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Composing for Middle and High School Choirs: A Conversation with Laura Farnell and Reginal Wright

tional connection or learn a lesson from the message of the of the parents and students who never say it (but should),
text and music, and enjoy the learning process. THANK YOU for all that you give of yourselves in your
job. The passion you convey and the way you invest in peo-
Wright: First, work to make the music your own. Next… ple is so appreciated!
TEXT, TEXT, TEXT! The words of the song are every-
thing for me. Last, please look for every detail within music. Wright: Thanks for performing my music. As a Black
This includes dynamics, syllabic stress, articulations and composer, I strive to write music of different styles as well
suggested tone, and so much more. as mostly nonidiomatic styles. As a twenty-two-year choral
educator, I am well aware of the issues that we face in our
What would you say to other choral artists who are classrooms and try to focus my compositions toward that
interested in composing? end. Reach out to living composers for new works or to
workshop one of their compositions. I am sure most would
Farnell: “Please do!” The creative process is such a beauti- be happy to consider it if it will work in their schedule.
ful and uniquely human one, and sharing what is in your
heart and mind with others is such a gift! I would especially
encourage directors of developing choirs, and most espe-
cially tenor-bass changing voice choirs, to try to create art
that can be used with that age group. I’d also say to find
ways to have choirs perform your pieces and to ask direc-
tors and colleagues you respect to peruse your work. Final-
ly, be intentional about finding the appropriate publishing
“niche” for your submission. Just because a composition is
not selected for publication does not mean the piece isn’t a
good one! Perhaps the piece needs some adjustments. Or
perhaps the piece itself is great, but the publisher has al-
ready filled their catalog slot for the “2-part slow winter
lyrical” piece for that season.

Wright: Write as much as humanly possible. Share your
music with others. Ask friends to perform your works. Pub-
lishing isn’t the end-all, but it will allow you to get your
music into places you otherwise wouldn’t be able to access.
Be willing to take suggestions and change accordingly.

Is there anything else that you would like to say to
any conductors who are reading this? Or, is there
another question that you wish I had asked?

Farnell: To conductors reading, I would love to add a
word of gratitude for all that you do. Without your efforts,
my work is reduced to lines and dots on a page. Also, I
truly believe in the power of choral music to transform
lives, make our world more beautiful, and to speak impor-
tant messages. So, I’m incredibly grateful for your work to
bring that art to life. I’d also like to add a special message to
educators during these challenging times. On behalf of all

ChorTeach Volume 15 • Issue 1 17 Fall 2022