{"id":13730,"date":"2026-10-29T02:43:45","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T06:43:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tcnjmagazine.com\/?p=13730"},"modified":"2026-11-09T15:22:19","modified_gmt":"2026-11-09T20:22:19","slug":"im-listening","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tcnjmagazine.com\/?p=13730","title":{"rendered":"\u201cI\u2019m listening.\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

ORCHESTRATOR TERENCE ODONKOR\u2019S rapid <\/span>rise in the theater industry doesn\u2019t surprise music <\/span>professor Kathleen Mitchell at all. Odonkor, she says, <\/span>was as an ever-smiling student. A talented musician <\/span>who anchored TCNJ\u2019s transcendent saxophone <\/span>quartet. An unflappable student manager overseeing <\/span>the sound boards at Mayo Concert Hall. A self-taught <\/span>arranger juggling compositions for every corner of the <\/span>music department, from the clarinet and wind <\/span>ensembles to the Trentones and TCNJ Rocks On!<\/span><\/p>\n

But for Mitchell, one memory in particular stands <\/span>out. It was the day she encountered Odonkor in the <\/span>department hallway, a small speaker clipped to his <\/span>backpack blasting a song \u2014 maybe Motown, most certainly <\/span>jubilant \u2014 in his wake.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was like, \u2018Dude, what are you doing?\u2019\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\n

Odonkor\u2019s answer, \u201cI\u2019m listening,\u201d was as earnest as it <\/span>was obvious.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFrom the very beginning, as far as I can remember, he <\/span>was always doing something to be in the middle of music,\u201d <\/span>Mitchell says. \u201cHe was so passionate, and people like that <\/span>just want to get better all the time. They never want to stop learning.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

EVER SINCE ODONKOR discovered <\/span>the saxophone the summer before <\/span>sixth grade, his world has revolved <\/span>around notes and melodies and the <\/span>kaleidoscope of emotions that the <\/span>right combinations can spark. His <\/span>pursuit of a career in music began <\/span>with an eight-bar middle school sax <\/span>solo and eventually landed him at the <\/span>center of TCNJ\u2019s music community, <\/span>where he was everywhere all at <\/span>once, practicing, performing, and <\/span>always \u2014 always \u2014 listening.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Orchestrartor
Terence Odonkor ’22<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Now, four years after graduating <\/span>with a BA in music, Odonkor boasts a <\/span>resume featuring collaborations with <\/span>some of the biggest names on Broad<\/span>way, including Josh Groban, Idina <\/span>Menzel, and composer and lyricist <\/span>Andrew Lippa. He orchestrated and <\/span>arranged the music for a benefit <\/span>concert honoring Lin-Manuel <\/span>Miranda and was part of the music t<\/span>eam for Here We Are, Stephen <\/span>Sondheim\u2019s last musical. And he\u2019s <\/span>currently juggling a dozen projects <\/span>that reflect his wide-ranging talents: <\/span>supervising and arranging the music <\/span>for Starting Up, a new musical comedy <\/span>aiming to open Off-Broadway next <\/span>year; working with artists ranging <\/span>from comedian Alex Edelman to <\/span>Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright <\/span>Michael R. Jackson; and serving as an<\/span>executive music producer for a <\/span>still-top-secret television show.<\/span><\/p>\n

Odonkor is 27 years old and just <\/span>getting started.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMusic brings me so much joy,\u201d <\/span>he says. \u201cI want to make things that <\/span>make people feel as excited as I do. <\/span>I want to be the Quincy Jones of <\/span>this generation. Or, more accurately, <\/span>I want to be the Terence Odonkor of <\/span>any generation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

BORN IN GHANA, Odonkor immi<\/span>grated to Atlanta with his family when <\/span>he was a year old. It was there that he <\/span>would eventually become captivated <\/span>by a unique musical genre: television <\/span>theme shows.<\/span><\/p>\n

From his perch on the couch, and <\/span>later sitting at the family desktop <\/span>searching for lyrics on YouTube, <\/span>Odonkor spent hours giddily belting <\/span>out songs from hundreds of shows, <\/span>from Cheers and Blossom to his <\/span>beloved Power Rangers<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTo this day, I know every word and <\/span>every melody to every season,\u201d he says, <\/span>adding, \u201cI was just obsessed with any <\/span>kind of music that was related to s<\/span>torytelling.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

