The Music Interval Theory Podcast
by The Music Interval Theory Podcast
Many composers feel stuck writing the same old ideas, wondering why their music doesn’t sound as original as they want. Inside the Music Interval Theory Academy (MITA) and our community (The Circle of Interval Magicians), we reveal the deeper architecture behind music, the interval magic that helps you break free from the generic sound and step into your own creative power.The truth is, the composers you admire weren’t born with secret gifts. They learned "spells." They trained their ears, sharpened their instincts, and discovered the hidden structures that shape emotional storytelling. And you can learn them, too.If you’re the kind of composer who wants to tell powerful musical stories, confidently, clearly, and with your own unmistakable voice, then you already belong here. You just need the right tools, the right guidance, and a way to finally see how music truly works beneath the surface.Conventional theory often leaves composers confused or boxed in, and that’s why so many
Episodes
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How I Compose with One Triad No Chord Progression Needed
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about I teach you interval-based composition in 30 days (or less)! From the basics to advanced concepts, I'll guide you step by step. Start your free 7-day trial today, and after that, it's less than one coffee per week! If you're new here, my…
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Live Composing - A Piano Sketch Built on the Minor Second
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about I teach you interval-based composition in 30 days (or less)! From the basics to advanced concepts, I'll guide you step by step. Start your free 7-day trial today, and after that, it's less than one coffee per week! If you're new here, my…
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What the Harmonic Series Teaches Composers About Counterpoint
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about I teach you interval-based composition in 30 days (or less)! From the basics to advanced concepts, I'll guide you step by step. Start your free 7-day trial today, and after that, it's less than one coffee per week! If you're new here, my…
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One Tiny Formula Keeps This Piano Piece Going - Composition Analysis
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about I teach you interval-based composition in 30 days (or less)! From the basics to advanced concepts, I'll guide you step by step. Start your free 7-day trial today, and after that, it's less than one coffee per week! If you're new here, my…
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An Orchestra Goes for a Bike Ride
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about I teach you interval-based composition in 30 days (or less)! From the basics to advanced concepts, I'll guide you step by step. Start your free 7-day trial today, and after that, it's less than one coffee per week! If you're new here, my…
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Composing Beyond the Diatonic System Using Intervals
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about I teach you interval-based composition in 30 days (or less)! From the basics to advanced concepts, I'll guide you step by step. Start your free 7-day trial today, and after that, it's less than one coffee per week! If you're new here, my…
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One Interval a Whole Orchestra - Light in the Sky
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about I teach you interval-based composition in 30 days (or less)! From the basics to advanced concepts, I'll guide you step by step. Start your free 7-day trial today, and after that, it's less than one coffee per week! If you're new here, my…
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From One Interval To The Full Score
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about I teach you interval-based composition in 30 days (or less)! From the basics to advanced concepts, I'll guide you step by step. Start your free 7-day trial today, and after that, it's less than one coffee per week! If you're new here, my…
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Mark DuBerry - Pulling Silk Podcast - Interval Composer Spotlight
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about I teach you interval-based composition in 30 days (or less)! From the basics to advanced concepts, I'll guide you step by step. Start your free 7-day trial today, and after that, it's less than one coffee per week! If you're new here, my…
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10 Orchestration Lessons - Live Masterclass (Part 2)
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about I teach you interval-based composition in 30 days (or less)! From the basics to advanced concepts, I'll guide you step by step. Start your free 7-day trial today, and after that, it's less than one coffee per week! If you're new here, my…
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Four Plain Triads - Then We Put a Chord Between Them
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about I teach you interval-based composition in 30 days (or less)! From the basics to advanced concepts, I'll guide you step by step. Start your free 7-day trial today, and after that, it's less than one coffee per week! If you're new here, my…
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8 Orchestration Lessons from One Real Score (Live Masterclass)
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about I teach you interval-based composition in 30 days (or less)! From the basics to advanced concepts, I'll guide you step by step. Start your free 7-day trial today, and after that, it's less than one coffee per week! If you're new here, my…
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An Orchestral Piece Built Only from Triads
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about I teach you interval-based composition in 30 days (or less)! From the basics to advanced concepts, I'll guide you step by step. Start your free 7-day trial today, and after that, it's less than one coffee per week! If you're new here, my…
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The Hour After the Sketch
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about I teach you interval-based composition in 30 days (or less)! From the basics to advanced concepts, I'll guide you step by step. Start your free 7-day trial today, and after that, it's less than one coffee per week! If you're new here, my…
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Move One Structure, Shape Your Piece
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about I teach you interval-based composition in 30 days (or less)! From the basics to advanced concepts, I'll guide you step by step. Start your free 7-day trial today, and after that, it's less than one coffee per week! If you're new here, my…
