It's my music, and I'll cry if I want to...

The idea I proposed was one that I hoped would encourage
alternate-tuning composers to write music for tunable instruments most
musicians already have -- pianos, pipe organs, woodwinds, strings etc.
-- and for those microtonal instruments already out in the market --
mostly guitars in EDOs of one denomination or another. Admittedly, this
idea is geared more toward a classical or chamber music sort of music;
but then, there are a lot of new music ensembles who may be willing to
try out well-written microtonal works.

The main rationale for this was publicity of a sort -- getting the
attention of musicians who are looking for something new and interesting
to play, while simultaneously creating an archive of works in a
relatively new idiom. People who listen to music -- the "audience" --
aren't the *only* people who might have an interest in our works. If
microtonality is the wave of the musical future (I happen to think it's
so, but what do I know?) then interested or curious performers will want
to see if there's something by way of an alternate tuning written for
their particular instrument. It would be nice if there were an archive
where they could find such works -- which might then lead them to
publicly perform such works, and so drawing even more attention to us as
composers, and leading to that most desireable end result: a nice
commission. Or maybe royalties. Or both.

I've heard some good ideas tossed around here. The archive -- perhaps as
part of a composer's collective or something -- could display a page of
the work in question for examination, info about the composer, as well
as an audio clip. Downloading could be permitted with registration, or a
nominal fee, or some other equitable arrangement. The point is to have a
selection of works ready to select from when they come a-lookin'. Has
anyone written a nice little work for quarter-tone flute lately? There
are a couple of mainstream manufacturers of these flutes, and a few
gifted performers using them as their instrument of choice. They're sure
to want new material sooner or later. Are you going to supply it, or is
someone else going to get a commission? No offence folks, but I'm tired
of playing to the same limited audience!

The fact is, there are only about a zillion other composers/musicians in
the world, each with a particular brand to sell; and with the market so
flooded with such a cheap and available commodity, your music has to be
something extra special (or be exceptionally well-promoted) to even
begin to attract notice.

I personally have long since given up the idea of ecomomic gain from
composing, though it would be a dream come true were it otherwise. My
own music is firmly on the traditional and classical side, which further
limits its "popularity". It didn't take long for me to realize that
being a gifted and highly creative musical genius (insert laughter here)
didn't automatically ensure me an income from my creative efforts. So
when I write, it's because I have a great love for what I do and
couldn't stop if I wanted to, anyway. But making my works available for
interested musicians and future performance venues certainly increases
my chances of being noticed, and not coincidentally earning a bit of
income as well.

I just happen to believe that the time will shortly come when
contemporary classical musicians and new music ensembles will be looking
for those new compositions -- and I've been preparing my repetoire of
performable works.

jls

go for it. the less we do the more you will corner the market! ( i particularly have no interest is writing music for people i don't know to play. I like my instruments and the people i know and love. It is enough!)

J.Smith wrote:
>
>
> The idea I proposed was one that I hoped would encourage
> alternate-tuning composers to write music for tunable instruments most
> musicians already have -- pianos, pipe organs, woodwinds, strings etc.
> -- and for those microtonal instruments already out in the market --
> mostly guitars in EDOs of one denomination or another. Admittedly, this
> idea is geared more toward a classical or chamber music sort of music;
> but then, there are a lot of new music ensembles who may be willing to
> try out well-written microtonal works.
>
> The main rationale for this was publicity of a sort -- getting the
> attention of musicians who are looking for something new and interesting
> to play, while simultaneously creating an archive of works in a
> relatively new idiom. People who listen to music -- the "audience" --
> aren't the *only* people who might have an interest in our works. If
> microtonality is the wave of the musical future (I happen to think it's
> so, but what do I know?) then interested or curious performers will want
> to see if there's something by way of an alternate tuning written for
> their particular instrument. It would be nice if there were an archive
> where they could find such works -- which might then lead them to
> publicly perform such works, and so drawing even more attention to us as
> composers, and leading to that most desireable end result: a nice
> commission. Or maybe royalties. Or both.
>
> I've heard some good ideas tossed around here. The archive -- perhaps as
> part of a composer's collective or something -- could display a page of
> the work in question for examination, info about the composer, as well
> as an audio clip. Downloading could be permitted with registration, or a
> nominal fee, or some other equitable arrangement. The point is to have a
> selection of works ready to select from when they come a-lookin'. Has
> anyone written a nice little work for quarter-tone flute lately? There
> are a couple of mainstream manufacturers of these flutes, and a few
> gifted performers using them as their instrument of choice. They're sure
> to want new material sooner or later. Are you going to supply it, or is
> someone else going to get a commission? No offence folks, but I'm tired
> of playing to the same limited audience!
>
> The fact is, there are only about a zillion other composers/musicians in
> the world, each with a particular brand to sell; and with the market so
> flooded with such a cheap and available commodity, your music has to be
> something extra special (or be exceptionally well-promoted) to even
> begin to attract notice.
>
> I personally have long since given up the idea of ecomomic gain from
> composing, though it would be a dream come true were it otherwise. My
> own music is firmly on the traditional and classical side, which further
> limits its "popularity". It didn't take long for me to realize that
> being a gifted and highly creative musical genius (insert laughter here)
> didn't automatically ensure me an income from my creative efforts. So
> when I write, it's because I have a great love for what I do and
> couldn't stop if I wanted to, anyway. But making my works available for
> interested musicians and future performance venues certainly increases
> my chances of being noticed, and not coincidentally earning a bit of
> income as well.
>
> I just happen to believe that the time will shortly come when
> contemporary classical musicians and new music ensembles will be looking
> for those new compositions -- and I've been preparing my repetoire of
> performable works.
>
> jls
>
> -- Kraig Grady
North American Embassy of Anaphoria Island <http://anaphoria.com/index.html>
The Wandering Medicine Show
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