composition

CJ Replay: Eric Whitacre on Composing and Conducting

September 23, 2019 by Amanda Bumgarner Leave a Comment

The September 2017 issue of Choral Journal featured an article by Tom Wine titled “Searching for an Icon: Eric Whitacre on Composing & Conducting.” Below is an excerpt from that interview, and you can read it in its entirety online at acda.org/choraljournal. Click “Search Archives” and choose September 2017 from the dropdown menu.
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How would you describe the creative process?
Every time I start a piece I feel like a complete novice. What I tend to do now is I go back and look at earlier works and deconstruct them. Certain things seem to work and that sets a foundation. I have also taken to writing out existing works by composers like Bach or Debussy and literally copying by hand in pencil. I want to write exactly what Bach wrote so I can get a sense of how he builds a piece. I look for structural, perhaps numerical, icons that are connected somehow to the theme of the piece.

Then I start to build the composition around it. For instance, with Ghost Train I used my girlfriend’s phone number, and that unrequited theme with the last number missing appears all over the piece itself. In When David Heard, the passage I set is from Second Samuel, Chapter 18, verse 33. In the beginning of the composition of the piece the measures are grouped in sets of either 18 or 33 (two groups of nine or three groups of six). I make those choices before I write any music.

Once I have the structure or emotional architecture of the piece, I start to develop my palette much like a painter develops a color palette. It is either a chord or a musical gesture with a couple of notes, and somehow I know that these are the colors that will work together and paint the picture. Like a painter, you never stray from those colors. You might mix them a little bit and scatter the motives, but you keep those colors at the forefront. It’s kind of a way of putting myself in a box. For me, music is profoundly personal. It is an extension of my personality and ultimately my philosophy—I suppose my ethos and how I see the world.

The older I get, the only way to continue to be authentic and have music resonate for me and for performers and listeners is to become more and more vulnerable. I really have to get in there and dig in the dirt. Each piece now seems to be more and more personal in that I have cracked open wider who I am. Who I am can be, “I don’t know what I am doing,” and that goes into the piece as well. The things happening in my life—a joy or a tragedy, an important event such as when my son was born—all of these things find their way onto the page.

What are your thoughts on the future of choral music?
Ten years ago I am not even sure Facebook really existed. It is interesting, in terms of social media and what is possible. I have found in the past couple of years a more measured relationship with social media. I am not sure if others can relate to this, but I have the heart of a very empathetic person. I love people and adore being around them and being authentic with them.

Social media is not just me posting something. It was never a monologue for me. It was always a dialogue, so if somebody posts something that is halfway meaningful, you can feel across media that they are bearing their soul. I can’t just “like” that; I am in it with that person because a connection has been made. Between Twitter and Facebook and Instagram and Snapchat, there are a lot of connections. I started, on a personal level, to realize I was not doing a very graceful job of carrying those connections.

I could not be in this quiet place long enough in order to compose and be able to feel connected to all of these people in this intimate and specific way. Over the past few years I have given myself this little bit of distance. Mostly that means spending less time on social media. That being said, I still check in several times a day. . . . .

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Read the rest of this article (and more!) in the September 2017 issue of Choral Journal, available online at acda.org.

CJ Preview: Ours to See: Emerging Trends in Today’s Choral Compositions

September 9, 2019 by Amanda Bumgarner 1 Comment

The October 2019 issue of Choral Journal is now available online. Below is an excerpt of the cover article “Ours to See: Emerging Trends in Today’s Choral Compositions” by Alan Denney. You can read it in its entirety online at acda.org/choraljournal. Click “Search Archives” and choose October 2019 from the dropdown menu.
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Choral conductors consistently strive to find artistic balance in the selection of repertoire— standing upon the monumental shoulders of the past giants of choral expression while remaining open to contemporary musical conception and innovation. If choral conducting were a proverbial automobile, conductors are always peering ahead while simultaneously looking in the rearview mirror—closely watching the direction of the future while showing deference to the past. Undoubtedly, one of the choral conductor’s foremost responsibilities is to promote choral music so that it (or perhaps better referred to as “they”—the works) exists long after they themselves and their audiences are gone. One of the highest callings is to seek the pieces that will endure and sustain not the works but the art.

