We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Michael Bussewitz-quarm a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Michael, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

I do wonder what would have been if I had started my career before age 45. Many things had to fall into place for me to take the leap however. Although I have always wanted a career as a composer and conductor, reality was such that a teenager who grows up in the 70s and 80s, in poverty and with a chronic illness, had limited options in our society, where health care is not a universal right.
My mother raised me and my sisters on her own with no financial assistance from my absent father. She was an educator who had left the field to raise us, and then returned to the field after my dad left in order to keep the roof over our head and food on the table, with a big assist from our church, the local United Methodist community.
In my tenth year as a choral educator in the New York public school system, I lost my third joint, my shoulder. With a wife and two young children of our own, I did not want to lose any more joints and I left teaching. I continued with less physically demanding jobs, working at the local Presbyterian church as Director of Music Ministry, and running a private piano studio for over a decade. I tried to compose, but my responsibilities to my church choir, my piano students, and my own family always took precedence, and my plan to make my living as a composer took a back seat.
Then, in 2015, with my wife’s blessing, I resigned from my position at the church and began winding down my piano studio to focus all my creative energies on building my composing career. MB Arts was born, now called Listen Afresh Publishing.
One of the more important aspects of the transition was that I went public with my identity as a transgender woman, which at the time was only known by my family and a few close friends. I told my wife, “As a disabled composer with a deep passion for my music but limited physical energy, I need to go into this completely and unapologetically me. I cannot hide who I am.” She agreed, and at my first choral directors’ conference, in Boston in 2016, I set up my exhibit table as an out and proud (though a little scared) transgender composer. I was made to feel so completely welcome, and it was like heaven opened its doors and shone its light on me. All my dreams of being true to my identity – both as a composer and as a trans female – were coming true.
So, even though I had to wait until age 45 to pursue my dreams, I feel everything came at the right time. I had amazing experiences as a public school music educator and a church choir director, I had married my best friend and – to this day – my most ardent supporter, and I am the proud dad (yes, I still maintain the most meaningful title I have ever been given) of two amazing young adults. I wouldn’t trade any of that for any amount of riches in the world. My family is my true wealth.

Michael, 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?

From my bio:
Michael Bussewitz-Quarm is an award-winning composer whose music captivates singers and audiences worldwide with its profound exploration of social and environmental themes. With a deep passion for creating change through choral music, Michael delves into a diverse range of topics, from the art in post-civil war Raleigh-Durham to the urgent issues of gun violence and the global refugee crisis.

An exceptional aspect of Michael’s work is the opportunity for choirs to collaborate with her through commissioning consortia. Singers have the unique chance to interact with Michael through in-person or virtual panel discussions, engaging with artists, authors, and thought leaders in their specific areas of interest.

Furthermore, Michael provides an extensive catalog of her self-published existing works, as well as through Peermusic Classical and Hal Leonard, available through J.W. Pepper or directly through www.listenafresh.com. Her talent has been recognized with prestigious awards, including The American Prize in Composition (major works) in 2021 for her ground-breaking piece, The Unarmed Child. In 2023, she made an eagerly awaited debut at Carnegie Hall, presenting Where We Find Ourselves.

Looking ahead, Michael’s upcoming composition, US, will be featured throughout the United States in the Sing Democracy 250 project, beginning in 2026.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Our society can do so much more to support artists and creative professionals and help them to build a thriving creative ecosystem. One way is to provide universal healthcare. Our society loses out on so much creativity because many people must devote themselves to the daily struggle to survive instead of following their passions and sharing their gifts. The more our citizens have the opportunity to express themselves, the better for our world and ourselves.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

People with chronic disabilities may take longer to flourish. Same with people who are in the transgender community. Both communities face unique-to-them obstacles: accepting themselves; being accepted by the world around them; overcoming distractions to study their craft; finding an audience possibly later in life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://listenafresh.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbuqu/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BussewitzQuarm
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-bussewitz-quarm/
• Youtube: @michaelbussewitz-quarm7719
• Other: Bluesky: @mbuqu.bsky.social

  Spoutible: @MBuQu