Today we’d like to introduce you to Linda Kachelmeier.
Hi Linda, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I am a composer, professional singer, and conductor who has been living full-time as a freelance musician in Saint Paul since 1996. My introduction to composition was through arranging pieces for the Cappella quintet Dare to Breathe while I was a singer with the group. However, I didn’t write my first arrangement until 1995, when I was thirty. Part of the reason for being a “late bloomer” stems from my upbringing. Being the youngest of six children in a small Wisconsin town, it never occurred to me that I could write music. Although music has been part of who I am, of how I work and think, for as long as I can remember, I had had no female composer role models growing up in the 1970s and early ’80s. My family also discouraged me from studying something as impractical as music and settled on the relatively stable field of music education.
It may be that I’m making up for a lost time. Since 2006 I have written more than fifty compositions, been awarded numerous grants and commissions, and in the past nine years, have begun to formally self-publish and promote my music on a national and international level. I sing, lead, play, and bring life and breath to new music; I conduct amateurs, teach children, and work side-by-side with a network of professionals to explore music for the first time and renew well-worn musical paths.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My struggles center around self-doubt and a strong sense of “imposter syndrome.” Even after being awarded the prestigious McKnight Fellowship for Composers, I need to remind myself that I belong here. My music belongs here.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My influences vary, from medieval music and chant to gospel and folk traditions. I am interested in the line and curve of melody and rich textures and layers. I can describe my music as austere but also luscious and fun: I embrace that seeming contradiction. My work would be at home in a monastic cloister and a school gymnasium. My artistic philosophy is rooted in the melding of text and music, articulation, and expression: the words must express the music, and the music expresses the words for my work to be complete. I am also inspired by poetry, art, dance, and the wealth of artistry in the people I am surrounded by. Last, but perhaps most importantly, I want to write music that people enjoy performing, which will move audiences to hear. I am proud of the career that I have created. As a founder and artistic director of Lumina Women’s Ensemble, I have enjoyed my role as an advocate for new music, especially by living and local composers. Lumina is an inspiration and outlet for my artistic vision and has allowed me to experiment and have a live ensemble to work with regularly.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
Many mentors, conductors, and collaborators have also helped over the years–too many to list. However, in 2019 I participated in the much-acclaimed Composer-Librettist Studio led by director Ben Krywosz and Nautilus Music-Theater. This intense workshop pairs five composers, five writers, and five performers with each other. Over only two weeks, I collaborated with each combination of artists to create five new works, resulting in 25 new works by all participants. This experience was revelatory and transformative; it changed how I composed. Since we were compelled to write quickly and efficiently, I could work through my fear that my well of creativity was limited, and I didn’t have the time to worry about how it would be perceived. This freed me to write out of my comfort zone.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lindakachelmeier.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LindaKachelmeierComposer
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrvDdVUjm3zm4s2TejPddRg/featured
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-952998776
- Other: https://www.luminawomensensemble.com/
