taking note executive summary

8/10/2019 Taking Note Executive Summary

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In 2007 the American Music Center (AMC)

in New York City and the American Com-

posers Forum (ACF) in St. Paul, Minnesota

sought to understand the national scope for

composers, performers and audiences of

new music in the United States. They also wanted scien-

tically valid research that could turn into policy, action

and practice.

In this eort, AMC and ACF jointly commissionedthe Research Center for Arts and Culture (RCAC) atTeachers College Columbia University, which has a25-year history of conducting artist-research. The mo-tivation for this investigation was a need for accurateinformation on the new music ecology and composersin particular in the United States in order for organiza-tions to serve them beer.

Existing ResearchThere is lile denitive research on the numbers andproles of U.S. composers, producers of new music, oraudiences, and there is some evidence that the current

generation of listeners that wants to engage by doing aswell as listening, also wants to synergistically tie to-gether multiple cultural experiencesmusic, food, lm,

books, travel and sports, where social networks are asimportant as the activity itself and where they can bejudges, critics and experts not just listeners.1

MethodologyThrough a four-part methodology, the RCAC conducted90 in-the-eld interviews with composers and relatedexperts including board members of the American Mu-sic Center and the American Composers Forum, direc-tors of national music service organizations, performers,

conductors, pre senters, funders, music publishers, li-censing organizations and a variety of other profession-als and stakeholders in the new music eld. In addition,the RCAC conducted an online survey of composers,which was returned by 1,347 respondents, and createdeleven spotlights to illustrate models in dierent ar-eas of the new music eld. Finally, preliminary ndingswere presented in June 2008 at the National Perform-ing Arts Convention (NPAC) in Denver, followed by in-depth feedback sessions.

Our working denition of a composer is:

An individual creating original musicthat is performed live and/or recorded.

In addition, although there is no consensus on thephrase, we refer to new music as music composers aremaking today.

The New Music EcologyThe landscape for composers is a complex one includingcomposers, performers, producers, distributors, publish-ers, nancial supporters, service and support organiza-tions and the recording industry. While our researchtouches on all of these, each segment could warrant itsown study, and there is much more depth than whatwe present here. In addition, some composers take on

multiple functions to create, promote, perform and dis-tribute work, as do performers and producers. Through-out the country, composers are puing into motion newideas on how to develop, perform, present, and supporttheir work. Due to the sheer quantity of this new activ-ity, much of it ies under the radar and receives lile orno aention in the press, at least on a national level. In-terviews with composers in dierent cities around thecountry revealed that there is in fact a myriad of localentities engaged in producing and promoting new mu-sic, including collectives, venues and presenters. Eachpart of the country is distinctive, and thus informs thetypes of new music entities that develop in each area.

Additionally, collaborators from other disciplinesplay a major role in the proliferation of new music.These include theater, opera, and dance companies,performance and installation artists and animators toname a few.

ClassicationUsing our working denition of composer above, wefaced a series of denitions of new music itself, plusa resistance to classify new music by genres or styles.Throughout our interviews, composers and eld ex-perts had unique viewpoints on what qualied as new

music, ranging from including recently composedconcert hall music to including all work created in thelast century. Many interviewees revealed that, in thepast, composers dened their work according to classi-cations imposed by record distributorscontemporaryclassical or alternative rock for examplebut thatthese were no longer relevant as genre boundaries con-tinue to blur. In fact, some music creators resist the titlecomposer because of its association with genre labels,choosing to be called sound artists instead.

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Executive Summary

Where Are Composers Being Served byAMC and ACF?There is no current method to estimate the numbers ofcomposers in the United States, but information fromAMC, ACF, American Society of Composers, Authorsand Publishers (ASCAP) and Broadcast Music, Inc.(BMI) as well as our survey results and interviews illus-trate the strong presence of composers across the coun-

try and in every state.

Composer InuencesInterviewees cited a number of inuences that aectedthe landscape for new music. Among these were fel-low composers, both local and major gures in the eld;specic academic institutions; and ethnic, cultural, orstylistic communities. Presenters and performers ofcomposers work were highly inuential as well.

