Composers' Corner

For this month’s edition of Composer’s Corner, we decided to ask the same five questions of some of our published composers. Learn more about music by Vince Oliver, Brad Hart, Kayvon Emtiaz, and all of our house composers at www.world-projects.com/shop.

What do you wish more conductors and educators knew about composers in general, or working with them?

Brad Hart – I think the most important thing that conductors and educators need to know about composers is that they desire the same things – early communication and following through. Composers at all levels love to talk about music, not just their own. So before a commission is discussed it is good to talk about music with a composer.

How has the relationship between composers and educators changed in the last few years, and do you like the current trend?

Vince Oliver – It seems like more educators are interested in the idea of supporting and investing in new music either through commissions or consortia, and this is fantastically encouraging. I hope to see more of this in the future as there is so much growth potential within this area of music.

What would you tell a composer fresh out of school about being in this business, or how to get ahead in it?

Kayvon Emtiaz – As a composer who is fresh out of school (B.M. Music Composition; Illinois State University '16), I would tell people: "Write, write write!" It may be a cliche, but it is imperative to keep writing your ideas and turning them into pieces. That way, one day you may perfect that piece and enter it into a competition and hopefully succeed. That is exactly what happened to me, and I am grateful for the opportunity that World Projects gave me with my very first competition win.

Brad Hart – I would tell a composer to do three things. First, to talk to everyone. No conductor, no other composer, and no teacher is too good or too low in the ranks to be worth your time. Second, write when you can. Since most composers have some job outside of composing it is important to balance your time, but write when you can write. Third, you are not alone! Share your work, even those works that are being performed, with colleagues in music and with non-musicians.

Vince Oliver – Flexibility is everything. Be open to different musical paths that you never considered before. We are our own time managers; force yourself to sit down and do the work even when you don't want to.

What is a project you’ve always wanted to tackle?

Kayvon Emtiaz – I have many ideas for a large-scale work for orchestra and choir which will be my setting of the Requiem Mass. Doing a work of this massive nature will take a lot of time and dedication, so it has been pushed further and further down the list of priorities. But one day, my "magnum opus" will be complete.

Vince Oliver - Integrating electronics into a band piece. This will finally happen this December!

Do you have a favorite collaboration/commission so far in your career? What about it sets it apart from the others?

Brad Hart – My favorite commission actually comes from my band director life. We commissioned someone to write a piece to fit a specific theme, in this case Japanese internment during WWII, and it was great talking to a fellow composer about this topic. The end result was a very satisfying piece of music whose expressive vision matched from conception of the project to the performance. This experience really stands out because of the longevity of its impact on my students and the audience.

Vince Oliver – One of my best friends commissioned a piece from me a few years back for his high school wind ensemble. His son was born almost exactly one year after his father passed away. The inspiration provided by the juxtaposition of these two life events was very compelling to me, and because of this it was not difficult finding unique musical devices to structure and motivate the piece.

Pieces for a variety of ensembles by all of our composers are available at www.world-projects.com/shop and keep an eye out for more additions to our catalogue very soon!

Stay tuned for our April edition of Composers’ Corner, where we will share experiences from some wonderful directors who have participated in World Projects’ New Music Initiative! As always, we welcome your feedback at: [email protected]!