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Do This for More Colorful Orchestration
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about I teach you interval-based composition in 30 days (or less)! From the basics to advanced concepts, I'll guide you step by step. Start your free 7-day trial today, and after that, it's less than one coffee per week! If you're new here, my…
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Dont Pick the Scale First
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about I teach you interval-based composition in 30 days (or less)! From the basics to advanced concepts, I'll guide you step by step. Start your free 7-day trial today, and after that, it's less than one coffee per week! If you're new here, my…
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Be Simple in One Place
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about I teach you interval-based composition in 30 days (or less)! From the basics to advanced concepts, I'll guide you step by step. Start your free 7-day trial today, and after that, it's less than one coffee per week! If you're new here, my…
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How a Blocky Chord Sketch Becomes a Full Orchestral Cue
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about I teach you interval-based composition in 30 days (or less)! From the basics to advanced concepts, I'll guide you step by step. Start your free 7-day trial today, and after that, it's less than one coffee per week! If you're new here, my…
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Great Introductions and Endings (using INTERVALS)
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about I teach you interval-based composition in 30 days (or less)! From the basics to advanced concepts, I'll guide you step by step. Start your free 7-day trial today, and after that, it's less than one coffee per week! If you're new here, my…
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Replace Generic Chords with this interval trick
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about I teach you interval-based composition in 30 days (or less)! From the basics to advanced concepts, I'll guide you step by step. Start your free 7-day trial today, and after that, it's less than one coffee per week! If you're new here, my…
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Line Writing Workshop
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about I teach you interval-based composition in 30 days (or less)! From the basics to advanced concepts, I'll guide you step by step. Start your free 7-day trial today, and after that, it's less than one coffee per week! If you're new here, my…
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The Top 3 Traps Most Composers Fall Into
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about I teach you interval-based composition in 30 days (or less)! From the basics to advanced concepts, I'll guide you step by step. Start your free 7-day trial today, and after that, it's less than one coffee per week! If you're new here, my…
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Why Composers Write in Flat Keys
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about I teach you interval-based composition in 30 days (or less)! From the basics to advanced concepts, I'll guide you step by step. Start your free 7-day trial today, and after that, it's less than one coffee per week! If you're new here, my…
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Composing with 3s and 9s
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about I teach you interval-based composition in 30 days (or less)! From the basics to advanced concepts, I'll guide you step by step. Start your free 7-day trial today, and after that, it's less than one coffee per week! If you're new here, my…
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Interval Composition Based on Bernard Herrmann
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about I teach you interval-based composition in 30 days (or less)! From the basics to advanced concepts, I'll guide you step by step. Start your free 7-day trial today, and after that, it's less than one coffee per week! If you're new here, my…
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The 4 Ways to Write Music - Most Composers Only Know 2
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about I teach you interval-based composition in 30 days (or less)! From the basics to advanced concepts, I'll guide you step by step. Start your free 7-day trial today, and after that, it's less than one coffee per week! If you're new here, my…
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Composing with Just One Polychord
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about I teach you interval-based composition in 30 days (or less)! From the basics to advanced concepts, I'll guide you step by step. Start your free 7-day trial today, and after that, it's less than one coffee per week! If you're new here, my…
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The Best Composers Use Only 3 Composition Techniques, Not 30
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about I teach you interval-based composition in 30 days (or less)! From the basics to advanced concepts, I'll guide you step by step. Start your free 7-day trial today, and after that, it's less than one coffee per week! If you're new here, my…
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3 Different Starting Points for Better Compositions
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about I teach you interval-based composition in 30 days (or less)! From the basics to advanced concepts, I'll guide you step by step. Start your free 7-day trial today, and after that, it's less than one coffee per week! If you're new here, my…
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The "1+1" Interval Game
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about Learn Interval Magic and write music that truly stands out and is unique. Start your free 7-day trial today, and after that, it's less than one coffee per week! If you're new here, my name is Frank, and I'm the co-founder of the Music...
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Why Composers Freeze at Bar 5
Start here: Free Flipbook — Five Spells Every Composer Needs: https://musicintervaltheory.academy/spells/ Or join the community: Circle of Interval Magicians — $18/month: https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about/ If you're new here, my name is Frank Herrlinger. I'm the co-founder…
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The Secret Is Prediction, Not Talent
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about There is a reason some composers always seem to know what to play next, and it is not what most people think. This episode gets into the quiet habit that builds real musical confidence from the inside out.