Composers cited service organizations, which pro-vide networking, commissioning opportunities, andcareer development, as important to their careers. Fi-nancial inuences included granting bodies, commis-sioning groups, and individual benefactors. Composersalso see technology, especially the Internet, as beinghighly inuential in developing a new internationalmusic ecology.

What Can We Say About AmericasComposers: Survey FindingsOf the , composers who responded to the survey,

80% are male and 20% are female. The age range of re-spondents is 18 to 97; the median age is 45. Sixty percentof composers have lived in the county of their currentresidence for more than 10 years.2 This stability is com-mon in all previous RCAC studiesfor jazz musiciansin Chicago, New Orleans, New York and San Francisco,over 70% lived in the county of their current residencefor more than 10 years.3 Half the professionals surveyedlive in urban areas with another 23% in suburban areas,9% in rural areas and 15% in towns. (Professionals andnon-professionals self-dened in this study).

Three quarters self-dene as professionals; only 10%or less earn their primary living as composers. Sixty-ve percent of professional composers perform the mu-sic they compose and 70% are in early or mid-career.Three-quarters say their composing activity has in-creased in the last ve years.

Composers are highly educated: 74% of profession-als (and 54% of non-professionals) have graduate de-grees. Generally speaking, their composing activity hasincreased in the last 5 years, mostly due to additionalperformances of their work in more locations. Of ourrespondents, 85% are white, 3% are Hispanic or Latino,

3% are Black or African American, 2% Asian, 0.4% Na-tive American and 6% listed themselves as other. Thisis representative of who responded to the survey, notnecessarily what is in the eld and we feel that futureeorts will help to rectify the imbalance.

For 74% of professionals, their activity as com-posers has increased in the last ve years and for

19% it has stayed the same.

Of those who responded to the survey, 61% percent ofprofessionals and 34% of non-professionals belong toASCAP and 40% of professionals and 13% of non-pro-fessionals belong to BMI. Out of the 759 professional

composers who belong to composer organizations, 39%belong to the College Music Society, 30% belong to theSociety for Composers, Inc. (SCI) and 49% belong toother organizations, including AMC and ACF, Ameri-can Choral Directors Association, Conductors Guild, In-ternational Alliance of Women in Music, InternationalComputer Music Association, International Society forImprovised Music, Music Educators National Confer-ence, Music Teachers National Association, NationalBand Association, Opera America, Electronic MusicFoundation and societies for ethnomusicology, musictheory and the promotion of new music. In addition,composers oen associate with artists from other dis-

ciplines: 35% compose collaboratively with people indance, 32% with lm and 30% in theatre. Only 28% ofcomposers do not collaborate with people in other artforms.

As stated earlier, ten percent or less of composers earntheir primary living from composing. The rst table onthe following page shows the span of reported incomefrom several sources.

Professional composers earned approximately 19% oftheir income from composing from 2005-2007; non-pro-fessionals earned 4%. See the second table on page 3 forthe breakdown over the last 3 years.

Sixty-ve percent of professional composers some-times, nearly always or always perform their own work.Thirty-one percent dene themselves as being in theirearly careers (compared with 49% of non-profession-als), 39% in mid-career (22% of non-professionals) and22% (11% of non-professionals) as accomplished com-posers.

Time Spent on Composing:Professional composersspend an average of 16 hours a week on composing andanother 11 on composing-related activities, much higher

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Executive Summary

than non-professionals who spend 11 and 6 hours, re-spectively. It is interesting that those professional com-posers earning the lowest incomes ($20,000 and under)andthose earning the highest incomes ($100,000 or more)spend the most time composing 17.4 and 18.1 hours

per week, respectively.

Education:Seventy-four percent of professional com-posers have graduate degrees, and another 16% havecollege degrees, totaling to 90% of professional compos-ers, one of the highest levels of education in any artiststudy.

Marketing and Disseminating Work: The Internethas provided tremendous opportunities for composersto disseminate their work and connect with audiences.

