Podcast Summary

Podcast: Tony Mantor’s Almost Live... Nashville
Episode: Brent Maher’s Musical Journey in "Night of the Orphan Train"
Date: November 25, 2025
Host: Tony Mantor
Guest: Brent Maher (Grammy-winning producer, songwriter, now author)

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the remarkable creative path of Brent Maher, a renowned Nashville producer and songwriter, as he transitions into the world of literature and musical storytelling with his novel, "Night of the Orphan Train." The conversation flows from Brent’s accidental discovery of a forgotten piece of American history, through the inspiration for his story and music, to the creative challenges and rewards of blending songcraft and fiction. Listeners get a vivid glimpse of the artistic process, the human stories behind the Orphan Train era, and the universal themes of resilience, hope, and following unexpected creative callings.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Stumbling Upon the Orphan Train Story

• Chance Discovery: Brent recounts how a road trip detour led him and his wife, Janelle, to uncover the Orphan Train legacy via a highway sign.

  “So Janelle pops out her computer... it's a Smithsonian museum... And we started finding out about part of our country's history that hardly anybody knows about.” (03:00)

• Historical Context: The Orphan Train era (mid-1800s–1920s) saw over 250,000 homeless children transported from New York City to families in the Midwest.

  “They took off the streets of New York City in this period of time, 250,000 children, and transported them to every single state in the Union.” (06:56)

2. Creative Spark: From Songwriting to Storytelling

• The Song Comes First: Brent’s initial inspiration was a song, not a book.

  “I started writing this song. It was just simply called Orphan Train... from this one boy that got scooped up and put on the train.” (08:05)

• Collaborative Creativity: Fellow musicians encouraged Brent to expand the piece into something more—a musical or a full story.

  “I kept getting this feedback... this is a musical. I mean, you're stopping, you don't stop. Keep expanding this thing.” (09:38)

• Emergence of Characters: Three main child characters, Jacob, Billy, and Caroline, took form initially through song, later becoming the story’s protagonists.

3. The Writing Process & Challenges

• Different Medium, New Approach: Brent describes moving from songwriting to novel writing as “a wee bit of a different proposition.” (11:08)

• Radio Show Inspiration: Childhood radio dramas inspired the novel’s structure—written and designed for audiobook performance.

  “I think I could write this thing as if you're listening to, like, a radio program and the narrator is going to start off certain scenes, and then all of a sudden the characters start taking the dialogue over.” (11:20)

• Hesitation Overcome by Support: Encouragement from his wife and a nudge from friends helped move the project from idea to reality.

4. Audiobook Production & Casting

• Professional Performers: Brent details assembling a talent-rich cast, including actor-narrators and young singers such as Brooke Spencer (Caroline) and the French Family Band.

• Aging the Characters: Different performers portray the children as they mature—an innovative element bridging music and narrative.

  “When we do the time jump, we have... Shannon Labrie, Joe Robinson took over... Jason Eskridge took over the voice of Billy…” (14:00–14:40)

• Musical Integration: The project became a two-and-a-half-hour listening experience, weaving 20 original songs into the fictional world.

5. On Characters Taking Control

• Creative Immersion: Brent admits, “these characters are with you 24/7... they really do become sort of part of your life.” (16:01)
• Contrast With Songwriting: Songwriting feels finite, whereas novel characters linger, evolve, and “don’t go away.”

6. Personal and Artistic Growth

• A New Frontier: Writing a musical novel demanded all Brent’s accumulated artistic maturity.

  “My maturity as a songwriter gave me the ability to dig into some of these places... As a young 25 or 6 year old songwriter, I don't think I could have done that.” (19:01)

• Opening to Possibility: The unexpected journey has prepared him to embrace future creative left turns.

7. Distribution & Reception

• How to Experience the Project:

  • Audiobook and soundtrack available on Amazon, Audible, Barnes & Noble, Spotify, and other music platforms.

  “The whole thing is out there for the world to embrace. And I'm really hoping that people will get a hold of the book and listen to it and enjoy it.” (21:26)

• The Live Element: Brent expresses excitement about possibly touring with the performers and engaging listeners live.

8. Core Message & Takeaway

• Risk and Reward in Creative Detours:

  “Don't be afraid to go down some left turns and take some roads you never thought you would go down. I'd never dreamed I would do something like this, but now that I've done it, it has been so rewarding.” (22:36)

• Enduring Human Spirit:

  “It just reminded me of how resilient the human spirit can be and how these little kids... could find moments of absolutely joy and their love. ... It's just the human spirit is sometimes a lot more stronger than sometimes that we can even perceive.” (22:36–23:31)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the Serendipity of Inspiration

“If I hadn’t seen that road sign, I would have never gone down this road.”
— Brent Maher (17:23)

On Artistic Collaboration

“I kept getting this feedback. This is a musical. I mean, you're stopping, you don't stop. Keep expanding this thing.”
— Brent Maher (09:38)

On Character Immersion

“Even now they haven't gone away. Even though I finished, it's done, but they are still living inside of me. And I know that sounds very melodramatic, but I'm telling you the absolute truth.”
— Brent Maher (16:54)

On Life’s Unexpected Paths

“When I saw that road sign, it wasn't like I was looking for a road sign. It was just way right by me in a split second. And that's just what life sometimes presents you.”
— Brent Maher (20:27)

On the Book’s Message

“The book isn’t all a downer. There's some places that will bring a tear to your eye... and there's other places to where you may get a little tear... from a place of joyful experience.”
— Brent Maher (22:36)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:00 – Discovery of the Orphan Train story
• 06:40 – Realities of the Orphan Train placements (both good and tragic)
• 08:05 – The first song and the birth of main characters
• 09:38 – Turning the songs into a musical novel
• 11:20 – Structuring the novel like a radio show, setting up for audiobook
• 13:28 – Casting the musical audiobook
• 15:35 – When the characters “took over” the writing process
• 19:01 – Reflections on how the project changed Brent’s ideas about creativity
• 21:26 – How to access the audiobook and soundtrack
• 22:36 – Brent’s closing message about creative risks and the resilient human spirit

Final Thoughts

Brent Maher’s journey from legendary music producer to storyteller and musical novelist illustrates how creativity thrives when artists are open to unexpected opportunities. His project, "Night of the Orphan Train," is not only a tribute to a neglected chapter of American history but also a testament to the power of story, song, and collaborative energy. The episode is rich with inspiration for aspiring creators—highlighting the rewards of embracing new challenges, the depth gained from drawing on personal experience, and the resilience found in both art and life.