On today's episode of music/Maker with Tyler Kline, Tyler is joined by guitarist and composer Jessica Ackerley.

Described by Wire Magazine as "one of the most exciting guitarists to have emerged from the free music scene in recent years," Jessica Ackerley has built a distinctive voice across 25 releases as a bandleader and co-leader, working with labels such as Innova, AKP Recordings, and 577 Records. Their music has earned acclaim from Pitchfork, BBC Radio, and Wire Magazine, appearing on multiple critics' year-end lists. They have received commissions from Bang on a Can, NYSFA, and New Music USA; a nomination for the Academy of Arts and Letters Music Composition Award; and residencies at Banff Center for the Arts, the International Gugak Workshop in Seoul, and the Arctic Circle Residency.

In this conversation, Jessica and Tyler trace the arc of Ackerley's artistic life — from rural Alberta to doctoral studies at the University of Hawaii — digging into a compositional process that begins not with notation but with drawing, and a musical identity that refuses easy categorization. They discuss graphic notation as a tool for equity and collaboration, how Jessica's roots in jazz and rock quietly surface in music written for contemporary ensembles, and the lasting impact of the Arctic Circle Residency on their work. The episode closes with Jessica reflecting on a label that follows them everywhere — "experimental" — and why they wish people would pause before reaching for it.

Learn more about Jessica at https://www.jessicaackerley.com/

music/Maker episodes release every other Thursday! Listen and subscribe wherever you get podcasts, or at musicmakerpodcast.com

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music/Maker is a production of Loose Leaf Transmissions: Made for All Ears.

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On today’s episode of music/Maker with Tyler Kline, Tyler is joined by composer Nicky Sohn.

Nicky's music is jazz-inflected and rhythmically driven, with vivid, colorful orchestration that tends to win over a room. Her work spans orchestral, chamber, ballet, and vocal repertoire, and has been performed by the St. Louis Symphony, the Minnesota Orchestra, the National Orchestra of Korea, and many others. Recent highlights include a sold-out Guitar Concerto No. 1 with the Albany Symphony featuring guitarist Bokyung Byun — later presented at the 2025 Tanglewood Music Festival — a large-scale ballet for BalletCollective premiered at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, and Galaxy Back to You for the Balourdet Quartet, featured on their debut album. This season brings three new orchestral premieres with the Atlanta Symphony, the Knoxville Symphony, and Orchestra Lumos.

In this conversation, Nicky traces her path from an early piano start to a pivotal turn toward composition, through burnout, a reset in Berlin, and a supportive chapter at Rice/Houston. She and Tyler talk about community as the engine of her practice, storytelling drawn from Korean folktales, and writing with broader listenability in mind. Nicky also shares how a love of jazz shapes her sense of motion and harmony, and how a weekday “9–5” routine, boundaries, and life outside music have brought balance—and new brightness—to her work.

Learn more about Nicky and hear her music at https://www.nickysohn.com/.

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music/Maker episodes release every other Thursday!

Listen and subscribe wherever you get podcasts, or at musicmakerpodcast.com.

Subscribe to the Loose Leaf Transmissions newsletter for new episodes, behind-the-scenes updates, and ways to support the work: https://looseleaftransmissions.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/LooseLeafTransmissions

Follow along on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loose.leaf.transmissions

music/Maker is a production of Loose Leaf Transmissions: Made for All Ears.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s episode of music/Maker with Tyler Kline, Tyler is joined by Christopher Stark.

Christopher’s music is deeply rooted in the landscapes of the American West, shaped by his upbringing in rural Montana and informed by a sensitivity to sound, space, and place. A Guggenheim Fellow and Rome Prize recipient, his work has been performed by ensembles including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Alarm Will Sound, and the American Composers Orchestra. His output spans concert music and film, all marked by a vivid sense of atmosphere and attention to sonic detail.

In this conversation, Christopher reflects on how landscape, identity, and environment intertwine in his work, and on the ways patience, revision, and trust guide his process. He and Tyler talk about how his small-town beginnings and self-taught guitar playing led to a life in composition, and how that early curiosity evolved through mentorship and teaching. They discuss residencies as spaces for artistic renewal, the balance between individuality and "finding your people" in the contemporary music world, and how creative work can carry the imprint of the places we come from.

Christopher and his work can be found online at: https://christopher-stark.com/

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music/Maker episodes release every other Thursday!

Listen and subscribe wherever you get podcasts, or at musicmakerpodcast.com

Subscribe to the Loose Leaf Transmissions newsletter for new episodes, behind-the-scenes updates, and ways to support the work: looseleaftransmissions.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Support us on Patreon at patreon.com/LooseLeafTransmissions

Follow along on Instagram @loose.leaf.transmissions

music/Maker is a production of Loose Leaf Transmissions: Made for All Ears.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.