We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Colin Martin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Colin, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

I have been fortunate to have gotten several commissioned opportunities to compose music, including most recently with the American Romanian Festival in Michigan, where a stellar group of players from the Detroit Symphony premiered my string octet, “Amerikinetics”. I have also been extremely lucky to have gotten two commissions from the New Mexico Philharmonic for pieces of orchestral music, including my first Symphony, a tribute to Leonard Bernstein which premiered in 2019, and a piece based on poems of Karen McKinnon that premiered in 2022. I have also been a several time finalist and semifinalist for the American Prize in Composition, with both of my orchestral pieces receving recognition, as well as my work “Love Finds A Way”, a multimedia piece for chamber ensemble, prerecorded narration and dance that details romantic relationships persevering during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Colin, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a proud native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, where I fell in love with music as a teenager and decided to pursue composition as a career as an undergraduate at Middlebury College in Vermont. As a professional composer, I compose pieces on commission, but also arrange music and teach piano, music theory and composition. As a pianist, I also occasionally perform my own works, in particular at the Southwest Piano Festival in Albuquerque, where I serve as the President. My compositions tend to be accessible and conservative in nature. I believe that music should express and connect above all else, and as such I try to write music that is enjoyable and deals with universal themes that can connect audiences of all backgrounds.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

To me, a huge part of creating a healthy artistic society is in emphasizing education. For art music in particular, this is especially important, since to be a successful classical musician one has to have been trained from an early age. Even if someone doesn’t become a professional musician, learning an appreciation for the art form leads to eventual supporters of the arts in the future. With many schools now cutting music and art from their programs, this crisis becomes all the more urgent. The onus now really falls not just on people trying to convince their elected representatives and school boards to keep these programs alive, but also on individual parents to invest in private lessons and arts organizations to create their own outreach programs. In essence, I don’t think we can rely on governmental support to keep our art alive. We have to do what we can to reach out to the public and win supporters over that way. Even in tough economic times, if people like what we do, they will be willing to pay for it and support it.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, being a creative brings me the ultimate joy possible. I get to indulge my own expressive whims while making other people happy at the same time. What could be better? You get to be selfish and selfless at the same time. To me, creation is an essential act. If I go for too long without creating something, I get anxious and tense. There’s nothing better than getting into a flow state while composing and then coming out of it with something new and exciting. Even in the times when composing is more laborious and stressful, sharing your creation with an audience later and bringing them joy makes it all more than worth the pain.   

Contact Info:

• Website: www.colinmartinmusic.com
• Instagram: @colinmartinmusic
• Facebook: Colin Martin, Composer
• Youtube: cmartinmusic23