Page 30 - Mar_Apr23

The Business of Composing, Part 1 - Commissions & Publishing

musicians’ union, as there are strict laws about rights,
compensation, and use. “
It’s important for a composer to have

• Signatures, or e-signatures (with dates!) of each party sufficient time to initiate, research,
involved. process, create, engrave, edit, and

Copyright complete a new work.
“Copyright is a type of intellectual property that
protects original works of authorship as soon as an au-
thor fixes the work in a tangible form of expression”
(U.S. Copyright Office). Once a work is documented Residencies and Appearance Fees
4
or notated in a physical manner, it is considered “copy- For the purpose of this article, a “residency” is
righted.” Some composers register each work with the when a composer is asked to be present in rehearsals,
U.S. Copyright Office in order to have full acknowl- concerts, and/or provide pre-concert talks, lectures,
edgement of its copyright, but technically this is not masterclasses, and other forms of public presenta-
required. tions. This could also apply to a “virtual residency” or
“virtual clinic”—meeting with or presenting to an en-
semble/institution on a virtual platform (like Zoom).
Timeline There are no industry standard rates for a com-
It’s important for a composer to have sufficient poser’s hourly/daily fees, and again, it depends on the
time to initiate, research, process, create, engrave, edit, composer’s level of experience. Some people calculate
and complete a new work. Many composers request the amount of time they’re working while at the resi-
at least 8-12 months before the new work is due (this dency and apply their hourly rate to that time. Oth-
also depends on the size and length of the work). Also, ers charge a daily fee, no matter how many hours or
the conductor needs time to study the score before events are planned. It’s important to establish a gen-
rehearsals begin, so this should be factored into the eral schedule of events and expectations before de-
chosen deadline. Pacing one’s commission schedule termining a fee. Traveling to and from the residency
and managing one’s scheduled commitments well into should be factored into one’s fee structure, as this is
the future can be one of the trickiest aspects of be- distinct from one’s normal commute.
ing a professional composer. We can only suggest that At the time of writing this article, ACDA has a
composers make commitments carefully, know oneself, guideline in their financial policies that honor choir
one’s routines, one’s energy levels and available time, conductors may be paid $750 per day, which may be a
and don’t overcommit. We also encourage composers useful metric. Keep in mind that all of this is flexible;
5
to leave enough time to focus on quality versus quan- maybe your best friend is having you come work with
tity. Rushing the artistic process to make more money their ensemble and they cover your travel costs and
from more commissions can be detrimental to a com- then feed you endless doughnuts in lieu of a fee.
poser’s career (and creative burn-out is real!). While it’s not mandatory that a composer attends
The creative process can’t be rushed, but miss- the premiere of their new work, we have found it to
ing deadlines is stressful for everyone involved and be a meaningful experience for all parties involved. If
if a composer is late with a piece, it wreaks havoc on the composer plans to be present at the premiere, it’s
the entire study, rehearsal, and performance process. important that the commissioning organization has a
Composers: if you know you’ll need an extension, sense of this residency/appearance fee when initiating
contact the conductor/organization WELL ahead of the commission so they can plan for these costs. As
time so they can plan for this change (and/or postpone always, upfront communication is crucial for a positive
the premiere if necessary). working relationship.

28 CHORAL JOURNAL March/April 2023 Volume 63 Number 7