MPP 054: Commissioning with Megan Ihnen and Alex Shapiro

Originally aired 11/21/2017 Composer Darien Shulman returns to talk about his experience writing for a new television series: how he got the job, the process from beginning to end, and what he learned along the way about organization and workflow. Links: Darien Shulman Netflix: American Vandal

Originally aired 11/6/2017 After a Summer hiatus, Dennis returns for a conversation with composers Elizabeth Alexander and J. David Moore, two of the founding members of the Independent Music Publishers Cooperative, a group of eight composer-publishers working together to market and distribute their music. The cooperative’s shared website provides a central hub where directors and performers can browse the group’s individual catalogs simultaneously, and serves as a guide to the composers’ best work. Links: Independent Music Publishers Cooperative IMP on Facebook Elizabeth Alexander J. David Moore

Originally aired 8/15/2017 In case you haven’t yet heard the news, composer David Maslanka passed away last week on August 6 after a brief battle with cancer. David, along with his son Matthew, was a guest on the show back in January for Episode #38. Reading other composers’ and performers’ reminiscences of him online, it’s impossible to overlook the impact he’s had in our corner of the world and beyond. From his simple exhortation for composers to Just Show Up when it comes to writing every day, to his acknowledgement about our craft that “nothing about what we do is convenient,” he has been a source of encouragement and inspiration for many composers over the decades. So this week, in honor of his memory, I’m rebroadcasting episode 38 on Forging Your Own Path with David Maslanka. Links: David Maslanka The Portfolio Composer: In Memoriam David Maslanka

Originally aired 8/7/2017 BONUS CONTENT: Dennis and the anthology curators do a live Q&A session » Watch the video here »

Originally aired 8/7/2017 This week, Garrett Hope of The Portfolio Composer joins Dennis to make a few exciting announcements, including a new partnership with the American Composers Forum, a new distribution outlet for self-published composers, and gigantic new call for scores – all to make composers’ lives better. BONUS CONTENT: Dennis and the anthology curators do a live Q&A session » Watch the video here » Links: NewMusicShelf NewMusicShelf Anthologies Call for Scores American Composers Forum The Portfolio Composer: The Vexing Problem of Unplanned Vacations

Originally aired 7/25/2017 Ed Windels returns to talk about the benefits and drawbacks of having a full-time day job in addition to your composing. Links: Ed Windels Ed on Twitter Ed on Soundcloud

Originally aired 7/18/2017 Composer Tony Manfredonia returns to talk about his bifurcated career of writing concert music and music for video games. Links: Tony Manfredonia Tony on Twitter Tony on Soundcloud Wayward Isles teaser trailer

Originally aired 7/3/2017 Composer Griffin Candey talks about the importance of securing performances of new, large-scale works before you write them. Links: Griffin Candey Griffin on Twitter Sweets by Kate OperaRox

Originally aired 6/13/2017 This week, I’m joined by composers Jamie Leigh Sampson and Andrew Martin Smith, the co-founders of ADJ•ective New Music, as they talk about the benefits and challenges of forming a composer collective, how they handle publishing and distribution for their composers, and the value they’ve found in running a podcast about new music. Links: ADJ•ective New Music ADJ on Twitter Lexical Tones podcast

Originally aired 6/4/2017 Mezzo-soprano Megan Ihnen and composer Alex Shapiro return to MPP to talk about the ins and outs of commissioning new music from the perspective of the composer and the commissioner. In the course of the conversation, we discussed: Making both sides happy Contracts Making smaller, regular payments Consortia Arrangements/Adaptations 802 Low Budget Agreements Acting as a collaborative partner Taxes Links: Alex Shapiro Megan Ihnen Alex Shapiro on NewMusicBox: “Let’s Make a List” New Music USA commissioning resources