Websites such as Facebook and MySpace allow com-posers to advertise concerts; engage with fans through

blogs; and post music samples, photos and videos. You-Tube has allowed composers to post videos of concerts.In addition, many composers are developing their own

websites, which allow them to keep audiences and pre-senters informed of their work. Some composers postdownloadable scores on their websites as well as a com-plete list of works, with accompanying instrumentationand audio samples. This is especially useful for pre-senters and other entities interested in commissioningcomposers.

According to our survey, 63% percent of professionalcomposers do self-promotion, 22% use their personalwebsites and 73% use other websites. Seventeen per-cent of professionals and 9% of non-professionals are on

Total Annual Individual Income from All Sources:

Comparison of Taking Note to Other National Studies of Musicians

Professionals Non-professionals Both Self-EmployedMedian Mean Median Mean Median Mean

Taking Note (2005, 06, 07) $45,000 $46,366 $35,000 $39,723 $45,000 $47,171 --

Artists in Workforce:Musicians and Singers(2005)4

$38,600 -- -- -- -- -- 44%

BLS Musicians and Singers5(2004)

$37,130 6 -- -- -- -- -- 41%

BLS Composers/MusicDirectors (2004)

$34,570 7 42,960 8 -- -- -- -- 45%

Artist Employment:Composers & MusicDirectors (2004)9

$34,570 -- -- -- -- -- 45%

Comparison of Income Streams from Composing over Last 3 Years:

Professionals vs. Non-Professionals

PROFESSIONALS NON-PROFESSIONALS

Commissions 32% 32%

Other* 21% 27%

Performance royalties 15% 17%

Grants 15% 12%

Live concerts 15% 24%

Residency stipends 10% 14%

Publication royalties 10% 13%Recording royalties 8% 20%

*Additional income streams included: composition awards and prizes (and fees for judging competitions); university salaries; speaking and writingfees; direct sales of CDs, recordings, and self-published scores; music written for commercial industries like video games, lm, and TV; sound

design; orchestration and arranging; conducting; producing concerts; and interest income.

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AMCS Online Library and 23% of professionals and15% of non-professionals have a prole on the ACFwebsite. Fiy-eight percent distribute their own re-cordings and 51% their own scores. Seventy-six per-cent say they are self-published. (A summary chart

listing frequencies of these dierent marketing meth-ods is shown to the right.)

Of those professionals who list on the AMC website,82% post biographies, 76% post listings/instrumenta-tion, 57% sound samples and 47% score samples.

Continuing Issues and Challenges include:

Tension Between Supporting Oneself and CreatingArtthe old Prot versus Purity discussion;Developing Audiences, especially in regard to thechanging demographics of the country where ageand immigration are concerns for a new genera-tion of composers and performers;Technology and the Internet. There is an inherenttension between communication and dumbingdown. Can anyone can be a composer due tothe accessibility of technology? Is increased ac-cess and communication a benet to the eld, oris it drawing aention and audiences away fromserious/professional composers?);Creating an Environment for Creativity. More easilysaid than done is this prescription for ALL artists,especially in the midst of a declining economy, om-nivorous consumerism and the tendency of all busi-

ness models to try to predict success. The demiseof individual artist grants at the National Endow-

Executive Summary

ment for the Arts, the elimination many years agoof grants for critics and the erosion of music educa-tion in public schools all have a demoralizing eecton the creators.

It is our hope that the following recommendationswill highlight ways in which responses from diverseinstitutions could benet the eld. These recommen-dations emerge from our interviews, survey results,spotlights and feedback, as well as the generous spiritof people who care deeply about the creation of new

music.1. More active involvement: Organizations are

being asked to be more active in their involvementwith composers, becoming agents and promot-ing music in new and innovative ways, uncoveringtrends, encouraging cross-pollination among dier-ent kinds of music, and facilitating meetings amongcomposers, performers and presenters. Seventy percent of composers surveyed rateNot enough performances/broadcasts/recordingsof my work as an important (4 or 5 on a 1 to 5 scale)

creative challenge. Geing work out was seen asan extremely important creative challenge by62% of respondents. If service organizations canhelp composers get their music to people that willperform, broadcast and record it, this will alleviatemajor challenges facing the majority of composerssurveyed.

