With so many talented composers in our catalogs, we want to take time to highlight the creativity, process, and passion of those with new music releasing. Each month of 2025 we will feature a composer who has a new piece coming out soon or who has recently published with us in an installment of "Beyond the Score". Today, we are talking with Brenda Portman.
What inspired you to begin studying music?
I was too young to remember! I don’t know that I was necessarily inspired – my mom decided when I was 4 ½ that it was time for me to start learning piano. She’s a musician, so I had been hearing music since before I was born. My mom was my first piano teacher, and she patiently spent 15-minute sessions with me, two or three times a day. I believe that’s how I progressed so quickly at the beginning. I must have liked it enough that I kept going and never looked back. So I guess my mom was my inspiration, whether I was conscious of it or not.
What motivates you musically today?
Every time I hear an appreciative comment about a piece of music that I composed or performed, it provides fresh motivation for me to keep doing what I’m doing. I love that God gave me the gift of being able to make someone’s day a little brighter because of the music that flowed through me.
What do you draw on for inspiration as you begin a new composition?
If the composition has been commissioned by someone, I enjoy spending time getting to know their story – their reasons for commissioning the piece, the occasion that they’re celebrating or commemorating, their initial musical requests such as a specific theme, hymn tune, text, or instrumentation – and I love to find ways to turn all of this into a meaningful piece of musical art. If it’s not a commission, I usually draw inspiration from a void that I feel needs to be filled, such as not being able to find any satisfactory pieces based on a certain theme or hymn tune.
What is your favorite piece of music and why?
I’m not known to have favorites, but probably I’d have to go with Liturgical Dances by David Holsinger (a wind ensemble piece). I have a lot of instrumental background, not just choral and keyboard. I love the mixed meters and rhythms in Holsinger’s music, and Liturgical Dances is nostalgic for me because it was my first introduction to Holsinger when I was a freshman in high school, playing flute in the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Youth Wind Ensemble. A few years later, at the end of my sophomore year at Wheaton College, after singing in the Women’s Chorale for two years, I heard that piece performed in chapel by the wind ensemble, and it prompted me to switch back to wind ensemble for the remaining two years, because I missed the wind repertoire so much.
What draws you to write music for the church, and how do you approach text and music for ensembles that are mostly music-loving amateurs?
I feel called to write mostly sacred music because for me it is an expression of faith and worship, and a means by which God can bring healing and wholeness to those who experience it.
I am very picky about choosing texts for choral music. A good text inspires good music.On the other hand, if I’m not enthused by the text, it’s hard to write music that is up to my standards.
It doesn’t have to be difficult to be “good.” I try to consider what I know about the ensemble that I’m writing for, the voicing they are most comfortable with, the amount of time they will have to learn the piece, and various other considerations, knowing that many choirs across the country will also have limitations and appreciate having pieces that are good quality yet easy to moderate difficulty.
What is one experience that you have had that wouldn’t have been available if you hadn’t been in the music world?
Getting to travel with the UW-Milwaukee Youth Wind Ensemble to the British Isles, and performing concerts on the grounds of Edinburgh Castle and the Tower of London (among other places)!
What is a favorite hobby or interest outside of music?
I enjoy cooking and trying new recipes – especially if they are both healthy and delicious.
We are grateful for Brenda's work and the impact it has on the ministry we serve. To learn more about Brenda and her work, check out her website at brendaportman.com and explore her releases through Augsburg Fortress here.