Contact: Elizabeth Perlmutter
Phone: 212-366-5260 x10
Email: elizabeth@amc.net
STUDY FINDS 75% OF SURVEYED AMERICAN COMPOSERS ARE MORE SUCCESSFUL NOW THAN 5 YEARS AGO
New Jointly-Published American Composers Forum/American Music Center Study Also Reveals Most Composers Are Also Performers and Actively Utilize Technology
(January 28, 2009) According to
Taking Note: A Study of Composers and New Music in the United States, which has just been jointly published by the American Composers Forum (ACF) in St. Paul, MN, and the American Music Center (AMC) in New York, NY, three-quarters of American composers surveyed have indicated that their activity has increased in the last five years. Conducted by the Research Center for Arts and Culture at Teachers College, Columbia University, the study—which is the first major undertaking of its kind in decades—also concludes that:
Being a professional composer is a three-quarter time job. Composers spend 27 hours per week on average on composition activity. They earn a median annual income of $45,000 from all of their activities, not exclusively from composing;
Three-quarters of those surveyed considered themselves to be professional composers, but only 10% made their primary living from that work;
Two-thirds of professional composers perform their own music, not relying solely on others to produce and present their work;
Composers are utilizing new technologies to connect with audiences directly, and growing numbers are establishing careers through these connections.
To read the
Executive Summary of the study, go to:
www.amc.net/takingnote/taking note executive summary.pdf. To read the
entire text, go to:
www.amc.net/takingnote/taking note.pdf.
In addition to nearly
100 interviews conducted in
8 cities across the country,
Taking Note includes
eleven “spotlights” on innovative ways in which composers are crafting careers and contributing to the new music ecology. From music distribution services like ArtistShare.com to the online service, CollabaJam for composers and performers, the spotlights showcase the creative ways in which composers are connecting with audiences and sharing their work.
“Music—all genres and styles—has changed dramatically in recent years, and the landscape for composers has become increasingly complex,” according to Joanne Hubbard Cossa, CEO of the American Music Center. “Increased access to a wider variety of musical influences is also changing the very nature of the music that composers create.”
John Nuechterlein, President and CEO of the American Composers Forum added: “The field of new music is fractured and diverse, with composers of the 21st century focused as much on the promotion and distribution of their work as they are on the work itself. Professional composers are thinking holistically about all aspects of their career—not just the music.”
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The
American Composers Forum is based in St. Paul, Minnesota. It is a national organization dedicated to nurturing the creative spirit of composers and the communities in which they live. Among the many ACF programs and services for composers, innova® Recordings is perhaps most unique. Accepted artists are guaranteed distribution worldwide in retail outlets as well as 300+ digital stores. The business model is unlike any other label in that all profits from sales are returned directly to the artist(s). Over 20 titles are released each year by living American composers across a wide spectrum of style and genre. In addition to innova, ACF offers a variety of re-granting programs such as Encore, subito and its long-standing Jerome Composer Commissioning Program. It also provides media support for the field through its Composers Datebook radio show, a co-production with American Public Media. ACF’s structure is unique among national service organizations because of its network of local chapters in major urban centers. Each of them support composers on the local level in ways that cannot be achieved effectively through the national office.
The
American Music Center is dedicated to building a national community of artists, organizations, and audiences creating, performing, and enjoying new American music. Since its founding in 1939 by composers Marion Bauer, Aaron Copland, Howard Hanson, Harrison Kerr, Otto Luening, and Quincy Porter, AMC has been a leader in providing field-wide advocacy, support, and connection. AMC advocates for the community through NewMusicBox, its award-winning web magazine, and CounterstreamRadio, a 24-hour online station broadcasting music by a broad range of United States composers. AMC supports the community by making grants to composers and ensembles each year, and by offering professional development programs for artists. AMC connects the community with an array of information services designed to facilitate performances, including the AMC Online Library, a vast, searchable database of 45,000 works by American composers; publications compiling opportunities in new music and other information useful to industry professionals; and benefits and services for nearly 2,500 members in all fifty states and around the world.