Composer Reena Esmail on mentorship, music as sustenance, and the wisdom of preparing for “wild success.” 

Irish composer and musician Jenn Kirby on learning music theory as an adult from “kiddy” workbooks, breaking a sweat in a laptop orchestra, and how to enjoy music you hate.

Composer Judith Shatin talks about visiting the inside of a coal mine, working with early mainframe computers, and blooming where you're planted. 

Emily Doolittle on transcribing whale songs, crafting faux bird calls, and dealing with the cultural attitude that women can learn from "the great masters" but cannot join their ranks.

Composer Sakari Dixon Vanderveer on composing in middle school, the saxophone as a wild animal, and daring to be visible. 

British composer Bobbie-Jane Gardner on music inspired by cooking, Noam Chomsky, and the city of Birmingham. 

Australian composer Nicole Murphy on teaching in the outback, the ambiguity of music, and the benefit of being oblivious.

Elizabeth A. Baker on falling in love from the point of view of a neurotransmitter, making music from bicycle parts, and the legacy of Nina Simone.