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Fix the Score, Not the Knobs
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about When something sounds wrong in your orchestration, the instinct is to reach for the controls. But what if the real problem is somewhere you have not looked yet?
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Diatonic vs. Intervallic - Which One is Better
https://musicintervaltheory.academy/interval/interval-quiz.html Most composers never question the system they learned in. This video does. Diatonic and intervallic thinking each have their own advantages, and knowing the difference can change how you compose. Watch to find out which approach fits...
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5 Spells Every Composer Needs
https://musicintervaltheory.academy/spells/ Grab it! - It's free, and one of the best resources for composers available.
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The Note Your Scale Won't Allow
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about There's a question that trips up almost every composer trained in functional harmony. The answer most theory books give is complicated. Intervals make it simple.
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The 48-Hour Composition Challenge
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about Most composers don't have a creativity problem. They have a completion problem. Frank talks about why that folder full of almost-finished pieces might be the thing quietly holding you back.
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Color Doesn't Belong to a Genre
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about You want richer harmony but every attempt starts sounding like jazz. Frank shares why color has nothing to do with genre, and what one small borrowed sound can do for your music.
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When Lines Do What Chords Cannot
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about There is a moment most composers know well: the melody feels right, but the harmony just won't cooperate. Frank shares what happened when he stopped thinking in chords and started thinking in lines instead.
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Think In Energy, Not Chords
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about In this episode, Frank explores why adding more complex chords doesn’t always improve your music. Instead of focusing on chord labels, he invites you to think in terms of musical energy—shaped by elements like density, register, rhythm, and...
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Fix The Context, Not The Chord
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about In this episode, Frank explores the idea that “wrong” chords are often just incomplete musical moments. By adding context, adjusting harmony, and staying curious a little longer, composers can transform uncertainty into expressive and...
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Momentum Over Perfection
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about In this episode, Frank explores how early self-judgment can quietly shut down your creative flow. By allowing your first ideas to be rough and unfinished, you create space for momentum, connection, and playful exploration. The focus shifts...
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When Simple Is Strong
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about In this episode, I explore why trying to “improve” a good melody can sometimes weaken it. I talk about the strength of diatonic, whistleable melodies and how they create trust and clarity for the listener. Instead of forcing complexity too...
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The Power of A Story
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about In this episode, I explore why choosing chords can feel random when there’s no clear story behind your music. I share how defining a simple “story container” — like a scene, emotion, or memory — can guide your harmonic decisions and bring...
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Stop Composing Alone
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about In this episode, I explore the hidden limitations of composing in isolation and how it can slow down your creative growth. I share why getting feedback and being part of a community can accelerate your progress, help you spot patterns…
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Why Basics Unlock Magic
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about In this episode, Frank explores why interval theory often feels difficult and how the real challenge may lie in unclear fundamentals rather than complex concepts. He shares how becoming comfortable with treble and bass clef transforms...
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Find Your Musical Edge (With Interval Theory)
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about In this episode, I explore how relying on proven formulas can lead to familiar results, and why that’s not necessarily a problem. The real shift happens when you expand those foundations with your own perspective. This episode focuses on…
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Balancing Complexity and Simplicity
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about In this episode, I explore how placing unconventional interval ideas inside familiar structures can make them feel natural and expressive. The focus is on balancing complexity and simplicity so your music remains engaging while still being...
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Making Notes and Clusters Belong
https://www.skool.com/circle-of-interval-magicians/about In this episode, I explore what to do when you discover unusual note combinations that don’t seem to fit traditional harmony. Instead of trying to force them into familiar structures, I share how context, storytelling, and musical direction...
About this show
Many composers feel stuck writing the same old ideas, wondering why their music doesn’t sound as original as they want. Inside the Music Interval Theory Academy (MITA) and our community (The Circle of Interval Magicians), we reveal the deeper architecture behind music, the interval magic that helps you break free from the generic sound and step into your own creative power.The truth is, the composers you admire weren’t born with secret gifts. They learned "spells." They trained their ears, sharpened their instincts, and discovered the hidden structures that shape emotional storytelling. And you can learn them, too.If you’re the kind of composer who wants to tell powerful musical stories, confidently, clearly, and with your own unmistakable voice, then you already belong here. You just need the right tools, the right guidance, and a way to finally see how music truly works beneath the surface.Conventional theory often leaves composers confused or boxed in, and that’s why so many
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The Music Interval Theory Podcast