Today I’m speaking with Johan de Meij, a Dutch composer and conductor who has been self-publishing his music ever since the premiere of his symphony number one, based on the Lord of the Rings, which premiered 35 years ago this month and catapulted him to fame within the world of wind orchestra music. We had a fantastic conversation about Tolkien, creative orchestration, marketing compositions through unique titles, the history of wind orchestra music, what to do with success, and a host of other topics. His music is distributed through Hal Leonard, and a new edition of the Symphony Number one will be released next month.

Download “Trends and Changes in Today’s Wind Orchestra Scene” by Johan de Meij

Music referenced in this episode:

Symphony No. 1: “The Lord of the Rings”

1. Gandalf https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MAf3K0SYfs

2. Lothlórien https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=060j5MQgv4Y

3. Gollum https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbptS62Az_c

4. Journey in the Dark https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzyV1sJjDis

5. Hobbits https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0KLTU5vrxw

T-bone Concerto

I. Rare https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMNzn-o2mtU

II. Medium https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9riaNmm8haQ

III. Well Done https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1f2c-YbC6UU