After his family moved to St. Louis, <\/span>a music requirement led Odonkor to <\/span>the middle school band\u2019s open house. <\/span>At first \u2014 inspired, naturally, by <\/span>SpongeBob<\/span><\/i>\u2019s Squidward \u2014 he consid<\/span>ered the clarinet. But his father <\/span>deemed the choice \u201cuncool,\u201d and so he <\/span>chose the saxophone. Soon, he <\/span>couldn\u2019t imagine his life without it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI took to it incredibly fast,\u201d he says. <\/span>\u201cThe time I spent playing outside with <\/span>my friends immediately got cut in half, <\/span>not because my dad or teacher forced <\/span>me to practice. I just truly wanted to <\/span>sit in our basement and play the s<\/span>axophone all day.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Odonkor surged ahead of his peers, <\/span>speeding through his music work- <\/span>books and ordering off-beat sheet <\/span>music, including the theme from <\/span>Family Guy, to play in his downtime. <\/span>In seventh grade, when he was chosen <\/span>to perform a concert solo from \u201cHigh <\/span>Maintenance\u201d by Gordon Goodwin\u2019s <\/span>Big Phat Band, he rehearsed the short <\/span>piece over and over again.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no musical phrase that is <\/span>more ingrained in my mind than that,\u201d <\/span>he says. \u201cI think my determination to <\/span>get it right unlocked something in me. <\/span>That moment made me realize I was <\/span>genuinely good, and genuinely driven <\/span>to be good at it. I felt like a musician.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In St. Louis, and later during high <\/span>school in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, <\/span>he embraced every musical extra- <\/span>curricular available, including <\/span>marching band, orchestra, jazz band, <\/span>and choir. As if that weren\u2019t enough, <\/span>he was also a member of the varsity <\/span>tennis, soccer, and track teams. When <\/span>he arrived at TCNJ in 2018, Odonkor <\/span>was ready for a dive into his studies.<\/span><\/p>\n

A few months into his freshman <\/span>year, Odonkor joined the Trentones, <\/span>TCNJ\u2019s competitive a cappella group. <\/span>He had already started to teach <\/span>himself how to arrange music, <\/span>adapting existing pieces to fit new <\/span>voices and instruments. Being part of<\/span>the Trentones gave him the perfect <\/span>opportunity to test out his new <\/span>passion in real time.<\/span><\/p>\n

His first taste of success came when <\/span>he arranged Ariana Grande\u2019s \u201cthank u, <\/span>next\u201d to fit the group\u2019s vocals. <\/span>\u201cI remember being so proud of my <\/span>arrangement,\u201d he says. \u201cIt sounded <\/span>like an a cappella song. It sounded like <\/span>it was supposed to.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Word of Odonkor\u2019s talent quickly <\/span>spread. One professor tapped him to <\/span>arrange for the clarinet ensemble. <\/span>Another asked him to help with the <\/span>choir. As music director for the <\/span>Trentones, he arranged the majority of <\/span>their vocals, along with pieces for <\/span>other campus a cappella groups and f<\/span>or his own saxophone quartet.<\/span><\/p>\n

Odonkor took the work seriously <\/span>and studied the discographies of every <\/span>musician whose work might inform <\/span>his own, from Boyz II Men and Stevie <\/span>Wonder to gospel great Mahalia <\/span>Jackson; he spent every free moment <\/span>listening. \u201cTo be a good artist, I needed <\/span>to know music,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd music <\/span>brings me happiness. Who knows <\/span>what joy I\u2019m leaving out of my life <\/span>by not taking the initiative to search <\/span>for it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

ODONKOR\u2019S SELF-DRIVEN <\/span>streak served him well when the <\/span>pandemic hit midway through his <\/span>sophomore year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Terence<\/p>\n

Sensing that TCNJ \u2014 and the <\/span>world \u2014 might be closed for longer <\/span>than a few weeks, Odonkor packed his <\/span>room, moved home, and cooked up a <\/span>do-it-himself lesson plan to maintain <\/span>his momentum. He built a desk, <\/span>bought a synthesizer, and scoured <\/span>Facebook Marketplace for \u201cevery i<\/span>nstrument under the sun,\u201d adding a <\/span>trombone, trumpets, guitars, and <\/span>congas to his makeshift studio.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was locked in,\u201d he says. \u201cI spent <\/span>my time learning skills that could only r<\/span>eally have come to me as a result of <\/span>the specific circumstances of being in <\/span>my basement all day, every day, during <\/span>the pandemic.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

During that time, Odonkor sought <\/span>out musicians willing to share their <\/span>talents. While scrolling Instagram, he <\/span>discovered jazz pianist Mark G. <\/span>Meadows and asked to pick his brain.<\/span><\/p>\n

