into all sorts of scientific topics, but there's no need to worry. You’ll quickly realize that Roger speaks about these things in a down-to-earth way, which serves him well in his creative practice. Much of Roger’s work involves connecting complex matters with musical audiences and, in some cases, young musicians. 

Roger also discusses his musical roots growing up in Sarasota, his first experience as a composer at a very young age, and how his focus on large ensemble writing has shaped his pathway as a composer.

Roger and his work can be found online at rogerzare.com.

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