micro/Maker by Loose Leaf Transmissions

Sean Hamilton shares how his relationship with composer Stuart Saunders Smith has shaped his artistic identity — not just through mentorship, but through the challenge of performing Smith’s 50-minute vibraphone solo Queen Anne’s Lace. In this excerpt... more

Dorm-room sketches, oversized George Crumb scores, and a business minor no one thought he needed—Tyler Kline recounts how an unlikely mix of research fellowships and mentoring moments set him on the composer’s path. From discovering The Artist’s Way ... more

Gabriel Bolaños co-founded Proyecto Eco, Nicaragua's first new music ensemble, during a Fulbright stay while finishing his dissertation. Working with conservatory faculty and collaborator Guillermo Norori—a musician trained at the Royal Academy but r... more

Hannah Selin traces the origins of her Pieces of Place project—a cycle of works that weave together memory, geology, and ecology. She and Tyler talk about composing during the pandemic, the ache of distance from nature, and the challenge of translati... more

Austin Hammonds shares a lesson from composer John Powell that reshaped his thinking: you don’t have to know what you’re doing — you just have to be in control of what you’re doing. He and Tyler talk about the gap between confidence and uncertainty, ... more

Michael Frazier reflects on how birdsong entered his music not as a technical exercise, but as an extension of a long-standing, personal relationship with birds themselves. What began as visual fascination gradually expanded into sonic exploration, s... more

Vanessa Ague talks about her creative rituals — daily listening, long walks, and the rhythm of language — and how each plays a role in shaping her work as a writer. She discusses the subtle tensions between repetition and variation, and how her proce... more

Mahdis Golzar Kashani opens up about the profound challenges women face in Iran—and how those obstacles have shaped her life and work as a composer. In this excerpt, she reflects on restrictions placed on women performers, the societal pressures she’... more