Embracing Humor and Mystery in Music with Graeme Shields

All things organ on a new music/Maker with Tyler Kline!

Author

Tyler Kline
July 11, 2025

🍃 Loose Leaf Transmissions – Weekly Dispatch

For this week’s new micro/Maker, I had the chance to sit down with a great friend of mine, Graeme Shields. Graeme’s creative work lives at the intersection of contemporary composition and his role as a church organist – and I was honestly surprised to learn just how integrated contemporary thought can be in church music.

No doubt: it’s a fascinating conversation. And if you’re anything like me (someone who doesn’t know much about the world of organ playing), you’re in for a crash course – and a real treat.

Be sure to dive into that, and don’t miss the two latest micro/Maker episodes with Carlynn Crosby and Phong Tran. Both reflect on the value of creative community, and how embracing fluidity – in labels, practices, and collaborations – helps sustain their work.

🎧 New on the Feed

🎙 music/Maker with Tyler Kline

Now streaming: Embracing Humor and Mystery in Music with Graeme Shields

Inspired Media (Andy Krieger) https://inspiredmedia.org/

Graeme’s work blends elements of the Lutheran music tradition, the avant-garde, and old-world folk influences, often infusing humor, repetition, and audible process into his music. He is also the co-founder of the Vital Organ Project, a nonprofit promoting new music for the organ and providing interactive educational opportunities for audiences.

In this conversation, Graeme reflects on how his creative voice has evolved, how his work as a church musician has shaped his priorities as a composer, and how community and humor have become throughlines in his artistic practice. He and Tyler also dive into the world of organ improvisation, the ways old music continues to inform new work, and why eccentricity can open doors for audiences.

Learn more about Graeme on his website: https://www.graemeshields.com/

And be sure to check out his Vital Organ Project at https://www.vitalorganproject.com/

New episodes every other Thursday. Subscribe now!

🎙 micro/Maker

micro/Maker 015: Preserving the Joy of Writing (featuring Carlynn Crosby)

Carlynn Crosby reflects on the balance between passion and practicality, and how embracing a multi-hyphenate identity helps her navigate the creative world without needing to go all-in on a single label.

micro/Maker 016: Just Vibes: Friendship as Practice (featuring Phong Tran)

Phong Tran shares how Media Queer, his collaborative project with Darian Donovan Thomas, grew from informal chats into a vital creative exchange built on trust, play, and mutual inspiration.

Episodes are released every Tuesday and Friday. Subscribe now!

🔜 Coming Up Soon

Two new micro/Maker episodes land next week – this time, centered on the pull of home, the rhythm of travel, and the gentle art of trusting your instincts.

Shelley Washington discusses how the openness of the Midwest – and the emotions of home, travel, and memory – continue to shape her music in both subtle and intentional ways.

Then, in a thoughtful and personal segment, Hannah Boissonneault shares her approach to creativity: one rooted in intuition, play, and trust – favoring familiar harmonic spaces over forced reinvention.

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Take care, stay curious, and very much looking forward to sharing more next time.