Choral conductors must ask themselves these pertinent questions: “Will what I select and perform be strong enough to last longer than I do? Will my students and audience remember this piece? Is it enough to sustain them?” Yet, even more pertinent questions need to be asked: What does the future hold for the choral art? What does its emerging landscape look like? To address these issues, a panel of eight composers was asked (via email) to respond to a series of questions regarding the future of choral music. These composers were selected for their innovation, durability, and notoriety.

Panel: Ēriks Ešenvalds, Abbie Betinis, Andrea Ramsey, Mark Winges, Jake Runestad, Stacy Garrop, Z. Randall Stroope, and Timothy Takach.

What do you as a composer see as the biggest strength in twenty-fi rst-century choral composition repertoire? The biggest weakness?

“In my opinion, the strongest influence on modern choral composition is the internet,” says Z. Randall Stroope. “We are connected (and influenced) by composers from all over the world, and to their unique bent on compositional ideas and ways to sonically communicate. The global competition will increase the quality of writing, and the overall possibilities. If there were any ‘weaknesses,’ it is—in my opinion—the choice of texts. It is an easy pitfall to either 1) choose a text that is ‘over-done,’ or 2) to set a text that lacks in depth and originality. I spend about 80 percent of my time looking for a suitable text when I begin writing a new work. The text is the well from which all decisions flow. May we, as composers, always be less concerned about quantitative output and more concerned about the qualitative.”

“Compared to last century, we now live in a time where there aren’t specific “schools” of composition to which one feels she or he must abide (which was often the case in academic institutions),” comments Jake Runestad. “With the global adoption of the internet and popularity of resources like YouTube, iTunes, and Spotify that provide instant access to music from around the world, composers have a plethora of musical styles and traditions at their fingertips to inspire the music they create. I hope this continues to allow the choral tradition to develop in unique and meaningful ways—deepening appreciation for diversity, and broadening the techniques and traditions of composers and singers alike.”

Runestad continues, “With the advent of software like Garageband, Sibelius, Finale, and others, it is easier than ever for the trained and untrained to create music. This is an exciting and helpful way for beginners to get started, and for all composers to create mock-ups of new works. However, a heavy reliance on this technology can produce vocal music that feels mechanical with little sense of phrase, pacing, and breath. I believe that vocal music must be conceived of with the voice, no matter how the composer feels about her or his vocal abilities. We, as conductors, editors, publishers, and performers, should continue to champion composers of all styles, and encourage works that exhibit musicality beyond mechanically plodding duple rhythms.”

Reflecting the times in which we live and being a voice are the responsibility of the artist. Andrea Ramsey states, “I find it exciting to see composers tackling issues of social justice through the content of their compositions—using their platform to increase awareness about important issues and working to motivate change. Perhaps it’s the storyteller in me, but when a composer gives voice to a narrative that needs attention through artfully crafted music, I’m inspired. “Another strength of twenty-first-century repertoire is the increased visibility of composers who are women, people of color, and/or LGBTQ. Basically, it’s nice to see composers starting to look more like the whole of humanity. There is more work to be done, but representation is improving.”

As for a weakness, Ramsey believes, “It might be the sheer abundance of homophonic works—many of which are marked at slower tempi and occasionally with little rhythmic or melodic variety. There is nothing inherently wrong with slower homophonic works, and some can be strikingly enjoyable to perform as a singer, which is why I think we have so many of them! Some of my own works would fall into this category, however; in examining the twenty-first-century choral catalogue as a whole, perhaps too great a percentage of our works comprise slow homophony. A dear friend of mine once asked in complete sincerity: ‘Do you think polyphony is dead?’ A great conversation ensued, and I believe it will be interesting to see if, as in much of any art’s history, we have a reaction to what has come before. Will there soon be an era in which polyphony flourishes in response to our current homophonic trend?”

