An Open Letter to Music Educators

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This morning I sent an email to music educators about commissioning new music. You can read the letter below. Please sign up if you are a music educator would like to receive these emails.

Today I’m reaching out to you and other music educators about writing new music for your music program. In 2011, I had the opportunity to write an original jazz band piece for Richard E. Strayer Middle School in Quakertown, PA, and the experience has been amazing. Not only are the teachers, adminstrators, and student musicians excited to premiere the new work, but the entire community is aware of the commission from their weekly school letter (The QCommuniqué) and video broadcast (QCSD-TV).

Here are two links where you can learn about the process and see a current one in action.

Start a music commission for your program
Learn how today’s music technology takes a music commission into the 21st-century and makes the experience even more special.

Finding You for Jazz Band
“Finding You for Jazz Band” was commissioned in 2011 by the Richard E. Strayer Middle School Jazz Band, Quakertown, PA, directed by Joseph Santanello.

As the composer, I will do three things to ensure a successful and rewarding commission:

  1. Write a piece based on your specifications and strengths of your group.
  2. Use the latest technology (Internet, Skype, Twitter, SoundCloud, music production software, etc.) to interact and promote the commission.
  3. Keep all parties involved from the beginning through the premiere.

By working together, we can create a piece that devlopes your student musicians, promotes your music program, and unites the community. If you are interested in commissioning music for the 2012-13 school year, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Best,

Jon

Start a music commission for your program

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A music commission can be a great experience for everyone involved: the composer, director, musicians, administrators, organization, and local community. As the composer, it’s not only an amazing feeling to hear my music performed for the first time, but also to see everyone else’s excitement knowing that they played a part in creating a new piece of music.

Jon and musicians at the premiere of Who Speaks for Wolf

By using the same technology as Hollywood film composers, anyone can hear their commission before the first rehearsal.

Though a traditional music commission can be a secretive process with everyone but the composer kept in the dark until the first rehearsal or premiere, today’s music technology allows the process to be much more open and collaborative. By using the same technology as Hollywood film composers, anyone can hear their commission before the first rehearsal. [And for those who are only familiar with the poor playback quality from music notation software like Finale or Sibelius, we are talking about top-of-the-line music demos that can fool the average listener into thinking that it was recorded in a studio by a real ensemble!]

For example, let’s play a short excerpt from my Richard E. Strayer Middle School jazz commission “Finding You.” The first will be a playback from music notation software; the second will be a Hollywood-type demo where a live trumpet is overdubbed with professional music library samples.

A. Music Notation Playback (poor-quality)

 

B. “Hollywood Demo” (professional-quality)

 

Not only does the music director get a far more accurate representation of what the piece will sound like with the “Hollywood Demo,” but he can share the mp3 with his ensemble and administrators so that everyone can get involved in the process earlier.  Getting everyone involved sooner will add to the excitement of the music commission and will build momentum towards a successful premiere.

Creating a realistic sounding demo is just one of ways that I take a music commission into the 21st-Century and make the experience even more special. If you are interested in learning more about my process or would like to commission me to write for your program, please join the new music mailing list or contact me.