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EarShot and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra announce a new partnership to present the 2014 New Music Readings for African-American Composers, designed as an opportunity for emerging composers to develop their works with a professional orchestra and held in conjunction with the DSO’s “Classical Roots” celebration on March 9 and 10, 2014, in Detroit, MI at Orchestra Hall. Four composers were chosen from a national candidate pool for the March Readings: Jonathan Bailey Holland of Boston, MA; Erica Lindsay of Rosendale, NY; Kevin Scott of the Middletown, NY; and Matthew Evan Taylor of Miami, FL. A fifth composer, Marion L. Harrison of Atlanta, GA, was selected but is unable to attend.
READINGS:
Each composer’s symphonic work will be workshopped, rehearsed and performed by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra led by DSO Music Director Leonard Slatkin at Orchestra Hall on Sunday, March 9, 2014 from 3-5:30pm. Readings include commentary and feedback from principal DSO musicians, Maestro Slatkin, and mentor composers Bright Sheng, Gabriela Lena Frank, Derek Bermel, and Carman Moore.
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CAREER DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS:
In addition, career development workshops with leading professionals in the field will be offered on Monday, March 10 from 1-7pm. The workshops are free and open to the public, and will be of interest for aspiring composers, song-writers, musicians, music students, and listeners interested in an in-depth behind-the-scenes overview of the challenges, opportunities, and skills needed to advance a career as a music-maker.
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Topics Include:
Composing An(d) Identity – How does identity impact a composer’s career and music, and how does music impact his/her identity? How does one stay true to one’s identity throughout a career? What does it mean to be black and be a concert composer?
Aaron Dworkin, founder and president, SPHINX Organization
Gabriela Lena Frank, mentor-composer
Carman Moore, mentor-composer
Trevor Weston, guest composer
Monica Hairston O’Connell, ethnomusicologist; executive director, Center for Black Music Research at Columbia College
Frank J. Oteri, moderator; composer advocate, New Music USA
Copyright and Commissioning Basics
Katie Baron, attorney specializing in copyright, Alter & Kendrick LLP
Be Prepared: Introduction to Professional Score and Parts Production
Bill Holab, principal, Bill Holab Music Services
Support Structures for Composers – What every composer needs to know about funding opportunities.
John Nuechterlein, president, American Composers Forum
Frank J. Oteri, composer advocate, New Music USA
Evolution/Revolution or (R)Evolution – How is the concert music industry changing? Where are the opportunities? What are the challenges and the realities for involving and engaging a broader sector of the community?
Mark Williams, director of artistic planning, The Cleveland Orchestra
Jesse Rosen, president, League of American Orchestras
John Nuechterlein, president, American Composers Forum
Afa Dworkin, executive and artistic director, SPHINX Organization
Monica Hairston O’Connell, executive director, Center for Black Music Research
Frank J. Oteri, moderator; composer advocate, New Music USA
The Detroit Symphony EarShot Readings are made possible with lead support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
EarShot is made possible with the support of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The Aaron Copland Fund for Music and with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional funding provided by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.