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Read the rest of this article (and more!) in the October 2019 issue of Choral Journal, available online at acda.org.

Choral Journal Preview: October 2019

September 2, 2019 by Amanda Bumgarner Leave a Comment

The newest issue of Choral Journal is available online. Following is a list of the articles you will find in this issue.

ACDA members can log in with their username and password to view and download the newest edition. You can also read our electronic version. Below is a preview of the articles you will find in this issue. If you are not already a member of ACDA, join today to start receiving your monthly Choral Journal! Associate members can join for only $45 a year.
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Ours to See: Emerging Trends in Today’s Choral Compositions
by Alan Denney

The Choral Editions of Maynard Klein: Influence and Importance
by Kevin M. Simons

Rihards Dubra of Latvia: Contemporary Master of the Latin Motet
by Vance Wolverton

Castle of Light: A Snapshot of Latvian Choral Music as the Nation Turns 100
by Mark Grizzard

ACDA 60th Anniversary Series – Interviews through the Years Part 2: A Selection of Excerpts from Choral Journal Interview Articles
Compiled by Amanda Bumgarner

It’s Time to Rethink Church Staff Singers by William O. Baker

Sacred Music Choral Reviews

Reviews: Book, Recorded Sound, Choral

Hunting Choral Treasure: How Conductors Find New Repertoire

April 15, 2019 by Amanda Bumgarner Leave a Comment

The November 2018 issue of Choral Journal was a focus on composition and featured an article by Andrew Crane titled “Hunting for Choral Treasure: How Conductors Find New Repertoire.” Below is an excerpt of the article, and you can read it in its entirety in the November 2018 issue! Go to acda.org/choraljournal and click “Search Archives.”
Choose November 2018 from the dropdown menu.
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With modern digital technology, conductors now have more resources than ever at their fingertips to find newly composed repertoire for their choral ensembles. The digital age has brought us near instantaneous accessibility.

I see this as both a blessing and a curse. While I can now simultaneously read a score and listen to a recording of a brand-new piece without leaving my desk, I still often feel overwhelmed. I tend to select repertoire for my choir during the summer months and look through hundreds of scores in the process. Rather than simply program what my colleagues in the profession have already successfully done, I am always in search of that new “diamond in the rough.” I love the feeling of discovering something fabulous and the excitement of sharing it with my choir. But with so much out there that is so easily obtained, I have to now sift through so many more haystacks to find the occasional needle. I have programmed many choral works on the recommendation of colleagues, and I will continue to do so. However, I always wonder: where did they find that excellent repertoire? At some point, the excitement of the unearthing/discovery process has to be done by someone.

This line of inquiry led me to even more questions: How have these technological advances affected a discriminating conductor’s ability to zero in on the very best compositions? What tried-and- true best practices exist? Does the age and experience level of the ensemble affect how we search for repertoire? I wanted to see what my colleagues were doing in the hope that it might help further refine my repertoire seeking.

For this article, I interviewed six conductors who represent a wide spectrum of choir types. My aim was to both discover new and evolving methods for repertoire selection and to unearth the practices that conductors use that have stood the test of time. I hope this information may prove helpful to composers, publishers, and conductors alike, as we all work together to advance the choral art.

To what sources do you most often turn when selecting repertoire, particularly new compositions?