2. Having a broader reach: Service organizationsneed to reach composers and communities on thefringes and in all corners of the eld including coun-try, hip-hop, rock and other newer kinds of musicalgenres. Maps show AMC and ACF cultivating mem-

bers in disproportional numbers in New York andCalifornia. The National Endowment for the Arts

(NEA) Study on Public Participation in the Arts(SPPA) data show composers in high numbers inFlorida, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvaniaand Texas. Some composers and presenters interviewed,representing diverse stylistic viewpoints, expressednear or complete disconnection from the rest of thenew music community and many of them knewlile about AMC or ACFs oerings. Composers andpresenters in Denver feel they are not receiving thesupport they need including networking, perform-

How Composers Market their Work

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70

Other websites

Self-promotional materials

Distributing recordings

Distr ibut ing s cores

Other

A CF W eb s it e

Personal website

A M C O nl in e Li br ary

Pro fess iona l Non-Pro fess iona l

Note: Other responses included a wide variety of websites including YouT

CDBaby, iTunes, MySpace, and Facebook, as well as publisher, university, a

record label sites.

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ing, workshops, etc. Many would like to see thischange. One interviewee in the San Francisco BayArea emphasized the importance of paying aen-tion to Latin jazz and other styles of music that in -corporate ethnic inuences. In addition, this indi-

vidual warned against ignoring rock and hip-hop,which have a major presence in clubs and in youthdevelopment programs.

Broadening the landscape to include opportuni-ties for composers to work with choruses and youthchoirs is another kind of expansion. Youth choirsare the fastest growing segment of choruses. Ac-cording to a 2003 national study by Chorus Ameri-ca, nearly 28.5 million adults and children regularlyperform in choral groups in the U. S., more than anyother art form. One or more adults in 16.5% of house-holds in America performed in at least one chorus,and of those, almost 45% performed with more thanone chorus. The study also estimates the number ofchoruses in the U.S. to be 250,000.10 Partnershipswith the National Association of Teachers of Sing-ing, Chorus America and other organizations arepossibilities.

3. More imaginative nancial support: Many as-sume the rst and last request of composers is formore money and it must be acknowledged that -nancing and funding for a career as a composer isa major need. According to our survey respondents,the percentage of composers making their living

from composing is extremely small 10% or less.And, although composers write music because theyhave to, they are being under-utilized as a resource

by the larger society. This, of course, is true for allartists.

Pragmatically, people asked for more grantsfor new music recordings. One Boston composerappreciated ACFs recording grants, and wishesthey were expanded to include more composers. ABoston presenter pointed to the need for support ofinfrastructure and proposed more grants for newmusic presenters. New support models need to be investigated:

for cross-disciplinary collectives, perhaps a Percentfor Art program for performances of new composi-tions in government buildings. As with other art forms, the chronology of mid-career for a composer is dicult to determineandis oen a time of particular need. Grants directed tocomposers at this career point might help sustainthe eld.

4. More assistance with marketing and distribu-tion of work:Many composers want to learn how

to market their work: 83% of both professionalsand non-professionals say they need to learn aboutdistributing their compositions/music; 78% need tolearn about marketing it; 55% need to learn how touse technology to disseminate, 51% to record and

52% to create it. In the RCACs study of jazz musi-cians, 83% of jazz musicians and 87% of non-jazzmusicians lacked a steady manager, agent or rep-resentative for their work.11 Some people feel weshould make celebrities out of composers, analo-gous to the famous architects or starchitects. Oth-ers think that established composers should take amore public stance, gaining recognition for the eldin general.