The request was unusual, says <\/span>Meadows, but Odonkor\u2019s \u201ccontagious, <\/span>joyful energy\u201d came through when t<\/span>hey hopped on a Zoom.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was an instant \u2018I\u2019m going to try to <\/span>do what I can to help this guy out,\u2019\u201d <\/span>says Meadows, who now holds the title <\/span>of music director for Wicked actress <\/span>Cynthia Erivo.<\/span><\/p>\n

Meadows quickly offered Odonkor <\/span>some work running his social media <\/span>account.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI said yes, but I\u2019d never done <\/span>anything like that,\u201d Odonkor says. <\/span>\u201cI immediately started learning how to <\/span>edit videos.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Soon Meadows tasked him with <\/span>transcribing and proofreading scores.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe questions he was asking, <\/span>about jazz and harmony, made me <\/span>know I was in good shape,\u201d Meadows <\/span>says. \u201cHe\u2019s detail-oriented and <\/span>wants everything to be right and cares <\/span>so much.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When Meadows heard that <\/span>ArtsCentric, a small theater in <\/span>Baltimore, needed an orchestrator, <\/span>he recommended Odonkor. The <\/span>opportunity to help with Technicolor, <\/span>an original production about the <\/span>history of black artists in television <\/span>and film, was life-changing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d never orchestrated a show, but <\/span>I knew I wanted to do that kind of <\/span>work,\u201d Odonkor says. \u201cSo, I just threw <\/span>myself into it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

There was little sleep and lots of <\/span>stress, but through it all, Odonkor <\/span>remained an enthusiast always ready <\/span>to take on new challenges. \u201cIf I say <\/span>I\u2019m going to do something, I will do <\/span>whatever it takes to get it done,\u201d h<\/span>e says.<\/span><\/p>\n

By his senior year, Odonkor\u2019s career <\/span>was taking shape. Accepted into a <\/span>prestigious mentorship program with <\/span>Musicians United for Social Equity, he <\/span>was matched with Tony Award-<\/span>winner Stephen Oremus. The <\/span>experience helped him land his first <\/span>Broadway gig as music assistant on <\/span>the national tour of Pretty Woman: <\/span>The Musical. Each morning, he rode <\/span>the train from Princeton Junction into <\/span>the city and was (mostly) back for <\/span>afternoon classes.<\/span><\/p>\n

In his final TCNJ semester that <\/span>spring, Odonkor served as the music <\/span>assistant for Broadway\u2019s A Strange <\/span>Loop. Within a few weeks of his <\/span>graduation, the show won a Tony <\/span>Award, presented at a ceremony <\/span>where Odonkor helped composer <\/span>Alex Lacamoire of Hamilton fame <\/span>orchestrate the opening number.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then it just kind of spiraled <\/span>from there,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\n

THESE DAYS, Odonkor is the busiest <\/span>he\u2019s ever been. \u201cI\u2019m definitely not <\/span>sleeping as much as I should,\u201d he says. <\/span>He\u2019s especially excited about his work <\/span>as co-vocal arranger on Harveyland. <\/span>The new musical, currently in <\/span>development, comes from composer <\/span>and lyricist Andrew Lippa, whose <\/span>shows include The Addams Family, <\/span>The Wild Party, and Big Fish.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s fearless,\u201d Lippa says of <\/span>Odonkor. \u201cThat heart of his, along with <\/span>his deep talent and growing skillset, is r<\/span>eally what has endeared him to me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Lippa met Odonkor through the <\/span>mentorship program in 2022, hiring <\/span>him to orchestrate his musical Love <\/span>Somebody Now. Though it was one of <\/span>Odonkor\u2019s earliest efforts, Lippa was i<\/span>mpressed. \u201cThe challenge with most<\/span>young people is holding them to the<\/span>same standard I would hold any other <\/span>colleague of experience,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\n

But Odonkor not only put forth <\/span>fresh ideas, he also understood how to <\/span>accept criticism. Says Lippa: \u201cIt\u2019s the <\/span>sign of a truly terrific mind that he <\/span>works to better himself.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Even as Odonkor\u2019s schedule grows <\/span>ever more packed, he still maintains a <\/span>\u201cto listen to\u201d list that lately features <\/span>new indie artists and old musical <\/span>theater cast albums.<\/span><\/p>\n

While his early successes have been <\/span>a thrill, Odonkor says the ripple-out <\/span>effects of his work matter more.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI want to be successful at a high <\/span>level,\u201d says Odonkor, \u201cBut that is a <\/span>byproduct of the goal. And the goal is <\/span>chasing joy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Photos Peter Murphy<\/p>\n

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