Ken Berg: It is hearing choirs at festivals or reading sessions where I most often find new repertory. Other than that, I refer to word of mouth from other conductors. Copley: Many publisher websites provide scores and sound files that make new repertoire more accessible, but these websites don’t necessarily make the conductor’s selection process easier due to the quantity of new music released each spring/summer. That said, I often begin by searching large internet vendors where I can sort new releases by genre. Second, I contact respected choral colleagues and inquire about recently performed and newly commissioned works that were rewarding for their students to prepare and well received by audiences. Third, I go to a composer’s self-publishing website to see what they have recently created. Lastly, I view international choral competition videos to discover repertoire from all over the world.
Patrick K. Freer: I use three types of sources most frequently: 1) trusted composers who I know write particularly well for young voices; 2) the websites of publishers that specialize in high-quality literature for young voices, particularly those that include recordings of real-life adolescent choirs; 3) concert programs for adolescent singers chosen by conductors I trust; I’ll then seek copies/recordings of the pieces I don’t yet know. My use of “high-quality” does not only refer to “vocally appropriate” repertoire, it refers to all aspects of the composition.
Joshua Habermann: Recommendations from trusted conductor colleagues.
Karen Kennedy: Several sources work for me, the first being YouTube. Also publisher sites, composer sites, my colleagues’ choirs from all over the world, and watching all kinds of choirs from professional choirs to All-State groups. I also regularly reach out to my professional network when I need something to fill a specific “hole” in a program.
Chris Maunu: I enjoy perusing online sources that have the entire recording of a piece, while also having the full perusal score. I also find that visiting the individual website of a composer is effective. After finding a composer I respect, I’ll go directly to their page to see what else they have.
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Read the rest of this article (and more!) in the November 2018 issue of Choral Journal, available online at acda.org.

The BEST place to buy sheet music is . . . well, it’s complicated

March 8, 2019 by From Our Readers Leave a Comment

By Elizabeth Alexander, guest blogger

When I was growing up, my house was filled with sheet music, with everything from Mozart piano sonatas to Broadway songbooks. My family bought most of it from Childers Music Center, a small storefront run by Dan Childers, also known as “Dandy Dan the Music Man.” In addition to running the music store, he supported the county 4-H program and the Civic Forum Spelling Bee.

Every so often we would make a special trip to Stanton’s Music in Columbus, which was a two hour drive each way. This much larger store was run by former band director John Stanton, who specialized in running choral reading sessions and helping teachers find educational materials.

Those were our only choices. It was either Childers or Stanton’s.

These days there are innumerable sources for sheet music, and deciding where to buy it can be a head-scratcher.

As someone who loves not only music but the people who compose, sell, and perform it, I thought it might be useful to take a look at the big picture, pulling together a list of various sources. I’ve been a composer-publisher for 23 years, so I’ve built many relationships and witnessed a lot of change:

• As the face of retail has evolved over the years, many family-owned brick and mortar music stores (including Childers) have closed their doors. Those that remain (like Stanton’s) have added online stores that supplement traditional sales. They still typically hire well-trained musicians, and they still support local and regional reading sessions, clinics, and other musical activities.

• The family-owned music dealer with the largest national presence is J. W. Pepper & Son, founded in 1893 by James Welsh Pepper, who among other things built John Phillip Sousa’s first sousaphone. Because of its strong online offerings and knowledgeable employees, J. W. Pepper is in a position to support the music community in more robust ways, including promoting new titles selected through their editorial review process, as well as sponsoring reading sessions at the largest music conferences.

• And then there are independent composer-publishers (like me), who compose, edit, produce, market, and sell under our own publishing labels. Customers who buy music directly from us get to share information with us about their programming choices and events, and ask questions about the music. Kind of like shopping at the farmer’s market!

• Several collaborative initiatives have grown out of the composer-publisher model. One outstanding example is Graphite Publishing/Graphite Marketplace, the brainchild of two award-winning composers, Jocelyn Hagen and Tim Takach. With an intimate knowledge of all the composers represented in their catalog, they have spent the past decade putting together a meticulously curated, high-quality online collection of digital editions (PDFs).

• Some other online marketplaces offer a wider array of composer-publishers a platform for promoting and selling their music, including MusicSpoke (a for-profit business funded significantly by grants) and MyScore(a platform operated by J. W. Pepper).

Of the five sources listed above, what’s the BEST place to buy music? The answer is ALL OF THEM. Each source has its place in a vibrant ecosystem of composers, publishers, dealers, and musicians, providing a valuable and unique service.

