Today we’d like to introduce you to Joe Cahill
Hi Joe , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started my music career by playing jazz piano with a quintet made up of my high school friends at Saint Joseph’s Preparatory School. We performed throughout the Philadelphia area at art museums, bars, and private events.
During that time, I took a theory class with my high school teacher, Matthew Schwartz, where I fell in love with music composition. With his help, I was accepted into the Peabody Conservatory, studying film and video game composition. I have always loved movies and storytelling, and at that time, I felt that music was my only way into that world.
While at Peabody, I scored short films, with a few making it into film festivals. I enjoyed film scoring, but part of me was not creatively satisfied.
In my senior year, I had to complete a capstone project to graduate. My major allowed me to do anything as long as it involved music composition and collaborating with artists. I decided to give directing a try and created a musical, which became a pivotal moment in my career.
I wrote and directed my musical, “The Galaxy Brain Experience.” My goal with the musical was to create a mashup of different artistic styles and make an immersive experience. I combined rapping, chamber music, dance, and animation to take the audience through Astris’s (the main character’s) journey on a psychedelic trip into outer space.
After performing the musical for my capstone final, I took it into the real world and premiered it at the Charm City Fringe Festival, where it won the “Audience Choice Award.”
Currently, I am pursuing a Master’s of Music at NYU and will graduate this May.
Along with grad school, I have continued composing and directing my own projects. My most recent project is a comedy show called “Unimportant Conversations.” I wrote all the music for the show and crafted the comedic skits. The show had a sold-out premiere during the New York Comedy Festival, and I am restructuring it to seek more performances in January 2025.
Outside of the comedy world, I am mixing and producing a symphony of mine called “Runner’s High.” The orchestral album focuses on one feeling: the runner’s high.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I do not see my career as a road; I see it as an ocean with big, scary, and beautiful waves.
As a surfer, I view taking chances in art as akin to the feeling of riding a massive wave. Career success is like the exhilaration of catching that wave. The drop into the barrel is an awe-inspiring experience filled with that exhilaration. Rejection, on the other hand, is similar to wiping out on the wave. The wave buries you into the reef as you struggle to determine which way is up, and it does not care to help you.
I have experimented in many different realms of art, which has been enjoyable but has also led to a lot of rejection. One particular moment that stands out is when I performed at Birdland.
In November 2023, I performed at an open mic at Pete’s Candy Store, singing an original song of mine called “Running from a Black Hole.” Someone in the crowd loved my performance and recommended me to Birdland. At the time, I had no idea what Birdland was.
When I arrived at Birdland to perform, I felt intimidated and quickly realized that this was an enormous opportunity. The venue was packed with performances by some of the top Broadway and jazz musicians in New York City. I felt like a minnow in the Atlantic Ocean.
I got to play one song and decided it would be my original that brought me there. I performed it, and I was invited back.
After my second performance, which I believed went much better, I was not invited back again. I remember coming for a third night with my friends, only to be told, “You are not on the list.” To this day, I do not fully understand what happened, but the experience taught me a lot. It motivated me to create my own shows where I could perform.
I have reached a point where I see rejection as a blessing. It inspires my greatest ideas. At this stage, I am embracing taking chances and inviting rejection to come along for the ride. Looking back, I realize that the biggest projects I have undertaken have often been ignited by rejection.
When I wipe out from a massive wave and almost drown, I respect that wave and use the experience to learn how to catch it when I paddle back out. To that, I say thank you to rejection.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a composer, performer, and director. I have worked in various realms of art, including film scoring, comedy, dance films, and musicals.
In 2023, my musical, “The Galaxy Brain Experience,” won the “Audience Choice Award” at the Charm City Fringe Festival. Following that accolade, I took the footage from the performance and produced it as a film. In 2024, “The Galaxy Brain Experience” was selected for the Indie Short Festival. You can now check out the full performance on my YouTube channel.
My latest project, “Unimportant Conversations,” is a comedy variety show that premiered during the New York Comedy Festival. I wrote the music for the entire show, as well as several skits. Through clown acts, skits, and musical numbers, each artist discusses their own “unimportant conversation.” Currently, I am restructuring the show and seeking future venues for additional performances.
In terms of composing, I am working on a symphony titled “Runner’s High.” I have created five pieces of music, all performed by an orchestra, that convey the feeling of running.
The music takes you through the beginning, middle, and end of a run. I wrote this symphony because running is a significant part of my life. I run every day, using it as a way to cope with anxiety and solve creative problems. Additionally, I have an immense amount of energy, and running is a great outlet for me to burn some off.
I need a mixing and mastering engineer who specializes in making orchestral and hybrid compositions sound big and grandiose. Once that is achieved, this symphony will be released on all platforms.
I hope that my music encourages others to run, walk, dance, and be in motion. Ultimately, being in motion leads to creative emotions.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
You can message me directly on Instagram. Here is my handle: @joecahill_productions.
I also just got a Tiktok: @joecahill_productions.
On TikTok, I share my behind the scenes musical ideas and show how overtime these fragmented ideas metamorphosize into a complete song.
Currently, I am working on a symphony titled “Runner’s High.” I am seeking mixing and mastering engineers, specifically someone whose forte is producing grandiose orchestral and hybrid compositions.
Additionally, I love collaborating with actors, dancers, and musicians. I am currently building a comedy show from the ground up in NYC. If you enjoy comedy and performing skits, please reach out to me.
Finally, I am looking for someone with a proactive mindset. I need someone who excels at planning, organizing, and managing complex artistic projects, with a focus on efficiently moving resources and bringing the project to completion. Both the comedy show and the mini symphony I am working on could benefit from that support.
Contact Info:
- Website: [email protected]
- Instagram: @joecahill_productions
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Etn39Rpd020
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-980632925
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@joecahill_productions?_t=ZT-8sNzPcKdj5u&_r=1
