micro/Maker by Loose Leaf Transmissions

Gabriel Bolaños considers computer-assisted composition any tool that generates, develops, or enhances ideas—starting with overdubbing on a mini-disc recorder in high school. Now he relies on Open Music, a suite of algorithmic tools, to create harmonic progressions and spectral structures he once calculated by hand over hours. That tedious process, he realized, unconsciously biased him toward liking material simply because he'd invested time in it. Tools like Spear, which reveals a sound's partials and frequencies, changed how he conceptualizes timbre entirely—like seeing DNA. But as mentor Rodrigo Sigal told him, using Microsoft Word doesn't make you a technologist. The distinction isn't the tool but the thinking: using algorithms for tonal counterpoint misses the point, while using them to exceed acoustic intuition opens new ground. For Bolaños, Open Music has become the instrument he composes on, embedded so deeply in his process that he now imagines sound through its logic.micro/Maker episodes release every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday!Listen to music/Maker with Tyler Kline wherever you get podcasts, or at musicmakerpodcast.com.Support Loose Leaf Transmissions on Patreon at patreon.com/LooseLeafTransmissions.Follow us on Instagram: @loose.leaf.transmissionsmicro/Maker is a production of Loose Leaf Transmissions: Made for All Ears.

Han Hitchen reflects on how identity in his music goes beyond queerness, reaching into universal but often unspoken experiences like death and family tension. He shares how confronting discomfort has shaped his creative practice. For him, music becomes a way to demystify what we fear, opening space for reflection, honesty, and connection.micro/Maker episodes release every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday!Listen to music/Maker with Tyler Kline wherever you get podcasts, or at musicmakerpodcast.com.Support Loose Leaf Transmissions on Patreon at patreon.com/LooseLeafTransmissions.Follow us on Instagram: @loose.leaf.transmissionsmicro/Maker is a production of Loose Leaf Transmissions: Made for All Ears.

Ania Vu reflects on a theatrical piece where aliens attempt — and fail — to connect with humans. But through music, gibberish, and emotional tone, something deeper gets communicated. She shares how this idea of miscommunication, language limitation, and embodied expression runs through much of her work.micro/Maker episodes release every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday!Listen to music/Maker with Tyler Kline wherever you get podcasts, or at musicmakerpodcast.com.Support Loose Leaf Transmissions on Patreon at patreon.com/LooseLeafTransmissions. Follow us on social media @LooseLeafTransmissions.micro/Maker is a production of Loose Leaf Transmissions: Made for All Ears.

When Yue Song moved from Beijing to Ireland, the world changed color. Gone were the endless high-rises; in their place came clouds that shifted the temperature by the minute, sunlight that turned to rain and back again. In this conversation, Yue reflects on how the piano first taught her to hear composers’ inner lives—and how Ireland’s weather, light, and soundscapes opened her ears to texture, imagery, and emotion in a new way.micro/Maker episodes release every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday!Listen to music/Maker with Tyler Kline wherever you get podcasts, or at musicmakerpodcast.com.Support Loose Leaf Transmissions on Patreon at patreon.com/LooseLeafTransmissions.Follow us on Instagram: @loose.leaf.transmissionsmicro/Maker is a production of Loose Leaf Transmissions: Made for All Ears.

Shelley Washington reflects on the responsibility she feels to advocate for others after receiving support throughout her own creative journey. She shares her philosophy of reaching out, encouraging risk-taking, and creating space for new voices in contemporary music.micro/Maker episodes release every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday!Listen to music/Maker with Tyler Kline wherever you get podcasts, or at musicmakerpodcast.com.Support Loose Leaf Transmissions on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/LooseLeafTransmissions.Follow us on social media @LooseLeafTransmissions.micro/Maker is a production of Loose Leaf Transmissions: Made for All Ears.

Austin Hammonds reflects on the role of rhythm, identity, and responsibility in his work — not as fixed pillars, but as ongoing questions. He and Tyler talk about the emotional weight music can carry, why intention matters, and what it means to treat creative work (and the people around you) with care and integrity.micro/Maker episodes release every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday!Listen to music/Maker with Tyler Kline wherever you get podcasts, or at musicmakerpodcast.com.Support Loose Leaf Transmissions on Patreon at patreon.com/LooseLeafTransmissions.Follow us on Instagram @loose.leaf.transmissions.micro/Maker is a production of Loose Leaf Transmissions: Made for All Ears.

Baljinder Sekhon talks about early listening experiences and how they shape our perception of musical “truth.” He shares how growing up with Michael Jackson and Queen eventually gave way to a fascination with Shostakovich and a thirst for the unfamiliar. This excerpt explores the power of surprise, the risk of rigid taste, and how open-minded listening can be its own creative act.micro/Maker episodes release every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday!Listen to music/Maker with Tyler Kline wherever you get podcasts, or at musicmakerpodcast.com.Support Loose Leaf Transmissions on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/LooseLeafTransmissions.Follow us on social media @LooseLeafTransmissions.micro/Maker is a production of Loose Leaf Transmissions: Made for All Ears.

C. Jacqueline Wood didn’t set out to become a filmmaker. Growing up, her focus was on sports, shaped by a family rooted in professional football. But a chance stop at the Ann Arbor Film Festival during her freshman year at the University of Michigan changed everything. What began as an internship in hospitality turned into a doorway to experimental film, where small, personal projects could carry enormous meaning. From her first in-camera edit to realizing filmmaking was about creating a feeling, Jacqueline describes how she found her path in art through curiosity, questions, and the power of choices.micro/Maker episodes release every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday!Listen to music/Maker with Tyler Kline wherever you get podcasts, or at musicmakerpodcast.com.Support Loose Leaf Transmissions on Patreon at patreon.com/LooseLeafTransmissions.Follow us on Instagram: @loose.leaf.transmissionsmicro/Maker is a production of Loose Leaf Transmissions: Made for All Ears.