The Music of Middle-Earth

Take a deep dive into Howard Shore's Score for Peter Jackson's adaptation of Lord of The Rings! We explore Tolkien's writing, history, and composition!

Episode 53: Three is Company - Holiday Special! 12/05/2022

Episode 53: Three is Company - Holiday Special! Enjoy a listen to the score for Three is Company from A Long-Expected Soundscape! If you're interested in pre-ordering, you can find the details here! https://jordanrannells.com/ /episode/index/show/musicofmiddleearth/id/25221930

Episode 52: The Rings of Power (Galadriel and Sauron) 07/21/2022

Episode 52: The Rings of Power (Galadriel and Sauron) Bear McCreary IS HERE! Just a short breakdown of the two new pieces of excellent score from Bear McCreary for Amazon's Rings of Power. I share a bit of how I think these pieces remind us of Howard Shore through comparisons with Lothlorien and The Nazgul. /episode/index/show/musicofmiddleearth/id/23818007

Episode 51: The Fellowship Theme 07/04/2022

Episode 51: The Fellowship Theme The Fellowship 1/6: The Fellowship Theme. Today we begin our journey into the Fellowship themes! We have a listen to the center of all of this Music. We hear from Howard Shore in our Mid-Mark and we try a new game of: "What would you do if you were the composer of Tolkien's work?" /episode/index/show/musicofmiddleearth/id/23622104

Soundscapes of Middle-earth VII: Tom Bombadil 04/23/2022

Soundscapes of Middle-earth VII: Tom Bombadil Soundscapes of Middle-earth VII! Welcome to The House of Tom Bombadil! Narration, Frodo, Pippin, and Merry performed by: Tyler Jonsson Tom Bombadil: Phil Dragash Goldberry: Shersten the Golden DON'T MISS THE KICKSTARTER: Time is running out! :) If you like this episode, you'll absolutely love this project. Send your Soundscapes Chapter Recommendations to: [email protected] /episode/index/show/musicofmiddleearth/id/22886717

Soundscapes of Middle-earth VII: Tom Bombadil 04/23/2022

A Long-Expected Soundscape!! 03/25/2022

A Long-Expected Soundscape!! Hello everyone! A very special announcement for my Kickstarter! If you have a moment, have a look at the link! I think every Tolkien fan will be excited about this project and I think you will be even more excited if you enjoy my Soundscapes episodes! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/expectedsoundscape/a-long-expected-soundscape?ref=discovery&term=a%20long%20expected%20soundscape /episode/index/show/musicofmiddleearth/id/22571789

Episode 49: Gondor Reborn 03/24/2022

Episode 49: Gondor Reborn Gondor 5/5: Gondor Reborn. Today we wrap up our countdown to Tolkien Reading Day as well as our time with Gondor! Enjoy this last of the Gondor themes as well as a special mid-mark on Edge of Night! /episode/index/show/musicofmiddleearth/id/22563494

Episode 48: Battlefield Heroism 03/24/2022

Episode 48: Battlefield Heroism Gondor 4/5: Battlefield Heroism. Today we are joined again by Alan Sisto to talk about Hope and Dispair! We also get to see Howard Shore take a somewhat musical trope and put it to very creative and exciting use! /episode/index/show/musicofmiddleearth/id/22550975

Episode 47: Faramir and Denethor 03/23/2022

Episode 47: Faramir and Denethor Gondor 3/5: Faramir and Denethor. Today we hear a theme on the pan flute! We also get to learn about Faramir's quality.. from none other than the Man of the West! Alan Sisto! /episode/index/show/musicofmiddleearth/id/22539752

Episode 46: Minas Tirith 03/21/2022

Episode 46: Minas Tirith Gondor 2/5: Minas Tirith. The countdown to Tolkien Reading Day continues with Minas Tirith! We have some fantastic readings about the city, learn about the Bugle, and hear the importance of dynamics! /episode/index/show/musicofmiddleearth/id/22517090

Episode 45: The Realm of Gondor 03/20/2022

Episode 45: The Realm of Gondor Gondor 1/5: The Realm of Gondor. Welcome to the first of our Gondor themes! Today we explore 4 variations of this wonderful theme, hear from Howard Shore and start our countdown to Tolkien Reading Day! /episode/index/show/musicofmiddleearth/id/22502333

Episode 44: Éowyn and Aragorn 03/01/2022

Episode 44: Éowyn and Aragorn Rohan 5/5: Éowyn and Aragorn. Today we wrap things up with our Rohan themes! We also hear some Anglo Saxon instruments! /episode/index/show/musicofmiddleearth/id/22291316

The Penciller: 1930 - Book Announcement! 02/11/2022

The Penciller: 1930 - Book Announcement! Hi everyone! Special short episode today! My book - The Penciller: 1930 is up on Amazon! I wanted to share this short sample of a future audiobook version and see what you all think. If you might be interested in an audiobook or even in supporting a kickstarter for the audiobook please let me know at I would love to hear your thoughts and if you might be interested in that sort of thing. Here are the links to the book if you would like to purchase a copy :) /episode/index/show/musicofmiddleearth/id/22107770

Episode 43: Éowyn and Théoden 02/06/2022

Episode 43: Éowyn and Théoden Rohan 4/5: Éowyn and Théoden. Today we explore more of Éowyn and have Shawn E Marchese on again to discuss Éowyn's song! /episode/index/show/musicofmiddleearth/id/22040639

Music of The Rings of Power: Trailer 01/20/2022

Music of The Rings of Power: Trailer We're listening Howard Shore! What did you think of the trailer? Let me know at Or join us at the Podcast Immersed on Facebook! /episode/index/show/musicofmiddleearth/id/21831116

Episode 42: Éowyn, Shieldmaiden of the Rohirrim 01/19/2022

Episode 42: Éowyn, Shieldmaiden of the Rohirrim Rohan 3/5: Éowyn, Shieldmaiden of the Rohirrim. Today we explore the theme for Éowyn! We also here some amazing old english and get deeper into the world of the Rohirrim. /episode/index/show/musicofmiddleearth/id/21820532

Episode 41: Riders of Rohan 12/04/2021

Episode 41: Riders of Rohan Rohan 2/5: Riders of Rohan. Welcome to the 2nd of our Rohan themes! Today we have an excellent reading from Lacy Golden, an interview with Hardanger fiddler Rachel Nesvig and an exploration of this cavalry theme! /episode/index/show/musicofmiddleearth/id/21378782

Episode 39: The Rohan Fanfare 11/25/2021

Episode 39: The Rohan Fanfare Rohan 1/5: The Rohan Fanfare. Today we begin our adventures into the world of Rohan! We have an amazing reading from Marilyn R Pukkila in Finnish. An excellent version of the theme by Rebecca Rovny and so much more! /episode/index/show/musicofmiddleearth/id/21286550

Episode 38: The Dwarf End-Cap 11/10/2021

Episode 38: The Dwarf End-Cap Dwarves 4/4: The Dwarf End-Cap. We wrap up our exploration of the Dwarven themes with this light hearted one! /episode/index/show/musicofmiddleearth/id/21123704

Episode 37: Dwarrowdelf 10/16/2021

Episode 37: Dwarrowdelf The Dwarves 3/4: Dwarrowdelf. Today we take a look at one of my favourite themes for the entire trilogy! We get a little glimpse of the wonder of the Dwarves and we get to hear Durin's Song! /episode/index/show/musicofmiddleearth/id/20838194

Episode 36: The Dark Places of the World 10/09/2021

Episode 36: The Dark Places of the World The Dwarves 2/4: The Dark Places of the World. Today we take a look into the world of the Dwarven Mysteries and Low Brass. /episode/index/show/musicofmiddleearth/id/20760941

Soundscapes of Middle-Earth VI: Beorn's House 10/02/2021

Soundscapes of Middle-Earth VI: Beorn's House Today we dive into an immersive reading at Beorn's House! Featuring many talented voices from Patreon and the Tolkien Community! /episode/index/show/musicofmiddleearth/id/20666945

Watch Party: LOTR - Special Bonus Episode 09/18/2021

Watch Party: LOTR - Special Bonus Episode The day has finally arrived! Today we begin our watch party of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films, starting with the first 25 minutes and 30 seconds of The Fellowship of the Ring (Extended Edition). /episode/index/show/musicofmiddleearth/id/20516789

Episode 34: Moria 09/10/2021

Episode 34: Moria The Dwarves 1/4: Moria. Today we finally start our journey into the Dwarven themes! We hear two excellent renditions of the Misty Mountains song and explore the sturdiness of the Dwarves. /episode/index/show/musicofmiddleearth/id/20426546

The Music of The Lord of the Rings: Interview with Doug Adams 09/03/2021

The Music of The Lord of the Rings: Interview with Doug Adams Join me for a fascinating discussion with Doug Adams on how he worked alongside Howard Shore to see how the Music of the Lord of the Rings came to life. /episode/index/show/musicofmiddleearth/id/20341589

Texas Tolkien Talk: Audiobooks, Past, Present, & Future 07/31/2021

Texas Tolkien Talk: Audiobooks, Past, Present, & Future Surprise! Enjoy this very special and fun time I had on the Texas Tolkien Talk Podcast discussing audiobooks and plenty more! /episode/index/show/musicofmiddleearth/id/19987670

Episode 32: An Elvish Pledge 06/25/2021

Episode 32: An Elvish Pledge The Elves 6⁄6: An Elvish Pledge. Today we explore a promise between an elf and a dwarf. We explore this final theme for our collection of elven themes and see a small hint of what is to come as we end of Season 2! /episode/index/show/musicofmiddleearth/id/19611251

Episode 31: Lothlórien 06/12/2021

Episode 31: Lothlórien The Elves 5⁄6: Lothlórien. Today we explore the beauty and mystery of Lothlórien! We also get to hear an excellent explanation of the Sarangi instrument from Yuji Nakagawa. /episode/index/show/musicofmiddleearth/id/19449215

Behind the Scenes: The Council of Elrond 05/30/2021

Behind the Scenes: The Council of Elrond Today we take a special detour to explore the Making-Of for the Council of Elrond! We hear from our director Chad Bornholdt as well as a few of our actors. We hear a few of the score pieces and listen to Rebecca Rovny explain her process! /episode/index/show/musicofmiddleearth/id/19291634

Soundscapes of Middle-Earth V: The Council of Elrond 05/17/2021

Soundscapes of Middle-Earth V: The Council of Elrond Welcome to the fifth Soundscapes of Middle-Earth Episode! I want to treat you all to a very special, one time deal! This was a labour of love with: /episode/index/show/musicofmiddleearth/id/19126412

The Music of Middle-Earth

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