But does this mean that all sources of sheet music are equally terrific?

Other than websites that sell or give away pirated sheet music – and they certainly exist – there’s no truly bad place to buy sheet music. But I do have mixed feelings about a couple of things:

• Some ginormous online sheet music clearinghouses offer discounted prices but do little else for the music community. You won’t find them sponsoring music conferences, clinics, or reading sessions. Their sales staff may not even be knowledgeable about music. It’s fine to get a bargain on music sometimes but if we only buy from these discount houses we may eventually lose some of our more responsive and engaged music dealers.

• I’m a strong supporter of composers finding ways to connect with buyers of their music, but I’m distressed by any defamation of traditional music publishers and dealers. In a field with this many players, it’s easy for composers to start feeling like we’re at the bottom of the food chain. We start asking ourselves why a music dealer or traditional publisher should make any significant amount of money by reselling music that we worked hard to compose. This kind of us-versus-them thinking leads some composer-focused initiatives to characterize dealers and traditional publishers as lazy or greedy. Not only is this rhetoric a poor business strategy, it simply isn’t true. Everyone who works to get music into the hands of musicians works hard, and few (if any) are getting rich doing it. Personally, I have no full-time employees depending on me for their livelihoods, so I have no business second-guessing the financial realities of those who do.

Whenever a music dealer makes a commission from selling some of my music, I try to remember that my music is helping someone else have job security.

Personally, I love being part of this ecosystem, and I believe there’s room for many business models to be vital and healthy. I’ve chosen to make my own music available through many sources, including brick-and-mortar stores, J. W. Pepper, Graphite Marketplace, my own website, and yes, a few ginormous online clearing houses.

Whenever I get the opportunity, I ask other composers, publishers, and dealers what new possibilities most excite them, what challenges they are facing, and what concerns keep them up at night. I see many of these people at music conferences, and when I travel I often visit the stores and warehouses of music dealers or publishers! Getting to know these people’s stories helps me be more knowledgeable, as well as more compassionate.

What changes and challenges do you see, or face yourself? What creativity and innovation are you most excited about right now? Feel free to post your thoughts in the comments – and if I overlooked a source of music that you think highly of, feel free to mention that as well.

Andrea Ramsey on Her Newly Commissioned Work, “But a Flint Holds Fire” in Support of the Flint Water Crisis

September 26, 2016 by Amanda Bumgarner Leave a Comment

I was recently introduced to an article on the Michigan ACDA website (editor, Jed Scott). It was an interview with composer Andrea Ramsey about her recently commissioned work, “But a Flint Holds Fire.” The piece was composed for a Chorus America consortium project and is part of an effort to raise awareness and monetary support for the Flint Water Crisis.

Ramsey states that she lived in Michigan for three years while working on her PhD at Michigan State and that “[t]he Flint Water Crisis has weighed on my heart since it began. I remain stunned that over 100,000 people have been living since April 2014 without usable running water and that the government has yet to replace a single pipe for the mess they created.”

Through Internet research, she discovered a poem written by Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830-1894). Ramsey says, “I was slack-jawed when I read the poem. It is a beautiful poem from the 1800s with wildly haunting relevance to Flint being overlooked and underestimated, yet powerful. As beautiful as the poem is, it is a picture of brevity. I knew it was too short, and that is when I brainstormed an idea to elongate the work by reaching out to Flint residents and gathering their words to include in the piece.”

When asked if she has any specific hopes for how this piece might affect the listener, she replies: “I hope listeners respond with action. My greatest hope is that people will listen, be moved, and act. My greatest fear is that people will listen, be moved, and do nothing.”

Twenty-one choirs across the United States and Canada will be performing “But a Flint Holds Fire,” and there are also opportunities to hear it in Michigan in January 2017 at the Michigan Music Conference and on October 28, 2016, at the ACDA Michigan Fall Conference.

For those interested in learning more about the Flint Water Crisis and how you can help, go here.

To read the full interview article, go here.