Matt Hoisch is half of the news team at KOTO and a frequent participant in many Telluride Theatre productions. He also tries to do a bit of writing when he can. Beyond Telluride, his radio work has also been featured on NPR stations in Los Angeles and Boston as well as the nationally-broadcast radio shows Marketplace, The World, and Living on Earth. He came to Telluride just before the pandemic and is beyond grateful the universe led him to this quirky box canyon.
Telluride Arts asked Matt a few questions…
What is your chosen artistic medium?
I'm primarily an audio producer and actor, but the two often intersect. One of my favorite parts of radio journalism is how theatrical it is and the different ways you can tell a story through sound.
Who + What are your muses?
The #1 inspiration will always be the musical theatre composer Stephen Sondheim. But I also have to say the Telluride region and my time in this place has had a massive impact on my philosophy of what I want from my life, and that can't help but translate into how I approach my creative pursuits!
What are your prep or practice rituals to get you into the artistic headspace?
Good music, a good night's sleep, a nice shower, and plenty of coffee. Plus maybe a bit of light stretching.
What is your favorite awkward growth moment or barrier breaking time?
In college I was set to direct an original jukebox musical adaptation of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar that I had put together and literally backed out the day of the first rehearsal. I had never directed a full production before—let alone an original musical—and was getting more and more nervous and overwhelmed as the process approached. I basically cancelled the show after we had cast it and assembled the full creative team. That was probably one of the hardest, and frankly most shameful, artistic decisions I've ever made. It was hands down an awkward gowth moment, and I thought a lot about it in the months after. I think I felt like I needed to have most of the show figured out before we even started—which I now know I didn't! Since then, I've worked hard to become more comfortable living in the uncertainty inherent in anything creative.
What inspires you and/or keeps you engaged and moving forward?
Whenever I make something that's meaningful to me and I hear from someone else that it was also meaningful or impactul to them, that's all you could ever ask for as an artist. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, it's a heck of a feeling.
What is your favorite quote or saying?
"The notes I handle no better than many pianists. But the pauses between the notes ah, that is where the art resides." — Artur Schnabel
Tell us about what’s next:
Máire Higgins and I are putting together a lightly-staged reading of a play called Lungs that's about whether or not to have children in the 21st century. We're aiming to put that up in early June. I'm also hoping to work on All's Well that Ends Well for Shakespeare in the Park this summer. And I'm constantly making work for KOTO News, so tune in weeknights at 6pm!