Young Composers should work with Young Performers

Hi, I am new to YC forum,

My humble suggestion is that young composers should pair up with young performers, so that their compositions may be performed. I find that it is rather hard nowadays to get your composition performed, unless you are already a well established composer.

Composers and performers are the best partners in music, as they complement each other perfectly. Of course, there are some people who can both perform and compose, like Beethoven, Listz and Rachmaninov. But even Rachmaninov said that he considered himself primarily a composer, and did not consider himself as a good pianist, even though he really was one.

I am Doglas Yeo, a composer from Singapore (A country in South East Asia) of primarily piano works. A sample of my piano prelude in G# minor can be found at:

http://www.geocities.com/doglasyeo/prelude_whampoa.m4a

My favourite piano composer is Rachmaninov, so I may have been subtlely influenced by his works.

Please contact me if you are a pianist, and wish to perform my works, as I will gladly email you the scores.

Email: doglasyeo@gmail.com

My other works include a prelude in B minor, and a piece titled "Variation on a Theme from Munnaeru Vaalibaa for 2 pianos", a local Indian song.

Welcome Doglas - and I agree, young composers writing for young performers. Makes sense, eh?

For younger performers, it's tough to find ensembles to play with - usually there's established older players waiting to get in as well...

And, for younger writers, it's hard to get established musicians to sit down and rehearse/perform your music.

Let's face it, we chose a tough business!

Music is not a business.

Perhaps not, but everything else involved with making music is. Selling a piece, making/selling a recording, hiring an ensemble, getting hired yourself, finding gigs/touring...

I don't know about "pairing up" - most composers would be fairly unsatisfied writing only for a solo instrument. Now, if we could find chamber ensembles...

That has nothing to do with making music, and everything to do with promoting it.

To me they're one and the same. Can't make music without dealing with both aspects of it.

Unless (I suppose), you don't: want to get paid or have anyone ever play or listen to your music...

Hi, I am new to YC forum,

My humble suggestion is that young composers should pair up with young performers, so that their compositions may be performed.

Doesn't this happen naturally while you're at school and college? I know that school musical education has sunk to an all-time low in the UK, so perhaps it doesn't any more.

I find that it is rather hard nowadays to get your composition performed, unless you are already a well established composer.

Piano is an isolated instrument (until you're very good then you can join or form ensembles) so the best is to start to learn an unusual orchestral instrument now. Get up to about grade 6, then go about joining a community orchestra. Keep going and socialise with the other members and all kinds of things spring out of that. Give it a year to 18 months, depending on how well you play/sightread and you'll find yourself invited to join or help form ensembles. Even if the orchestra isn't so hot you could probably get simple works performed even if you have to 'write down' to the resources. Nothing wrong with that, if you go semi- or professional, you'll be part-trained in writing for the resouces the commissioner has to offer.

Only problem - learning an instrument. It seems a long haul. You face c 3 years practice minimum. Strings, go for viola. Winds, it's got to be horn, bassoon or oboe. You can't guarantee vacancies in winds but most amateur orchestras are always looking for string players, particularly viola.

yeah, I live in Singapore, and there are many youth orchestras there. However, they are not very receptive to new works, even those by established composers.

This is in part due to the sad state of the orchestra. The orchestra loses money every year, even with Government funding, so they are forced to perform popular classics such as Strauss' waltzes, etc, even to the extent of accompanying pop singers.

In the past, Beethoven could at least sell his works for a piece of bread. It isn't the same today, mainly due to the decline of classical music and the rise of pop music, which makes more money.

actually Beethoven wasn't the most popular at that time.

Composers like Rossini (composer of William Tell overture), and some others were actually more popular at that time, as their works appealed to a wider audience.

But Beethoven didn't make nearly as much money as modern popular music starts do. As a matter of fact, no composer did. They were all servants to noblemen.

But Beethoven didn't make nearly as much money as modern popular music starts do. As a matter of fact, no composer did. They were all servants to noblemen.

Servants is a weird term to use. They're more of dedicated commisioners who also employed them to play for them and live on estate.

But Beethoven didn't make nearly as much money as modern popular music starts do. As a matter of fact, no composer did. They were all servants to noblemen.

Beethoven was exceptionally well known as a performer. It's enlightening to read some of the critics of the time!

Beethoven was exceptionally well known as a performer. It's enlightening to read some of the critics of the time!

