micro/Maker by Loose Leaf Transmissions

Hannah Boissonneault shares how her path shifted from film scoring dreams to a love for concert music and live performance. She reflects on the challenge of seeing her creative pursuits as separate — band work, composition, performance — and how she eventually came to embrace all of it as part of a unified artistic identity. Through pandemic isolation, shifting priorities, and personal healing, Ha...

What does it mean to build something slowly — with trust, curiosity, and mutual respect at the center? Emily Koh shares her love of long-haul collaboration with Tyler Kline, explaining why her most meaningful projects often take years to develop. Whether it's a solo piece with layered complexity or an opera grounded in community stories, she values process over speed — and prefers to let audiences...

Baljinder Sekhon shares the moment a piano professor casually told him, “You should be” a composition major — a moment that shifted the course of his life. In this excerpt, he talks about changing majors, assembling his first portfolio at a FedEx Kinko’s, and how composing moved from a side hobby to something he took more seriously, even while still identifying primarily as a percussionist. micro/...

Vanessa Ague talks about growing up with an exploratory relationship to music — improvising on violin from a young age, engaging with minimalism through playing, and ultimately deciding not to pursue a performance career. Instead, she followed her passion for theory, history, and context, which gradually led her toward a life in music criticism. micro/Maker episodes release every Tuesday and Frida...

C. Jacqueline Wood describes her art as a tension between the analog and the digital—between what can be touched, saved, and archived, and what disappears into streaming platforms, algorithms, or failed hard drives. From cataloging every physical book, CD, and record she owned for her exhibition What Makes a Life to re-recording double-exposed slides until they disintegrated into static, Jacquelin...

At 19, Chris Opperman thought his future was slipping away—Frank Zappa was gone, and no label wanted a young composer making instrumental music. So he built his own label, Purple Cow Records, funded by a scrappy internet “mini mall” selling movie posters. Two decades later, after a PhD detour and a changing music industry, Chris revived the label with a fan-supported Kickstarter and a flood of ord...

For Emma O’Halloran , the 1990s weren’t just about mixtapes, tribute bands, and chaotic tin whistle classes — they became part of her musical DNA. In this conversation, Emma reflects on how those formative sounds continue to resurface in her work, including her piece Constellations. Whether it’s grunge, boy bands, or Led Zeppelin colliding with the Backstreet Boys, the spirit of the 90s remains a...

Joshua Mallard explores the creative overlap between composing and sound design — from the pitch and texture of metal pipes to the way middleware helps shape immersive game environments. He and Tyler talk about how subtle sonic choices help guide the player’s experience, and how technical and musical fluency go hand-in-hand in modern game development. micro/Maker episodes release every Tuesday and...

From high school French press flops to slinging espresso for Scarlett Johansson and André 3000 in New York, Nathan Hudson ’s journey with coffee is as layered as his career in music. He recounts opening pop-up “illegal coffee shops” in college, teaching as a barista educator, even roasting beans professionally—discovering in the process that coffee isn’t just a drink, but a practice of intention,...

Shelley Washington shares her candid perspective on tokenism in classical music and why real, lasting change requires more than checking a box. She discusses the importance of creating meaningful opportunities for marginalized artists — and how she uses her platform to push for greater equity. micro/Maker episodes release every Tuesday and Friday! Listen to music/Maker with Tyler Kline wherever yo...

Groove isn’t just ink on a staff—it’s where you place the beat. Marc Mellits tells Tyler Kline how he coaches classical players toward “smooth, funky legato,” invisible accents, and a center-or-back-of-the-beat feel that actually locks in the pocket. They also dig into orchestral drum set pitfalls, cymbal choice as personal voice, and why leaving slashes for improvisation often beats writing every...

Phong Tran reflects on his formative experiences growing up online, and how internet culture shaped his musical taste and personal identity. He shares the emotional origin of his album The Computer Room — a tribute to the friendships and memories made in digital spaces that no longer exist. micro/Maker episodes release every Tuesday and Friday! Listen to music/Maker with Tyler Kline wherever you g...

