Commissioning An Original Composition

You Do Not Have To Be A Rich Philanthropist
To Commission A New Musical Work Of Art.
Here’s How Anyone Can Do It, Including YOU…

Imagine if you were the one responsible for a new piece of musical literature being added to the repertoire–something that would probably not exist were it not for you…

Musicians would have something fresh and new to work on. Music lovers would have something fresh and new to listen to. You would have the satisfaction of knowing you were behind it.

That’s what commissioning is about.

“Commissioning” is a fancy word for a very simple process. From a purely transactional viewpoint, it’s not all that different from purchasing any other service—

Except in this case, you’re participating in a rewarding experience as a valuable contributor to the creation of a new work of art the entire world can enjoy.

Why Commission A New Work?

Let’s start with how it benefits you as a commissioner…

• It offers you the opportunity of having an original piece of music written especially for you, someone you care about, or your favorite ensemble…
• Everyone who ever plays the work will know your name because you’ll be forever memorialized in the score…
• It is a tremendous learning experience as you become a valuable participant in the creation of a new musical work of art…
• It increases your status in the community. Just imagine showing off your commissioned work to all your friends!
• And finally… It’s a ton of fun!

It also benefits the composer and performers…

• As a collaborative effort, it builds and strengthens the relationship between composer and performer, and is a tremendous learning experience for both…
• It helps support the artistic work of the composer without the composer having to do other things to earn income that could take him away from composing new repertoire…
• It contributes to the creation of new and interesting repertoire which otherwise may not be written…

And finally, it benefits the entire world by promoting world peace.

Seriously!

Follow my reasoning here: Art is life-affirming. It reminds people of what’s truly important. And the more people focus on art and beauty, the more they forget to fight among themselves for wealth and power. Maybe my reasoning isn’t lock-tight here. But I think you get my point.

Art benefits the entire world by making life a little better and contributing to the artistic legacy of humanity. I believe that valuing the arts more than wealth or power is a sign of our evolution toward higher consciousness.

Who Can Commission A New Work?

Well, let’s see…

Conductors… performers… ensembles… schools… universities… organizations… businesses… arts patrons… average music-lovin’ joe’s… in short, anyone.

The only qualifications are a love for music and a few dollars looking for a good cause.

When Is It Appropriate To Commission A New Work?

Historically, new works have been commissioned to celebrate or commemorate any number of special occasions, such as…

• A birth
• A death (passing into the next phase of life)
• A birthday or graduation
• A wedding or anniversary
• A special gala or anniversary event
• A special concert
• A ground-breaking or grand-opening…

Or simply a desire to see a new work brought into being. Any good excuse will do. Use your imagination!

What Kind Of Music Do You Write?

Duke Ellington said there are only two kinds of music: good and bad. I write the good kind. (At least I hope so!)

As a classically-trained composer, I write for all kinds of ensembles from small chamber groups to full symphony orchestra. I even write songs and set text to music.

Many people associate new concert music with words like “painful” … “harsh”… “unbearable”. Because let’s face it: throughout the last century, many concert composers didn’t make it easy to like their music.

Here is my guiding principle as a composer: I write music I would actually want to listen to. Which means, usually, the audience enjoys listening to it as well. I believe in being of service. And as a composer, I am being of service only when my music is sophisticated enough for art… and approachable enough for a general audience.

I try to write music that is playable and idiomatic to each instrument. Performers won’t need to be freakish monsters to play it. Listeners won’t need a doctorate in music theory to appreciate it.

What I’ve Done And Love Doing…

Different composers have different strengths & passions. For example, a brass player isn’t likely to specialize in solo guitar literature… and a string player isn’t likely to specialize in brass bands. As for me, I believe my strengths are in writing for the following types of ensembles…

• Chamber Ensembles made up of Winds, Brass, Strings, and and/or Percussion in any configuration.
• Brass Band or Ensemble
• Concert Band / Wind Ensemble
• Symphony Orchestra
• Voice or Choir with or without an instrumental ensemble
• Musical Theater

This doesn’t mean I am not open to other possibilities (I always welcome a new challenge!)… only that these are areas I’ve worked on and feel particularly confident with.

What I Haven’t Done, But Would Love To Explore…

Artists love the thrill of a new challenge. And I would particularly relish working on the following types of projects…

• Chamber String Ensemble
• Percussion Ensemble
• Sonata or Concerto
• Dance (with Acoustic & Symphonic Instruments)

Again… it doesn’t mean I’m not open to other possibilities. Just that these are areas I’m particularly keen to work on.

If you haven’t heard any of my music, I recommend you listen to a few of my pieces to get a feel for the kind of work I’ve done.

How Does Commissioning Work And How Much Does It Cost?

Commissioning a new work is quite simple. It’s not that different from purchasing any other service. You’re simply securing my services as a composer to write a new composition for you and the world to enjoy.

The cost depends on a number of factors. Most importantly,

1) Your available budget and funding sources
2) The length of the work
3) The instrumentation (number of forces)

Generally, the longer the piece and the greater number of forces, the higher the commissioning fee.

That means I can accommodate any budget–from a few hundred dollars for a short unaccompanied solo piece… to a few thousand for a band or orchestra piece… to tens of thousands for a large-scale work.

I believe commissioning should be within easy reach of anyone. If interested, I can suggest possible funding sources or even work out a payment schedule to make it affordable.

It is even possible to arrange a consortium of several parties to co-commission a work in order to spread out the costs. Each party would have premier rights within a certain region and have their name memorialized on the score.

Meet The Composer provides several helpful guides that explain the commissioning process in detail, and what kind of fees you can expect to pay. Meet The Composer can also help with securing funding sources or acting as a fiscal agent for tax purposes.

How Do You Work With Performers?

Ideally, composition is a collaborative process. It is extremely helpful as a composer to bring drafts to a reading session and receive feedback from performers or the conductor.

For solo or chamber works, my goal is to showcase the performers. Which means it is necessary to spend time with the musicians who will be premiering the piece in order to gain an intimate knowledge of what each performer is capable of.

This process can be an incredible learning experience for both the composer and the performers.

How Do You Deliver The Music?

Scores will be professionally printed and bound in a size that is comfortable to read.

Parts will be professionally prepared with appropriate cues and page turns to facilitate rehearsal and performance.

I’ll also provide a MIDI Demo to reduce the amount of time required to learn the piece.

How Do We Get Started?

If you’d like to explore the possibility of commissioning a new work, please contact me to set up a time to talk about it. It’s painless… there is no obligation… and I promise I won’t bite!