5 Resources for Budding Composers
For new composers looking to develop their skills and find opportunities, here are five valuable resources:
Books on Composition, Orchestration, and Music Theory: Building a strong theoretical foundation is crucial. Look for widely-regarded texts that cover harmony, counterpoint, form, and orchestration.
"The Study of Orchestration" by Samuel Adler: This is often cited as an industry standard for learning about instrumentation and how to write effectively for different ensembles.
"Fundamentals of Musical Composition" by Arnold Schoenberg: A classic that breaks down compositional processes for beginners.
"Behind Bars: The Definitive Guide To Music Notation" by Elaine Gould: Essential for learning proper music notation and score preparation, which is vital for communicating your music clearly.
University-level textbooks on harmony and counterpoint: While specific titles vary, any reputable academic text will provide a solid understanding of these core elements.
Online Communities and Forums: Connecting with other composers can provide invaluable feedback, support, and networking opportunities.
Chris's Composing Community: Offers personalized feedback, monthly scoring competitions, and a supportive environment.
Reddit communities like r/musictheory: While not exclusively for composers, these forums often have discussions and resources relevant to composition.
Meetup groups for composers: Search for local or online Meetup groups focused on music composition to find like-minded individuals.
Society of Composers & Lyricists (SCL): While often geared towards visual media, they foster community and offer events for music creators.
American Composers Forum (ACF): A fantastic resource for connecting with other artists, finding opportunities, and learning about the industry.
Composer’s Site: This site hosts dozens of opportunities for commissions and calls for scores, performance and collaboration opportunities, recording opportunities and more!
Scoring Notes: Scoring Notes is one of the leading websites/blogs for discussing information about a wide range of topics on composing and music theory. This one has inspired me greatly.
Composition Workshops and Courses: Structured learning environments can provide guidance from experienced professionals and practical exercises.
The ASCAP Foundation Workshops: Offer a variety of workshops across different genres (film scoring, musical theatre, pop, R&B, etc.) and locations, providing direct interaction with industry leaders.
Online academies like Composing Academy or Cinematic Composing: These platforms offer structured courses, often with step-by-step guidance and feedback on your work.
University extension programs or conservatories: Many institutions offer non-degree or continuing education courses in composition.
Grant and Commissioning Opportunities: Funding can be crucial for new composers to create new works and gain recognition.
American Composers Forum (ACF) Opportunities page: Curates a list of calls for scores, festival participation, commissions, and grants.
Chamber Music America's Classical Commissioning Program: Provides grants to ensembles and presenters for commissioning new works by American composers.
The BMI Foundation New Music Grants: Offers annual grants to non-profit organizations supporting contemporary music.
The Aaron Copland Fund for Music: Supports organizations that promote contemporary American concert music and jazz through performance and recording programs.
The ASCAP Foundation Grants and Programs: Offers various awards, scholarships, and grants to support emerging composers and songwriters.
Score Study and Analysis: Actively studying the works of established composers is one of the best ways to learn and grow.
IMSLP (International Music Score Library Project): A vast online library of public domain music scores.
Dover Editions: Known for affordable physical copies of classical scores.
Deep listening and score analysis: Choose pieces you admire, study their scores, and analyze how the composer achieved their effects (harmony, melody, form, orchestration, etc.). This can be done independently or with guidance from a mentor or online resources like those from Rick Beato or JJay Berthume on YouTube.
Also stick to this website as I will be updating my composition content and blogs/vlogs regularly!
Until next time, happy composing!
