LET’S TALK ABOUT IT
In addition to private lessons, Joel leads group events and discussions centered around helping people listen to and talk about music more effectively.
In his capacity as a composer for media, Joel has guest-lectured to film/production students on subjects ranging from film-scoring to strategies for communicating with a composer.
As an ensemble composer and instrumentalist he has led workshops and discussions at various universities and community production spaces.
Workshop/lecture attendees have included:
Filmmakers struggling to communicate with composers
Producers and project managers looking to better explain or justify music choices to their clients
Overwhelmed podcasters who find themselves sifting through thousands of library tracks in an attempt to score their latest episode
Film students who are new to combining music with visual media
Non-production-world music-enthusiasts looking to improve their listening skills
Workshop content and length can be tailored to any audience or occasion.
For questions or to set up a talk, head over to the contact page!
Past Workshops
Music Literacy for Content Creators
A workshop designed to help media producers and creators listen to and communicate about music more effectively.
Practical Music Theory for Curious Minds
A longer talk outlining the fundamental building blocks of common practic music theory, presented in a way that doesn’t require any previous knowldege or ability to read music.
The Owls Are Not What They Seem: The Music of Twin Peaks in Two Lodges
A deep-ish dive into (1) how Angelo Badalamenti’s score to the television show Twin Peaks works, (2) why it’s so perfectly compose for David Lynch’s story, and (3) why musicans and non-musicians alike are so captivated by it.
The talk includes a includes a mostly jargon-free, lightning quick primer on common practice music theory.
University/Community Talks
Guest lectures for film, podcast, animation, and sound design students on how to think about using music in their productions and how to communicate effectively with a composer.
- Emerson University
- PRX Podcast Garage
- School of the Museum of Fine Arts
- Fitchburg State University
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute