Anthony Plog on Music

Conversations with performers, composers, and entrepreneurs

Become a Contributing Listener!

As a Contributing Listener of "Anthony Plog on Music" you'll have access to extra premium content and benefits including:
  • Extra Audio Content: Only available to Contributing Listeners.
  • Podcast Reflections: Tony's written recaps and thoughts on past interviews (including valuable tips and suggestions for students) going all the way back to his first interviews in 2020.
  • Ask Me Anything: Both as written messages and occasional member-only Zoom sessions.
  • The Show's Discord Server: Where conversations about past interviews, show suggestions, and questions happen. It's a great place to meet other listeners and chat about all things music!
  • Can I just donate instead of subscribing? Absolutely!
  • Cancel at anytime and easily resubscribe when you want all the extra content again.



Ron Ramin and Portia Kamons on SEVENTEEN: Giving Voice to a Generation by Composing a Musical Response to the Parkland Tragedy

Anthony Plog, host
Eddie Ludema, producer
Date posted: May 23, 2025

"Seventeen was that age when we were realizing… we have to do something about this." That poignant reflection echoes the emotional heart of SEVENTEEN, a powerful narrative work for orchestra created in response to the tragic 2018 high school shooting in Parkland, Florida—an event that claimed the lives of seventeen students. Composer Ron Ramin was moved to begin work on this piece soon after, eventually collaborating with librettist Portia Kamons, and later joined by Jamie Bernstein. Together, they crafted a deeply human and artistically compelling response to an American tragedy. In this two-part conversation, I sit down with Portia and Ron to talk about the creation of SEVENTEEN and the many layers involved in bringing it to life.


This interview is brought to you by Dorico, the music notation and composition software from Steinberg.

From our friends at Dorico:
"Whether you're writing your first song or scoring the latest blockbuster, Dorico is the smart choice for composition and music notation. With a complete family of apps for iPad, macOS and Windows, there's a version of Dorico that's perfect for you today and will grow with you tomorrow. Every version of Dorico is packed with smart, time-saving features to help you spend less time in front of your computer and more time doing what you love: making music."

Try out the full Pro version for Windows and MacOS with a 30-day free trial by visiting Dorico's web site!

Part 1

In Part 1, we begin with an overview of the piece itself, followed by a deeper dive into each of its four movements. Portia shares how the libretto was built from the actual words of young people, giving voice to a generation affected by gun violence. We also discuss how Ron and Portia came together to write the piece, the collaborative process behind their work, and how their shared vision took shape. We wrap up the first half of our conversation with the story of how the premiere performance came about, thanks to the support of the Orlando Philharmonic and its music director, Eric Jacobsen.

Become a Contributing Listener to enjoy more from Tony's interview with Ron and Portia!

[Subscriber Content] Part 2 opens with a look at the practical challenges behind producing a project of this magnitude, especially the complexities of securing funding. This leads to a conversation about future performance opportunities and what lies ahead for SEVENTEEN. From there, we step back to learn more about Portia and Ron’s individual careers, and I pose a classic creative question: do artists need to feel inspired to do meaningful work, or can the work happen without inspiration? Their answers are thoughtful and revealing. And finally, we close with a broader reflection as I ask both of them how hopeful they feel about the future.



The podcast theme music, Four Sierra Scenes, written by Anthony Plog, is taken from Crystal Records S205, copyright ©1980 Crystal Records Inc., and is used by permission. Unauthorized duplication is not permitted.