I'm staying downtown in a beautiful hotel in the historic Printer's Row district of The Loop neighborhood, and as I sit here in my quiet room up on the 7th floor, looking out my window at the snow that just began falling, it feels like a good time to reflect on how exactly, I managed to get myself out here....
Looking back now, I'm amazed at the spider's web of connections that lead me to this residency, pretty common in the world of new music, I suppose, but still amazing to take stock of everyone who was involved along the way, and how all the pieces finally fell into place.
In the Fall of 2008, my orchestral work, "La tristesse durera" http://www.greggwramage.com/compositions.html#orchestra received the EAMA Prize eamusic.org/, and shortly after, I was contacted through my website by a former teacher, composer Andrew Rudin, who wrote to congratulate me. As we were catching up with each other, he mentioned having just finished a concerto for a wonderful violist named Brett Deubner brettdeubner.com/, who he said was a real champion of new music, and particularly of young American composers. Andrew later mentioned me and my music to Brett in an email, and shortly after, he sent around another email about a benefit concert Brett had organized in Winter 2010 for the victims of the recent earthquake in Haiti. I happened to see this email the morning of the concert, so my wife (then girlfriend) and I drove up to Montclair, NJ, for the concert and I introduced myself to Brett after the performance. I honestly can't remember if I suggested a collaboration or he did, be we agreed it was a good idea that I write a piece for him. Amazingly, that summer a commission from The Barlow Endowment barlow.byu.edu/came through, and I started writing a chamber concerto for Brett shortly after.
That Fall, Brett and I began pitching the concerto to various potential conductors and ensembles, and at some point in Fall 2011, Brett mentioned that he had spoken to a violist/conductor/composer in Chicago named Renee Baker reneebakercomposer.com/, who had her own orchestra, Chicago Modern Orchestra Project www.chicagomodernorchestraproject.org/ that specialized in new music. I wrote to Renee and introduced myself, she said she was interested in the concerto but wanted to her some of my music first. So--how many times have we composers heard that before, sent along our materials, and then--nothing. Well, this time, it was a composer's dream-come-true--not only did Renee like all the music I sent, she said she wanted to perform the concerto and two other works with her orchestra across the next two seasons! Needless to say, I was thrilled, and immediately set out to secure some funding for what would effectively be a 2-year residency with the orchestra.
At some point in 2011-2012 I had filled out a survey, I believe from the American Music Center, directed to composers who had recently participated in readings of their music by American orchestras. In the last question of the survey, I mentioned my upcoming performances and that I had a performance of the new viola concerto coming up in the next couple seasons. Shortly after, Scott Winship (now of NewMusicUSA https://www.newmusicusa.org/) wrote me about the possibility of funding the performance with a Music Alive: New Partnerships grant.
Scott, Renee, and I spent the next year or so--roughly from summer 2012 to Fall 2013--ironing out the details of the project, and in October of 2013, after dozens of emails, phone calls, and Facebook messages between the three of us, and about a year after my first phone conversation with Renee, our grant came through.
Since I will be working with some young composers and musicians this week as part of my residency, I find myself asking what, if any, lessons can be learned from this experience? Well for now I would offer the following: winning prizes helps, a website helps, staying in touch with your teachers helps, going to concerts and introducing yourself to performers helps, and being active in email and social media helps. Of course, you need to have a good piece(s) to promote, and to find the performers, like Brett Deubner and Renee, who are really sincere about promoting new music by living composers. Oh, and persistence, LOTS of persistence--and probably, a little bit of luck.....
In one sense, this trip and premiere are a homecoming of sorts for my little sextet, since it was originally written for the marvelous Chicago-based ensemble, eighth blackbird www.eighthblackbird.org/, who premiered the work at the 2002 Norfolk Chamber Music Festival. Twelve years ago, this residency--the possibility of this residency--seemed as remote to me as downtown Chicago is from Norfolk, Connecticut; but now, as I am about to roll up my sleeves and get to work--it all seems to make perfect sense.
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