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18 Fall 2022 • sai-national.org Cposers By Susan Jehl, Editor, Fort Wayne Alumnae Chapter Are you interested in commissioning a piece of music, but aren't sure how to go about it? e Fort Wayne Alumnae Chapter has commissioned two compositions this year, one to open our fiieth anniversary year of celebration and one to conclude it. Here is a step by step guide you can use to commission your own work. Set your goals for the project. With every task you need to have clear goals to guide your project. Why are you doing the project, and what do you hope to accomplish? In commissioning our compositions, we wanted to accomplish the following objectives: to raise awareness of women composers, to further develop students' knowledge of music and composition by being involved in the process, and to support local women composers. Decide on a performance date. Before you start discussions with a composer and the performer or ensemble conductor who will premiere your commissioned work, you will need to decide on a timeframe for the performance. We selected Spring of 2022 for the first composition to open our fiieth anniversary year and Spring of 2023 for the second, to mark the end of our celebration. Decide on the performance ensemble. Who will be performing your work? A soloist, small ensemble, your chapter, a large ensemble? Our chapter has a long history of supporting the premiere youth ensembles in our city. We reached out to the directors of the Fort Wayne Children's Choir and the Fort Wayne Youth Orchestra to see if our project would be a good fit for them. Both directors were excited and agreed to perform a commissioned work written for their ensemble as a part of one of their upcoming concerts. Select a composer. Are you interested in having an area composer for the project or are you looking to hire a nationally known composer? Determining how much money you are willing to invest will be a big part of this decision. Most composers charge by the minute for their commissioned works. is fee varies. Once you have a verbal agreement with a composer, you will need to create a contract for both parties to sign. You should include in the contract: the length of the piece; the ensemble or soloist who will be performing the premiere, any specific genre or musical ideas to be included in the composition; a date for a rough dra to be delivered, as well as a date for the finished parts; a timeframe for the performance; a statement giving the composer full rights to the composition; if desired, state that a dedication should appear on the printed music (you can work out the details of the dedication at a later date). e contract should also list the specifics of the payment schedule. We made an initial down payment when the contract was signed, a second payment when the rough dra was delivered, and a final payment when the work was completed. Get the creative juices flowing. It is important to arrange a meeting between members of your committee, the composer, and the conductor for the purpose of gathering information, discussing the process, and to talk A How-to Guide for Commissioning New Music

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