5. More dissemination about technical assistanceservices: Respondents asked for master classes onmusic topics, workshops to get composers familiarwith technology and instruction for composers inproducing and organizing concerts. While such ser-vices exist, many composers are uninformed as towhere and how to get involved. Seventy-nine per-cent of composers say they need educational coursesin distribution, 75% in marketing, 53% need techni-cal information on distribution, and 50% want moreinformation on technology for creating music.

6. Educate the audience: Not only do the statis-tics tell us that audiences for serious music are ag-ing, but much of the new music by contemporary

composers needs some audience education to be ap-preciated. Perhaps, in addition to running trainingworkshops for artists, service organizations mightencourage training for audiences through unusualroutes. While many service organizations oer vari-ous forms of education programs, the challenge re-mains to nd new ways of reaching audiences out-side the concert hall at home, in the car, in schoolor on the internet.

Some composers feel the audience educationargument is dated and that the current composercommunity is insulated and isolated, that there is aneed to make new music relevant to the entire pop-

ulation by connecting it to other new things thatinterest people (gallery openings, lm premieres).Others feel the challenge is to build a communityaround what is commissioned. As an AMC Boardmember said, I really believe the public is not stu-pidI hear a lot of talk about how people are notsophisticated enough with music. I think people arereally just hungry for conversation, for tour guidesthat will take them on the journey. As philanthro-pists and administrators, we pander too much tothe old regimethe ones already in the concert hall.

Executive Summary

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Executive Summary

Well... lets forget themlets go nd a new group.New music festivals exist all over the country

but are oen time-limited events. What about pre-senting the work of new composers on a regular

basisfor example, one weekend a monthat all

these venues so that a new audience can developand return?

These alliances might also aect funding byplacing new music centrally in the community. Onecomposer related a story about raising money tofund a local composer by positioning boxes to col-lect money at supermarkets.

7. Mentoring and communication: Larger orga-nizations should become mentors to smaller onesthat support composers, providing not only venues,

but guidance and an imprimatur. Service organiza-tions could encourage successful composers andmusicians to expand the existing pool of composer-funded foundations through bequests or dedicatinga portion of their estates to the development of com-posers and new music as Aaron Copland and VirgilThomson did. Existing foundations could increasedirect unrestricted support to composers, helpingthem with both their life and work needs. Organi-zations need to support the infrastructure and en-courage multi- and cross-disciplinary communica-tion and activity for composers, non-composers andcomposer-performers.

An annual conference for composers to meet,

talk, share ideas and collaborate was suggested bymany who aended NPAC. And the collective pres-ence of more than 100 composers, one seventh of allthe artists aending, created a particularly cohesivemoment on which to build.

8. Creating a sense of ownership among key con-stituents: Much of the decision-making surroundingprogramming is le up to music directors/conduc-tors. More conductors working with more musicalstyles and with new composers can create more op-portunities in the eld. Board and sta support ofmusic directors new music programming choices

is also key to increasing the amount of new workbeing performed.

9. Space to create, work and perform: Space, es-pecially in urban centers, is a constant problem forcomposers and musiciansspace to work, to re-hearse, to work inside their heads. Spaces for com-posers to incubate, create and perform should beincluded in plans for new real estate developments,even for temporary venues.

Composers in some cities have commandeered

non-traditional spaces for their work as artists havedone for decades and the idea that new music canonly be delivered in the classical concert hall is oldnews. In Austin composers rent cheap spaces inthe Warehouse District. In New York the New York

State Council on the Arts subsidizes rehearsal spacefor dance and the Lower Manhaan Cultural Coun-cil provides writers and visual artists with studiospace and a stipend both models for composers.In Boston, academic institutions and churches pro-vide venues for new music as do storefront clubs.Venues like these feature not just punk and ska mu-sic but electro-acoustic composers and experimen-tal improvisers. In New York, NYC Performing ArtsSpaces helps to identify work and rehearsal spacefor people who work in the performing arts.

