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My concert, last Thursday. My reemergence as a composer. So great a success, more than I ever could have dreamed.
So much so that after all the work, all the emotion about coming out of my composing shell after so many years, all the production details, all the promotion I did, all the many details of both the event and my music…after all of this, I had to take some time off, some time when I didn’t think about it, just to get myself on even keel again.
I can measure the success with three kinds of audience. Friends who don’t listen to classical music. People my wife and I know who are classical music fans, but not new music listeners. And then finally classical music professionals. Seems like I made a huge hit with all three.
Musician love
And I have to say that the support of the eight musicians who sang and played touched my heart. They outdid themselves, first of all, at the performance, going far beyond anything I heard from them in rehearsals.
Then they so clearly felt they were doing something special. As I know from what they said to me, what they emailed afterward, and from Facebook posts that some of them did. They bonded with each other, too, in the most marvelous way, taking photos of each other backstage, and saying how much they’d like to work with each other again.
And now…
So now not even I can anymore deny that I’m a composer. What comes next is harder than giving a concert. I have to generate a composing career.
I’d be grateful for any thoughts anyone has about how to do that. Of course I know the standard things about networking, and entrepreneurship. And I get hired as a consultant to help people with exactly the kind of situation I’m now in.
But — as I learned putting the show together — it’s harder conceiving things for yourself than it is to outline possibilities for other people. So I’d be eager to hear any thoughts that anyone might have.
My branding, for the moment, is “person well known for other things in classical music now comes out as a composer.” Where can I go with that? And where can I go, more specifically, with music that, even within a single piece, is in many different styles?
More on this to come, along of course with many more posts about the future of classical music. I’m not stopping work on that!
There were video and audio recordings made of my concert. I’ll link to them when they’re available.
Meanwhile, if you’d like to hear my work, here are links (which I’ve given before):
“Ich bin, du Ängstlicher” (song for soprano and piano, to a Rilke text; Marlissa Hudson, soprano, George Peachey, piano)
Quartet for Anne (string quartet, written as a surprise birthday present for my wife; quotes other music of mine, most notably “Ich bin”; Entcho Tvordov, violin 1; Hiroko Taguchi, violin 2; Jonathan Dinklage, viola; Peter Sachon, cello)
Quintet from Frankenstein (excerpt from an opera in which I imagined what might have happened if Bellini or Verdi had set Frankenstein to music; Shannah Timms, soprano; Marion Capriotti, mezzo; Paul Mow, tenor; Daniel Mobbs, baritone; Scott Altman, bass; New York City Opera Orchestra, Brent McMunn, conductor)
Short Talks (based on poems by Anne Carson; Jenny Lin, piano and drum; there are five Short Talks in this performance, but now there are eight; Jenny played them all at my concert)
Well, as I recall, GB Shaw started as a music critic. 🙂 Congratulations!
I really enjoyed your concert, Greg. Your music is very dramatic (I guess that comes from your love of opera) and eclectic. I was especially impressed by the variations at the end.
I suggest you try film scoring, since you have a sense of drama and are comfortable with different styles. Get to know some cool filmmakers in NYC and DC, and start composing for them to learn the ropes and build your resume. But compose for films that you think have good scripts; otherwise you might spin your wheels longer than you should. Compose for short films too, since they can be viewed more readily on social media, and others may notice your music and hire you. But make sure the work is distinctive so that your music can also be destinctive.
That’s my two cents. Good luck with the rest of your composing career. I look forward to hearing more.
Thoroughly enjoyed the concert, but it was all from the past. Would love to hear what’s kicking around your inner apple tree now.
Thanks so much, Jon! Some of the pieces were new — Ground, the solo electric cello piece, and three of the Short Talks. Not sure anything I currently write would be different from what you’ve heard. Oh, unless I do some electronics, more stuff with pop music in it…so many possibilities!
But you know, the best answer would be that I don’t know! Letting the excitement settle a bit before I jump in to do anything else. Let’s stay in touch, and see what happens!
Thanks so much for coming to the concert, and for commenting.