Making a musical is a new podcast by Brian Strohmetz and Zoe de York about the trials and tribulations of musical theatre writers. The show takes you from the blank page to Broadway... maybe. They’re still working on that last part. Brian and Zoe are both musical theatre creators, composers, lyricists and librettists. In 2024, they both had their first original shows staged in New Jersey and Brussels. Twice a month they’ll discuss the challenges and joys of figuring out what works on stage and interview other musical theatre creators and professionals.
Brian and Zoe speak to Finola Southgate about her experience with making musicals from song cycles and why you should always start with the story before writing the songs.
Finola is a British songwriter credited with vocals and keys on the 2017 Monroes album and her 2021 Sister Session EP. Finola and Rosie Dart wrote We’ll Have Nun Of It, which was featured at the Edinburgh Fringe and had a 2-week run at The Other Palace in London. The show is an actor-musician piece, which follows the story of four friends navigating their final year at St Anne’s convent school. Set in 1967, it explores themes of Irish emigration, sexuality and faith with a folk-rock soundtrack.
From 2022 to 2025, Finola lived in Brussels where she co-founded the Brussels Musical Creatives and co-wrote Knocked with, among others, Zoe. She also directed Knocked’s first run.
Finola shares her insights into original forms of musical theatre, the benefits of collaborations and starting small.
The episode features clips from her songs Vines, Not Blinded and Ghost, with authorisation. Listen to her album on Spotify (https://l.instagram.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fopen.spotify.com%2Falbum%2F6eW8cAXH68nkgBhS0uGJFZ%3Fsi%3Dh-BU1nLxTJ-juN0NhMn1fQ%26utm_source%3Dig%26utm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_content%3Dlink_in_bio%26fbclid%3DPAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnLSy6Zk15ADFd5beKZJoz3nWwVqOjBXldx-goYTDps_JLvM9BgjAddLPsNxo_aem_iUJmD6LA3i_0kJxKf1GrWg&e=AT2cslneMjGzrRhwE91aLMDQgyYOC-xWTM_wAzu82TZg_nA0WC2xSO9TP9GfoaQZXSp-3LMIQ3S95bYO_okVf3vj2LGySrGtFgeR_4Bc-P7oJZzwAT6LxVyn0w) and Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/be/album/sister-sessions/1549109797). The theme for our show was written by Brian Strohmetz.
If you enjoyed our show, make sure to rate and review it and subscribe to receive our next episodes.
Find us on Instagram @MakingaMusicalPod (https://www.instagram.com/makingamusicalpod/) and @BrianStrohmetzMusic (https://www.instagram.com/BrianStrohmetzMusic/). Finola is @finola.music (https://www.instagram.com/finola.music/). And if you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/cw/MakingAMusicalPodcast).
19 Nov 2025
How do you write like you're running out of time
Brian and Zoe discuss strategies to keep the fire going when their day job pulls them away from writing music. From finding time to write to creating a process to facilitate writing in their daily lives and, of course, taking care of themselves, they share their struggle and their successes.
If you enjoyed our show, please rate and review it, subscribe to receive our next episodes, and support us on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/c/MakingAMusicalPodcast).
Find us on Instagram @MakingaMusicalPod (https://www.instagram.com/makingamusicalpod/) and @BrianStrohmetzMusic (https://www.instagram.com/BrianStrohmetzMusic/).
Mentioned in this episode:
7-Day Musical Theatre Songwriting Bootcamp
Join the new songwriting for musical theatre bootcamp orchestrated by friend of the show Brett Boles now.
MTS Bootcamp (https://making-a-musical.captivate.fm/mtea-bootcamp)
23 Oct 2025
The compulsion to create: how Brett Boles blends writing and teaching musical theatre
Brett “that’s the MTea” Boles joins Zoe and Brian in discussing writing for musical theater, social media and music education.
Brett is an award-winning musical theatre composer, lyricist, and librettist. He wrote his first musical in high school and never stopped. His show Foreverman premiered at the New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) where it received an award for Outstanding Orchestrations and the New World Stages Development award. A reading of his latest creation, Time Stops, was headlined by Norbert Leo Butz in New York City. Brett is also a member of the Tony-Award-Winning BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop in NYC.
Brett is the glasses behind the viral Instagram and TikTok series the MTea. His videos spilling the tea on how songs work have been commented on and shared by the likes of Lin Manuel Miranda and Bobby Lopez. In July 2023, Brett launched the MTea Songwriting Studio to help songwriters around the world learn more about their craft, which – spoiler alert – is when Brian and Zoe signed up and got to know each other.
If you enjoyed our show, make sure to rate and review it and subscribe to receive our next episodes.
Find us on Instagram @MakingaMusicalPod (https://www.instagram.com/makingamusicalpod/) and @BrianStrohmetzMusic (https://www.instagram.com/BrianStrohmetzMusic/). And if you like the show, consider supporting us on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/cw/MakingAMusicalPodcast).
Knocked (https://www.brusselsmusicals.com/), the show Zoe co-created with the Brussels Musical Creatives is running on 23-25 October in Brussels, Belgium. Get your tickets here (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/knocked-the-brussels-musical-tickets-1670741124679).
Mentioned in this episode:
7-Day Musical Theatre Songwriting Bootcamp
Join the new songwriting for musical theatre bootcamp orchestrated by friend of the show Brett Boles now.
MTS Bootcamp (https://making-a-musical.captivate.fm/mtea-bootcamp)
24 Sept 2025
Opening Doors
Meet your hosts Brian Strohmetz and Zoe de York. Their new podcast Making a Musical takes you from the blank page to Broadway... maybe. They’re still working on that last part. Brian and Zoe both are musical theatre creators who each had their first original show produced in 2024 in New Jersey and Brussels – where they live.
Brian is a music teacher by day and a composer by night. A Holiday Homecoming debuted in December 2024 in New Jersey. He shares his experience collaborating with the show’s book writer and lyricist, as well as the orchestrations (https://www.sheetmusicdirect.com/en-US/arrangeme/14281/brian-strohmetz) he's released recently. The music for A Holiday Homecoming is available all streamers (https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/brianstrohmetzandjessicastrongwater/a-holiday-homecoming-original-cast-recording/).
Zoe is a podcast and content producer by day and a songwriter by night. Knocked, the show she co-created with the Brussels Musical Creatives (https://www.brusselsmusicals.com/) premiered in November 2024 and is running again on 23-25 October in Brussels, Belgium. Get your tickets now! (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/knocked-the-brussels-musical-tickets-1670741124679)
If you enjoyed our show, please rate and review it and subscribe to receive our next episodes.
Find us on Instagram @MakingaMusicalPod (https://www.instagram.com/makingamusicalpod/) and @BrianStrohmetzMusic (https://www.instagram.com/BrianStrohmetzMusic/).
Mentioned in this episode:
7-Day Musical Theatre Songwriting Bootcamp
Join the new songwriting for musical theatre bootcamp orchestrated by friend of the show Brett Boles now.
MTS Bootcamp (https://making-a-musical.captivate.fm/mtea-bootcamp)
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