Consider Commissioning for Your Groups
By Tom Lizotte
Commissioning new music can seem like a daunting task , but the benefits are palpable and the impact on students significant .
If you never have commissioned a work , you ought to consider doing so . The process is relatively easy to navigate . When you see the expression on students ’ faces the first time music that was written specifically for them hits the stands , you will know it was worth the effort .
How to get started :
Decide which composer you want to approach . We tend to think of nationallyknown composers first , but there is much homegrown talent here . These writers charge modest commissions and will work with you to tailor the music they write to your band , orchestra or chorus .
Oftentimes they will come in to rehearse the group and / or attend the premiere . This gives the student to work with a composer live and for the composer to share with the students what was going through his / her mind when writing the piece .
Local writers such as Terry White , Craig Skeffington , Brad Ciemchomski , John Cooper and Tom Bourgault have parlayed work done in Maine into national recognition . They know the level of music groups in Maine inside out and that knowledge means their composition or arrangement will fit your group like a glove .
Tom , a former Biddeford High student , just received his doctorate from Rutgers and has written for Biddeford , Cape and Marshwood .
Working with composer / arrangers who understand the level for which they are writing is crucial . A colleague of mine in Massachusetts commissioned Gunther Schuller to write a piece for middle school band . When the piece arrived it was , “ Oh , my .” Despite the fact that it was a great piece , no middle school band anywhere could have performed it .