[2] He went on to study composition and performance at the California Institute of the Arts from 1975 to 1977 under the tutelage of his mentor, composer Harold Budd.

"[4] Poling's contributions to musical theater include several scores and songs for Theatre de la Jeune Lune.

He has also contributed songs to the musical "Heaven", created with Joe Chvala and continues to develop new works with Hatcher.

Kevin McCollum commissioned Poling to write music for a new work "Heaven" developed under the aegis of The Ordway Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota.

In 2015, the musical Glensheen (about the 1977 murders of Elisabeth Congdon and her nurse at the eponymous mansion in Duluth, Minnesota), opened at the History Theatre in St Paul.

[8] His score for the Twin Cities Public Television documentary Iron Range: A People's History (1994) won an Emmy Award.

Poling has a book from the University of Minnesota Press called Jack & the Ghost illustrated by Lucy Michell.