Everything Band Podcast

It was my pleasure to speak with Dutch composer Johan De Meij about his career, hear his thoughts about writing music, and of course chat about his landmark "Lord of the Rings" Symphony. Topics: Johan’s background as a brass player and his transition from performer to arranger to composer including the huge initial success that he had with the Lord of the Rings Symphony. A bit about the tradition of wind band music in the Netherlands and Johan’s experiences and thoughts with music competitions. The importance of knowing what you’re good at and doing it well and some great advice for young composers. A surprising discussion of the Elvish language and the copyright issues surrounding the use of Tolkien's work. Links: Johan De Meij The Past, Present, and Future of Tolkien Scholarship Conference Johan De Meij: Symphony no. 1 "Lord of the Rings" Johan De Meij: "Casanova" Johan De Meij: Symphony No. 3 "Planet Earth" Leonard Bernstein: Suite from "West Side Story" (Empire Brass) Igor Stravinsky: "Le Sacre Du Prin