Composing as a Career

  • Alaska by blmiers2
    Composing in Alaska? Composing in Alaska?

    Composing in Alaska?

Composing in Alaska?

I received information on what seems to be a beautiful opportunity to compose in Alaska. Here is that information:

2013 Composing in the Wilderness Field Seminar

A one-of-a-kind experience for adventurous composers. Draw inspiration from Alaska’s wilderness, write original music about it, and hear it performed – all within two weeks!

July 10-23, 2013

Expanding on the success of the 2012 Composing in the Wilderness field seminar, this […]

Learning from Giants

When a giant figure like Steve Jobs dies, everyone feels a need to comment. Of course, writing or commenting often helps us process our grief and shock in sad moments like these.  But, sifting through the volume of comments and articles can be overwhelming.

I don’t have anything new to say about Steve Jobs’ death of legacy, however I think I found just the right article […]

By |October 12th, 2011|Composing as a Career, General, Inspiration, Piano Teaching|Comments Off

The Paradoxical Musical Life

I just came back from our KMTA conference where one of the college faculty on a panel answered the question, “How do you prepare a student who wants to study music?” with a “Well, I honestly don’t know if I would recommend a career in music these days.”  While what she said might have been shocking to some, she went on to say some […]

Memory Slips of the Pros

I was so encouraged when I read the article “Lapse” from New Music Box. It seems that composer Kevin Puts was performing as the soloist for his own premier of his Piano Concerto when he lost his place!  Kevin writes,

I don’t know where I am…

Suddenly and inexplicably I am lost. In the orchestra to my left, the piccolo plays a staccato high […]

ASCAP Rudolf Nissim Prize

ASCAP has announced its competition for the Rudolf Nissim Prize for Composition.

PRIZE: $5,000

FOR THE BEST ORIGINAL CONCERT MUSIC SCORE REQUIRING CONDUCTOR

Dr. Rudolf Nissim, who served as head of ASCAP’s Foreign Department for four decades, also established the Concert Music Department. Prior to fleeing to the United States in 1940, Nissim had been Managing Director of […]

By |September 21st, 2010|Composing, Composing as a Career, Composing Opportunities|Comments Off

Mona Rejino’s Life Outside Music

Too often, when we only know someone in one context, they get stuck in our minds existing only in that specific context.  Sometimes we see a teacher as someone always teaching, not someone who enjoys competitive cycling.  Sometimes we see a pastor as someone dressed up always helping people, not someone who works out at the local Y. Since this frequently happens with me, […]

Who is Mona Rejino? Things you may not know…

I hope you and your students are thinking of some questions to ask Mona for our composer interview!  Please submit these in the comments section of this Composer Interview post.  Here is a brief preliminary interview with Mona which discusses interesting things you may not know.

What are some things about yourself that teachers and students may not know?

I have been a lifelong pianist, […]

Your Chance to Interview Mona Rejino

If you are a student composer, music teacher, or piano teacher, you will want to take advantage of this great opportunity to submit interview questions to a living composer!  I’m sure you remember that last year, Kevin Costley was our featured composer and many of you sent excellent questions to which he gave very helpful answers (Costley Interview, Part 1,

Film Scoring Opportunity

The American Composer’s Forum has announced an opportunity to attend a 2 day intensive workshop on film scoring.
HOLLYWOOD CALLING: An Insider’s Guide to Film Scoring
April 17-18, 2010
McNally Smith College of Music
Saint Paul, MN
 
Registration Deadline: March 31, 2010
 
ACF is partnering with McNally Smith College of Music to offer an intensive two-day workshop […]

Why I Love Being a Composer

I love hearing from students who have played my pieces!  This is the 2nd group of pictures I have received from a student who learned my Twister piece for his recital last year.  I had the privilege to hear this student play […]

By |February 24th, 2010|Composing, Composing as a Career, Piano Teaching|Comments Off