Mahdis Golzar Kashani reflects on how Persian traditional music shapes her compositional voice. In this excerpt, she shares her experiences blending Iranian and Western classical instruments, navigating the challenges of writing for oral traditions, and collaborating closely with performers to create new musical dialogues. From early influences to large-scale cross-cultural projects, Kashani descr...

Roger Zare discusses his early interest in film scoring, his decision to attend USC, and how that experience ultimately led him to pursue a career in concert music. He shares how his initial attraction to storytelling through music evolved into a desire for more personal creative freedom. micro/Maker episodes release every Tuesday and Friday! Listen to music/Maker with Tyler Kline wherever you get...

Austin Hammonds reflects on the difference between creating as a craftsman and creating as an artist — and how his time at Bleeding Fingers and remote control reshaped his understanding of both. He shares what he’s learned from mentors like Hans Zimmer and John Williams, and why he’s striving to be the kind of composer who knows every corner of the work that bears his name. micro/Maker episodes re...

Vanessa Ague pushes back on the idea that drone and ambient music are easy listening. Instead, she describes them as some of the most demanding musical forms — requiring focus, presence, and deep engagement with subtlety and change. She shares how listening to this kind of music can offer a richer, more immersive understanding of sound and attention. micro/Maker episodes release every Tuesday and...

Tyler Kline turns inward, outlining the four pillars that anchor his composing life: musical efficiency, instinctive intuition, a sense of ritual and patience, and a deliberate curiosity that guides what he consumes and creates. He explains how fractal motifs, organic rhythms, and spacious pacing let his music breathe—offering a calm counterweight to deadline-driven modern life. It’s a peek into t...

What does it mean to be an artist without boxing yourself in? Emily Koh shares with Tyler Kline the three pillars that guide her creative life: starting with being human, staying curious, and releasing the pressure to make a masterpiece. For Emily, every piece is just a step toward the next — and every so-called failure is part of the process of learning. micro/Maker episodes release every Tuesday...

Anna Huffka talks with Tyler Kline about the artistry behind hair — not just as a surface-level service, but as a sculptural, responsive craft. She shares how curiosity, communication, and a respect for individuality shape both her creative process and her approach to hospitality. They also reflect on growth, inclusivity, and what it means to find the right medium for your work. micro/Maker episod...

Hannah Boissonneault shares the pillars that have helped shape her current creative practice — from letting go of perfectionism to embracing play, intuition, and deep intentionality. She talks about how her mindset has shifted since school, especially around productivity and self-worth, and how collaboration with her longtime bandmate and fiancé continues to reshape her songwriting. Whether compos...

Shelley Washington and Tyler discuss how the expansiveness of the Midwest subtly weaves its way into her music — sometimes intentionally, sometimes through the deep-rooted identity of home and memory. Shelley shares how location, travel, and homesickness continue to shape her creative language. micro/Maker episodes release every Tuesday and Friday! Listen to music/Maker with Tyler Kline wherever y...

Phong Tran shares the origin and ethos behind Media Queer , a creative collaboration with Darian Donovan Thomas. What began as casual conversations became a trusted creative feedback loop — and a reminder that not everything has to be formal to be meaningful. micro/Maker episodes release every Tuesday and Friday! Listen to music/Maker with Tyler Kline wherever you get podcasts, or at musicmakerpod...

Carlynn Crosby talks through the tension between creative identity and economic survival. She shares why she’s hesitant to turn writing into a full-time career, how labels like “writer” and “journalist” still catch her off guard, and what it means to embrace both passion and practicality in a world where everyone wears multiple hats. micro/Maker episodes release every Tuesday and Friday! Listen to...

Roger Zare reflects on how his lifelong love of science — from NASA launches to particle physics — influences his music. He shares stories about pieces inspired by natural phenomena, like the Green Flash, and how writing about science became a major creative thread throughout his work. micro/Maker episodes release every Tuesday and Friday! Listen to music/Maker with Tyler Kline wherever you get po...

Austin Hammonds traces the profound and recurring impact Jurassic Park has had on his life — from falling in love with the score as a kid, to hearing it live, to writing his first orchestral piece, and finally hearing the LA Philharmonic perform it just after moving to Los Angeles. He and Tyler reflect on how a single piece of music can quietly shape a whole creative life. micro/Maker episodes rel...