The music of composer and conductor JOSH TRENTADUE (b. 1994) explores philosophical and spiritual views on life through thrilling symphonic textures and occasionally a wide variety of bleep-bloop sounds. A proud owner of two adorable cats, Trentadue's wide-ranging compositional portfolio includes works for wind ensemble, orchestra, chamber music, jazz groups, film scores, and music about squirrels.

​Trentadue ​studied screen scoring with John Kaefer, Irwin Fisch, and Ira Newborn at New York University for his Master's Degree in Music Composition, as well as with David Biedenbender, Jere Hutcheson, and Zhou Tian at Michigan State University for his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music Composition.

When not composing, Trentadue is addicted to new films and television shows, food, nature walks, photography, loving his cats, and various meditative practices.

Check out Josh's full bio here.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Josh's earliest inspirations to compose, and the composers with the biggest influence on his writing.
• Why he doesn't necessarily have a favorite medium to write for.
• How and why his writing process varies from project to project.
• Advice for staying creative during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Which notation software he prefers and why.
• Co-founding the Millennium Composers Initiative
• Combining genres in Contemporary Classical Music
• Incorporating the practice of Sound Healing into a composition.
• Creating art in response to the current social climate from the perspective of a composer with inherent privilege.

Josh's Links:

• Website
• Symphony No. 1
• Symphony No. 1 social media handle - @motifsymphony1
• Josh's social media handle - @trentaduemotif

Links from topics discussed in episode: 

• Mackey - Asphalt Cocktail
• Maslanka - Symphony No. 3, Symphony No. 7
• Corigliano - Circus Maximus
• Mackey - Frozen Cathedral
• Mackey - Places we can no longer go
• Millennium Composers Initiative
• Zenith Saxophone Quartet
• The ____ Experiment
• Holland Concert Jazz Orchestra
• Front Porch Ensemble
• Sputter Box
• Creative Repertoire Initiative

Music included in this episode:

• Herwig - Freedom
• Trentadue - The Great River Rapid Chase
• Trentadue - Summertime Echoes: I. Youthful Adventures
• Trentadue - Symphony No. 1: I Prologue (Early Draft Preview)
• Trentadue - Excursions for tenor saxophone and piano