Tuesday, April 19, 2005
definitely better off
I had read Elodie Lauten's post yesterday and am glad others did as well. While I don't think composers are better off dead, I don't think it's that easy to get works performed, particularly if it's new/unusual music. As with anything (business, politics, medicine, law, etc), networking helps, regardless of one's intrinsic talents.
My music has only rarely been performed, to the degree that I'm exceptionally excited that Christina Fong and the Rangtzen Quartet are being kind enough to release a CD containing a short work of mine. I do not make my living from my music, which is probably really good since I would have starved to death long ago. I give a lot of credit to anyone who can earn their living through composition or any artistic pursuit. Because I write for my own pleasure, I've done so for almost 30 years regardless of whether or not anything gets performed (although it is better to be performed than not, of course). So I think any composer is better off writing, regardless of performance opportunities, commercial success or whatever, than not writing.
posted by David Toub
10:29 AM
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