Yes, i agree. It is a pity that the tape recorder wasn't invented yet, if not we could listen to him play his own piano sonatas.

"Young Composers should work with Young Performers" ????

I think : "Young Composers -even the talented one-SHould WoRk with ANY Performers!" Even an amateur one. this is a good Composer

if some music is popular does that make the rest "unpopular"??

period.

M.

mmm, youngperformers.com — Everything You Need to Treat Your Pet Right

if some music is popular does that make the rest "unpopular"??

period.

M.

No...read some Adorno and you'll understand that if some music is popular it makes it bad.

...

No...read some Adorno and you'll understand that if some music is popular it makes it bad.

...

Adorno's ideas on music in general are a product of the time and IMO have pretty much been usurped. Let's have a look at some:

- He goes on about how one of the distinguishing factors of popular music is that it is "standardised" to a fix model?? What music isn't "standardised" to a fixed model - thats what makes it music - OK... I will grant that perhaps Adorno's own music isn't very much standardised... but when is the last time you've heard anyone play an Adorno track - his music is bollocks - lucky he could philosophise.

- He then goes on to show how a piece of "non-popular" music is constructed so you couldn't take any part of it without reference to another part - again this is ridculous - play 10 Brahms String Quartets to a villiage person in Upper Mongolia and they will all sound the same to him - ALL music is contextual to a time and a place and is based on standards that are connected to that...

His whole premise on "standardisation" in my opinion is ridiculous..

But anyway... this has absoultley NOTHING to do with my statement...

That by calling some music "popular" means that you are necessarily implying that there is a remainder of "unpopular" music in the canon. This claim is stupid.

With the increasing world population, tyranny of the majority sets in for many things, including music,

The music that the most people like, regardless of its quality, will tend to dominate the music scene.

For example, when the world population is 100 000, if 70% of the population likes pop music, while 30% like classical music, the difference is not that big. (70 000 vs 30 000).

But when the population grows to 10 billion, with the proportion remaining the same, the difference becomes rather humongous. (7 billion vs 3 billion).

Obviously "money-minded" music publishers, composers, and musicians will choose to be associated with pop music, leading to a vicious cycle. I.E, with the majority of the music composed being "pop", the musicians have less choice in their repertoire.

Note: This is a hypothetical situation only, so please do not be offended by it. Furthermore, the proportion is an overestimate -- I would hypothesise that the ratio is more of 9 is to 1.

We need a website that is just like this one but that is all about young performers.

something like youngperformers.com. That would so cool!

I think we can achieve lots of things if we have a group of performers willing to play our stuff. What do you think?

Yes Jav, I think its the best idea, everything you say, I'll listen :closedeyes:

Uhgh..need to do homework...

well gtg

Hi, I am new to YC forum,

My humble suggestion is that young composers should pair up with young performers, so that their compositions may be performed. I find that it is rather hard nowadays to get your composition performed, unless you are already a well established composer.

Composers and performers are the best partners in music, as they complement each other perfectly. Of course, there are some people who can both perform and compose, like Beethoven, Listz and Rachmaninov. But even Rachmaninov said that he considered himself primarily a composer, and did not consider himself as a good pianist, even though he really was one.

I am Doglas Yeo, a composer from Singapore (A country in South East Asia) of primarily piano works. A sample of my piano prelude in G# minor can be found at:

http://www.geocities.com/doglasyeo/prelude_whampoa.m4a

My favourite piano composer is Rachmaninov, so I may have been subtlely influenced by his works.

Please contact me if you are a pianist, and wish to perform my works, as I will gladly email you the scores.

Email: doglasyeo@gmail.com

My other works include a prelude in B minor, and a piece titled "Variation on a Theme from Munnaeru Vaalibaa for 2 pianos", a local Indian song.

I agree and disagree with this. I think it's a good experience to work with musicians, However, the only drawback is that when you give youth a piece that you wrote and they don't like it, or it's too hard to play (which means, "I don't want to practice!"), you have a problem. Which is one of the reasons I prefer not to get involved with writing music for high school students. Most of them are lazy and don't practice or listen to the advice you give them. I'm not saying they're horrible people. But when someone wrights a piece and expects it to be performed beautifully with the dynamics and phrasing in check, they're not to be relied on. However, it is a good experience working with musicians of some sort. You will hit the glass ceiling soon though, as far as the performence goes anyway.