Erica Muhl, a Professor of Composition at the USC Thornton School of Music, introduces herself and discusses many aspects of composing and conducting music – the importance of learning the history and theory of music, why having a mentor can be good for your career, the attraction of composing for film and television, how to respect the composers wishes as a conductor, why teaching composition makes you a better composer, and most of all, what it takes to succeed in the demanding field of music composition.

Erica Muhl, a Professor of Composition at the USC Thornton School of Music, discusses her love of music in films and her own efforts writing for television and film, and shares her thoughts on why working in these fields can make you stronger composer.

Erica Muhl, a Professor of Composition at the USC Thornton School of Music, discusses her love of music in films and her own efforts writing for television and film, and shares her thoughts on why working in these fields can make you a stronger composer no matter what your main focus is.

Erica Muhl, a Professor of Composition at the USC Thornton School of Music, describes how the business of composing music has changed in the last decade, and offers advice to young composers on the advantages of managing their own publishing and business affairs.

Erica Muhl, a Professor of Composition at the USC Thornton School of Music, shares her thoughts on whether being a woman in the field of composition has presented particular challenges as regards sexism or bias against her abilities.

Erica Muhl, a Professor of Composition at the USC Thornton School of Music, discusses her education in conducting and the German and Italian traditions that she is heir to, and gives advice to aspiring conductors – some of which was passed down from Richard Strauss.

Erica Muhl, a Professor of Composition at the USC Thornton School of Music, answers a question about whether there is worth in comparing the performances of great conductors with a series of observations about the role and duty of a composer to create a performance that is true to three entities: themselves, the music, and the composer whose vision must be respected most of all.

Erica Muhl, a Professor of Composition at the USC Thornton School of Music, shares her experiences as a composer who is called upon to be an expert witness in copyright infringement suits involving suspected unlicensed use of a piece of music, and discusses why there are a handful of composers in the USA who are well suited to the task.

Erica Muhl, a Professor of Composition at the USC Thornton School of Music, reveals why teaching other people to write music makes you a better composer.

Dr. Erica Muhl, a Professor of Composition at the USC Thornton School of Music, gives some advice to parents of music students who have reservations about the money-making potential of a career in music.

Erica Muhl, a Professor of Composition at the USC Thornton School of Music, discusses her early training and how she came to pursue a career in music.

Erica Muhl, a Professor of Composition at the USC Thornton School of Music, makes a strong argument for why building a strong relationship with a mentor can be of critical importance to music students who wish to make the transition from conservatory or student life to a professional career.

Erica Muhl, a Professor of Composition at the USC Thornton School of Music, discusses what her department looks for in prospective students, and what they try to bring out of their students during their studies.

Erica Muhl, a Professor of Composition at the USC Thornton School of Music, describes the qualities that she and her colleagues look for when considering prospective students of composition – criteria which apply to anyone thinking about a career as a composer.

Erica Muhl, a Professor of Composition at the USC Thornton School of Music, shares her observations about the role that various technologies (whether a computer or a piano) can play in composition, and the limitations that over-reliance on technology can place on a composer’s creativity and scope.

Erica Muhl, a Professor of Composition at the USC Thornton School of Music, talks about her personal composing heroes and how their work has shaped her approach to composition.

Erica Muhl, a Professor of Composition at the USC Thornton School of Music, shares her views on why score study and a deep knowledge of music theory, as well as the context in which works were composed, are crucial attributes of successful students of composition.

Erica Muhl, a Professor of Composition at the USC Thornton School of Music, shares her views on how folk music of various kinds (whether traditional folk, or the pop and rock that is the folk music of modern America) can influence, improve and define a composer’s style.