Commissioning music can be a wonderful collaborative experience. But it may seem a bit frightening, as well. It may be reasonable to think that there would be some generally accepted "standard" procedure for commissioning music. However, while some aspects of the commissioning process are fundamental, others vary quite a bit from case to case. This page is meant to help introduce you to the process, which involves the creation of a specific agreement with a composer, but also sets in motion an exchange of ideas among artists that can be a great value to everyone involved.

It is fundamental that a new composition, created on deadline, for a specific individual or ensemble, is the product of skill and effort and deserves fair payment. You wouldn't expect your dentist to work for free. On the other hand, I remember, that I used to go to a dentist who, sometimes (when assured of a sufficient dollar income to meet expenses), was willing to be paid in barter (usually home grown food from farmers). And many composers (including me) are sometimes (when assured of a sufficient dollar income to meet expenses) willing to include several kinds of "value" in connection with a commission. Things of "value" may include: money (of course), as well as exchanges of labor, facility use, professional development opportunities, etc. that can be offered inexpensively by the commissioning party, e.g., studio recordings, certain kinds of performances, composer residencies (funding from participating institution[s]), broadcasts, etc., etc. So my advice about commissioning has two equal parts:

(1) Don't be afraid to ask a composer about a possible commission. In that first conversation, no work or time has been invested, so it costs nothing to discuss the idea. And very often a commission that seemed quite impossible, initially, becomes a reality through some chain of events that no one could have anticipated before beginning the conversation.

(2) Take the commissioning process seriously. You are asking a composer to invest a great deal of time and skill and creative thought. Anticipate the need to invest sufficient energy to follow through on whatever commitments you make throughout the creative process. Finally, if you are interested in having me compose a piece, please email me with your idea (after checking out the links, below), and we'll go from there.