10. Oer workshops for composers providingguidance on constructing websites: Given the op-portunities the Internet aords composers, it might

be advantageous for service organizations to providecomposers with workshops and guidance on howto use and create websites. Twenty-three percent ofcomposers surveyed have their own websites, butthere is tremendous potential for more composersto use this medium to their advantage in the future.For the newer generation, in the words of an Aus-tin composer, Websites are the business card of to-day. While service organizations have oered suchworkshops in the past, it is important to continue

this eort and to publicize these opportunities, asnumerous individuals interviewed seemed under-informed and requested more support.

11. Create a social networking site specicallyfor composers, performers, presenters and otherentities across the music eld: A dedicated socialnetworking website would facilitate connectionsand opportunities for composers and other mu-sic professionals. Composers already actively usesocial networking sites (43% MySpace / 39% Face-

book). This would be a natural avenue for commu-nication, allowing composers and their colleagues

to network and establish professional relationships.

12. Creating more partnerships: with founda-tions, universities, ensembles, conservatories,service organizations, large arts institutions tocommission projects: Although foundations aresometimes seen as separate from the daily work ofcomposers, their judgment as well as their nancialsupport can advance the eld. Easier access to theirguidelines and interests (perhaps on the social net-working site mentioned above) would make oppor-

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tunities more transparent.Sixty-one percent of composers keep ties with

the academic institution where they were educated.Many received commissioning opportunities there.Service organizations have collaborated on com-

missioning and should continue to do so.

13. More personal commissioning: There arethose involved and eclectic individuals who com-mission the newest work of composers on an indi-vidual basis, much in the spirit of the patron modelof the past. Expanding this very personal practicenot only to those with large nancial assets, but ona smaller scale to everyday people might serve to

broaden the base for new musicperhaps throughthe creation of a national Peoples Commission-ing Fund. Models including Bang on a Can andArtistShare.com (described in greater detail in theSpotlights section of the full report) give individuallisteners/audience members the opportunity to par-ticipate with others in commissioning work andcould serve as a guide for this endeavor. Accord-ing to the experience of one Boston philanthropist,individual commissioning of other arts is common-place except in music. Its not on the menu, it hasntcrossed peoples minds.

14. More holistic aention to what the composerneeds: While some of our recommendations aremore pragmatic than others, those will simply serve

as band-aids without a more complete considerationof the contemporary composer in relation to thechanging ecology of the elddemographics, tech-nology, and the enormous price we extract from ourcreative individuals to bring us pleasure. Contin-ued responsiveness to this ecology will help us tounderstand where to take action.

1 Tepper, S. J. and Ivey, B. (2008). Engaging Art: The Next GreatTransformation of Americas Cultural Life. New York: Routledge, pp.368-369.2 Percentages in the text are rounded to the nearest number; in the

grid in the appendix they include more detail.3Jeri, J. (2003) Research Report #43 Changing the Beat: A study ofthe Worklife of Jazz Musicians. Washington, D.C.: National Endow-ment for the Arts.4 National Endowment for the Arts. (2008). Research Report #48: Art-ists in the Workforce: 1990 2005. Retrieved July 27, 2008,from hp://www.nea.gov/research/ArtistsInWorkforce.pdf5 The income reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics representsannual income for an employee at a given organization.6 National Endowment for the Arts. (2006). Research Note #90: ArtistEmployment in 2005. Retrieved July 25, 2008,from hp://www.nea.gov/research/Notes/90.pdf7 Ibid.

8 Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2004). Occupational Employment andWages, November 2004. Press Release. Retrieved July 25, 2008, fromhp://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/ocwage_11092005.pdf9 National Endowment for the Arts. (2006). Research Note #90: Artist

Employment in 2005. Retrieved July 25, 2008,from hp://www.nea.gov/research/Notes/90.pdf10 Chorus America. (2003). Americas Performi ng Art: A Study ofChoruses, Choral Singers, and Their Impact. Retrieved July 25, 2008,from hp://www.chorusamerica.org/chorstudy.cfm11 Jeri, J. (2003) Research Report #43 Changing the Beat: A study ofthe Worklife of Jazz Musicians. Washington, D.C.: National Endow-ment for the Arts.

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