COMPOSER INTERVIEW WITH RYAN MEEBOER - APRIL 2026 MMI

The #1 question that teachers have asked us to ask you is: What are your top 5 favourite charts from your own library/your own compositions?

1) Last Voyage of the Queen Anne’s Revenge - it took me quite some time to get this piece exactly the way I wanted it to be. I often had to set it aside as I wasn’t sure where it was heading. After working on it for a couple of years, I was able to finally complete the end result that exists today. This was also my first composition for band to be selected for a ‘best of’ list, so that was very memorable for me.

2) A World Away - this is one of my favourite lyrical pieces that I have composed for band. It was written in collaboration with David Marlatt, who has been a mentor for me throughout my composing career. It was a great experience for me to work WITH David on a piece and my students really enjoyed the end result.

3) Kaalin’s Flight - This one is proof that inspiration can come from anywhere. I actually came up with the idea for this piece while vacationing with my family in Disney World after hearing a street musician playing a sitar. I couldn’t get the sound of the scale out of my head for the rest of the day and put it to paper as soon as I could.

4) A Rift in Time - This is one of my latest pieces and I’m really proud of it. I started working on this one last summer and I spent a lot of time working on it and making changes to get it sounding just right. It’s the first piece that I have (truly) written using an irregular metre. I’m really happy with the way it turned out. It has a great drive and some great sounding chords.

5) The Siege - While I’ve heard this piece a little too much, my students ALWAYS love playing this one. It is a true 0.5, with not overly difficult rhythms and stays within the first 6 notes learned by beginners and not a single accidental was used in the making of this piece. The other thing that is interesting about this one is that once I sat down to write it, everything just flowed out of me and I was able to complete the entire composition from start to finish in about an hour, which doesn’t happen to me very often.

As a veteran elementary director, What is one practice which you recommend to new/beginning directors and teacher candidates?
Probably the biggest thing I can recommend to new directors is to be patient and try to develop confidence in your students, no matter what level of musicianship they have or wish to pursue. My goal is to create a safe environment where students are not afraid to make mistakes, are willing to take risks, and will develop their musical skills to the best of their abilities. I have found this has helped my program by allowing my students to feel comfortable in my classroom and want to be there.

What inspires you when you are composing?

My main inspiration for my writing are my students. My main goal is to write something that is both educational and engaging for students; something they look forward to every time they come to music class or band rehearsal. I also transition this goal with the hope that other educators want to use my music with their students for the same reason.

who is your (personal) favourite composer for band (and why?)

I wouldn’t say that I have a single favourite composer. I’m always looking for pieces that would both challenge and engage my students, as well as inspire me as a composer. Lately, some composers I have been drawn to include Adrian B Sims, JaRod Hall, and Brian Balmages. I like the versatility they all have in their writing at all levels.

Many young bands have incomplete instrumentation - how do you address this in your pieces for young bands?

I have learned many things about composing through my teaching, including considering situations like this. Knowing what instruments can be paired up to support each other is a benefit when composing for band. Often, I have written a part for an instrument, but then considered what it would sound like if an ensemble or class was missing that instrument and had to adjust accordingly. Another practice that has helped with my writing is to compose for a smaller ensemble (such as brass quintet) before orchestrating for band.