Margaret Maria: Cellist/Composer, Improvisor, Educator
Conversations with Musicians, with Leah Roseman
10/07/23
•91m
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Margaret Maria is a wonderful cellist who’s a unique composer. Her compositions are all written by layering cello lines in some gorgeous and emotive aural tapestries. Her personal story is interesting and moving: she started the cello as a teenager, was admitted to the University of Toronto at age 16 without graduating from high school, and was then admitted to the prestigious Curtis Institute. She went on to have a successful career as a member of the Vancouver Symphony and then Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra, which is how I came to know her. She gave up her job with the NAC after a few years, and embarked on a new life as a composer, meanwhile continuing to teach. Some of her work as an educator has been with the Orkidstra program, which she has been involved with since it’s inception in 2007. It’s a social development program that serves over 650 youth from over 62 linguistic and cultural backgrounds by building community through free music programs. This episode has a lot of powerful music; you can use the timestamps to navigate. Like all the episodes in this series, this is available wherever you get your podcasts, as well as this video, and the transcript and show notes are all linked to my website https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/margaret-mariahttps://margaretmariamusic.com/home
I'm an independant podcaster, and this podcast needs your help! https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman Thanks!
Timestamps (00:00) Intro(02:44) Teaching improvisation in Breno, Maribyllia, creative process(06:57) Marbyllia duo with Bill Gilliam, clip from Gravitational March(07:47) Margaret’s music education and evolution as a cellist and composer(12:52) intro to Blessing of Awakening and Margaret’s creative process(17:00) clip from Blessing of Awakening(18:03) Margaret’s personal story and evolution as a composer(19:46) please support this podcast(20:01) perfectionism, starting late, playing injuries(23:39) Curtis(27:05) more about Margaret’s personal story and evolution as a composer(31:32) Orkidstra and music education(34:26) Alice Kanack, the benefits of teaching improvisation (38:35) producing music with Craig McConnell, intro to Raging Red(41:24) clip from Raging Red with Craig McConnell(42:04) duo project with singer Donna Brown, rock opera with Julian Gracia Reig, getting grants(50:22) From Scars to Infinite Stars(55:19) where to find Margaret’s music(56:20) Margaret’s approach to teaching (01:05:49) reflections on her life, intro to Her Heart on a Platter(01:08:29) Her Heart on a Platter(01:14:39) Margaret’s sheet music(01:15:34) empath feeling others’ emotions, intro to Shame on an Angel, artist Angel Muriel(01:20:39) Sham on an Angel(01:25:52) Margaret’s creative process
photo of Margaret: Bret Archangel Menezes
Previous Episode
Julie Lyonn Lieberman Catch-Up Episode
September 30, 2023
•16m
This is a bonus Catch-Up Episode with Julie Lyonn Lieberman. My original conversation with her is linked below (Season 2, Episode 7 if you're looking in your podcast player).
Julie is an innovative multi-style violinist/vocalist, author, composer, producer and educator. In our original episode, we discussed her unique path through world music, some of her projects including You Are Your Instrument, which was the first book written about how to overcome and prevent musicians’ overuse injuries. We had also talked about her memoir, The Roaring Brook Fiddler. In today’s short episode, she’ll talk about the process of recording the audio-book, which is enriched with her music, and there’s an excerpt featuring an important experience from her childhood.
You can listen to this wherever you get your podcasts, watch the video on YouTube, and read the transcript. Everything is linked with links to Julie’s many projects on my website https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/julie-lyonn-lieberman
Support this podcast with a tip? https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman Thanks!
Timestamps
(00:00) Intro
(01:19) creating the audio book of The Roaring Brook Fiddler
(07:14) excerpt from The Roaring Brook Fiddler
(09:58) please support the podcast
(10:44) re-writing and updating Blues Fiddle, Improvising Violin, You Are Your Instrument, The Roaring Brook Fiddler
(11:14) Verna Gillis, soundscapes, music brings joy
Next Episode
Kat Raio Rende: Sesame Street composer, vocalist, producer, mother
October 14, 2023
•88m
Today’s guest is the Emmy-winning songwriter, singer, producer and composer Kat Raio Rende. Together with her husband JP Rende she has a successful songwriting and production company Earworm Music company. This episode is a fascinating window into the world of music for children’s tv shows, jingles, working with celebrities, and music production in general. We talked about writing for Sesame Street, including “Friends with a Penguin” featuring Billy Porter and “We Don’t Walk Alone”, Baby Shark, how to write for characters as opposed to singers, her big break that led to singing backup for big stars, the benefits and challenges of having ADHD, advice for setting up an inexpensive studio and learning production tricks, family/work balance, parenting, and most importantly, expressing emotions through music to help children.Kat’s infectious delight in music, composition, and singing as well as her personal story and perspectives as a parent will fascinate listeners everywhere.
I'm an independant podcaster; could you help with a few dollars to keep this series going? https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman Thanks!
Like all my episodes, you can listen to this on your favourite podcast player, (search Conversations with Musicians with Leah Roseman) watch the video on YouTube, read the transcript, and navigate with the timestamps: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/kat-raio-rende
Here are some videos we talk about during the episode, that Kat wrote the music for with JP Rende (her husband and colleague at Earworm Music https://www.earwormny.com/ )Billy Porter in Sesame Street's Friends with a Penguin, EMMY winning song: https://youtu.be/f-YxjLUnnP0?si=PPElVWAiKYR2Chie Sesame Street's We Don't Walk Alone: https://youtu.be/LNlAHNzd6WY?si=KHhBhHIA1pDKsWeX Cardi B in Baby Shark Does the Seaweed Sway: https://youtu.be/NHFLk7937dI?si=wyKbLWcN-uD6SQdN Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (02:23) writing for Billy Porter “Friends with a Penguin” for Sesame Street (06:56) clip from Friends with a Penguin (07:50) writing “We Don’t Walk Alone” for Sesame Street (10:43) clip from “We Don’t Walk Alone” (12:14) writing for Baby Shark, working with Cardi B (18:01) working with husband JP Rende, creative process (21:31) please support this independant podcast (21:47) writing songs for specific characters, creative process (25:39) Kat’s musical influences, singing backup and demos, SUNY Purchase (30:24) writing for Sesame Street, starting Earworm with JP, writing jingles (32:56) getting big breaks, singing backup in New York (39:05) benefits and challenges of ADHD, writing jingles, musicologist Sandy Wilber (47:26) parenting, kids shows (51:57) having to pitch, producing, advice for setting up an inexpensive studio (01:02:02) family/work balance working from home, helping kids learn music (01:11:00) Kat’s childhood music education (01:14:23) vocal producing and directing (01:21:31) expressing emotions through music to help children
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