We jump right in on July 12th: an evening reading session with our guest ensemble. Then we begin a high-intensity week of composing, learning new skills and creating community. Students compose a piece for presentation at the final salon on Sunday morning, July 19th. First rehearsals begin Wednesday! Students, Faculty & Staff are drafted to perform in those pieces.
Featuring:
This high-intensity week of composing is for a smaller cohort of students with a focus on film and game music. Students compose multiple projects for film and video games which are presented at the final salon on Sunday. Students in the studio compose music into a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) using MIDI samples, sometimes combined with their own acoustic additions. They learn to synchronize music with film and video game visual elements, resulting in original scores for some of their favorite films and video games. Students receive daily one-on-one lessons.
Featuring:
KIM D. SHERMAN composes for theater, opera, concert, and film. She embraces lyricism and dissonance as equal partners in her musical storytelling.
In 2025, her work “Invocation” was recorded by soprano Allison Charney and the National Symphonia Orchestra of Prague, conducted by Benjamin Loeb, and is part of Allison’s album: ALIKE, My Mother’s Dream. ALIKE was nominated for a GRAMMY™ for Best Solo Vocal Classical Album.
Her book of piano solos, UNFATHOMABLE THINGS was published in 2021. Song Cycles include: A PRAIRIE DIARY for voice, cello and piano, THE CLARA CYCLE, for Soprano, Violin and Piano, SUMMER, 1976, for lyric baritone and string quartet, and SONG OF SONGS, for strings, harp and soprano. She is currently at work on BLUESTEM, a chamber opera based on the writings of Willa Cather, as well as a choral song cycle, THE PROMISE OF AMERICA, about the U.S. Constitution and Amendments.
Ms. Sherman studied music at Lawrence University, and composition with composer Thea Musgrave. She is a regular volunteer composer for The 52nd Street Project. She also works with Still Waters In A Storm, creating songs and lyrics with students of all ages who are learning English as a second language.
Dr. Casey Palbicki has been instructing Film & Video Game Music and Audio at the Junior Composer Institute Studio Camp since 2021. He has introduced students to concepts in screen scoring, audio and sound design, spotting, SMPTE, the Leitmotif, and many other areas within the commercial music and audio world. Dr. Palbicki is a professor of music at the University of Wisconsin - River Falls where he heads the music theory and composition program. His area of expertise is in Film & Video Game music.
"Working with the brilliant students that attend the JCI Studio has been an absolute pleasure. I am always very excited to hear the incredible music that these very gifted composers and musicians create during the camp!"
Eric Radloff is a musician, singer-songwriter, producer, and teacher living in Minneapolis. Born and raised in MN, he recently moved back after living in Los Angeles for 15 years. While his heart lies in making music for the indie scene, Eric has also made music for film, TV, and advertising, and he’s worked with brands such as Apple and Nickelodeon. He toured nationally last year with Katie Gavin opening for Lacy Dacus. Eric loves spending time with his wife, Jenna, and his two daughters Susie and Margie. He’s also pretty good at Mario Kart.
Frank Felice (b. 1961) is an eclectic composer who writes with a postmodern mischievousness: each piece speaks in its own language, and they can be by turns comedic/ironic, simple/complex, subtle/startling or humble/reverent. Recent projects of Felice's have taken a turn toward turn towards the sweeter side, exploring a consonant adiatonicism. In addition to musical interests, he pursues his creative muse through painting, poetry, cooking, home brewing, paleontology, theology, philosophy, and basketball. He is very fortunate to be married to mezzo-soprano Mitzi Westra. Frank currently teaches at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. Check him and his work out at www.frank-felice.com
Junior Composers Alumnus Mary Kate Arians just finished her seventh year of teaching 5th- through 12th-grade band at Newman Catholic School in Mason City, Iowa and is getting ready to transition to the Instrumental Music Director at the North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) in Mason City in the Fall of 2026. During her time at Newman, she has developed the concert band program, as demonstrated by their Division I rating at the 2021-2026 State Large Group Festivals, the growth in numbers to almost 140 students across 5th-12th grade, and the high school band’s recent performances at the 2022 and 2025 IBA Conference. She has developed a jazz program that meets weekly throughout the winter and performs at the annual Coffee House Variety Show, as well as a marching band program that performs at the yearly Homecoming football game. Arians has served the North Central Bandmasters (NCIBA) district through her roles as co-chair for the NCIBA Junior High Honor Band (2022-2026) and advocacy chair (2023-2026). She has also served the Iowa Bandmasters Association (IBA) and Iowa High School Music Association (IHSMA) through her involvement in the IBA/IHSMA Literature Review Committee (2022-2026) and the IBA Listening Panel (2023). Arians is a proud graduate of Wartburg College, where she received a Bachelor of Music Education (BME) in 2019, and Messiah University, where she received a Master in Wind Conducting in 2025. In addition to teaching, she is an active clarinet player and private teacher in the North Central Iowa area while also serving as the Administrative Director for the Composers Institute. Her experiences as a composer form the foundation for her teaching philosophy, as Mary Kate actively seeks to bring out the musical creativity in each of her students. In her free time, Arians enjoys spending time with family and friends, especially her husband, Chris, and their daughter, Laura Rose!
Landon is a composer, fiction author, and filmmaker in the Music and Stage and Screen Arts department at the University of Wisconsin, River Falls. His works include concert music and original scores for various feature films, shorts, commercials, and theater productions. Landon's recent projects include an original score and musical numbers for an adaptation of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, directed by Kathy Welch, an original short film entered into the LA International Film Festival, and his debut dark fantasy novel, The Knights of Sae.
Pat has been involved with Composers Institute since 2007, helping with leadership, administration, grants and scholarships. She is a retired piano and composition teacher now living in Spearfish, South Dakota.
Daisy Otundo is a JCI alumna, musician, composer, and educator passionate about using music as a form of creative expression and connection, with a focus on crafting memorable, “sticky” melodies. As a composer, she has written original works, including Time Ticking and New Beginnings, both of which were featured in the National Federation of Music Clubs (NFMC) Composition Competitions. She also composed Peace Above the Storm, originally written as a string quartet for a JCI Reading Session and later adapted for piano and performed at her piano teacher’s wedding. As a performer and educator, Daisy serves as a pianist at her local church and teaches private piano lessons, helping students build strong foundational skills while deepening a lasting appreciation for music. Outside of music, she is a senior at Iowa State University pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Psychology. In her free time, she enjoys baking, learning to play the guitar, and spending time outdoors with family and friends.
