The Basics
All young composers who participate in the project will write a short composition for two or three instruments between mid-January and March. In addition, participants will be paired with one of our Composer-Mentors, who will give them constructive and helpful feedback as they write their short pieces. Then, in April, the completed pieces will be recorded at Interlochen Center for the Arts by student musicians from Interlochen Arts Academy.
Eligibility
We are looking for participants who:
-Are 16 years old or younger at the time of application
-Have some experience writing music in the past and can notate their compositions on staff paper/sheet music
-Have had very few (if any) opportunities for their music to be performed
We are hoping to include around 15-20 young composers in Spring 2022 Cycle.
Writing the Music
Once applicants are accepted into The NowBeat Project – Spring 2022 Cycle, participants will write a piece for a small ensemble of their preference (more details to come soon). The performers will all be members of the Interlochen Modern Music Project (IMMP), a student-directed organization at Interlochen Arts Academy that is dedicated to playing music written in the past 100 years.
Connecting with Composer-Mentors
Once applicants are accepted into The NowBeat Project – Spring 2022 Cycle, they will be paired with one of our talented and motivated Composer-Mentors, all of whom are seniors studying composition at Interlochen Arts Academy or recent graduates from the Academy. Each participant will meet with their respective Composer-Mentor several times during months of January through March to receive informal, constructive feedback about their composition.
Recording the Music
By April 1, participants will turn in their completed pieces (including scores & parts). The individual parts will then be distributed to the appropriate performers, all of whom are wonderful young musicians who are currently students at Interlochen Arts Academy. Then, in mid-April, each piece will be read and recorded at Interlochen Center for the Arts. After we make sure each recording is up to our standards, we will be able send each composer their respective recording, which they can then use and publicize as they wish!
NOTE: After each composer receives their respective recording, we will present a virtual recital on YouTube for any of the composers who wish to share their completed piece.
The Application
Our application is a Google Form. In it, we ask for basic personal information, a little about each respective applicant’s musical journey, and one score that the applicant worked on in the past. The scores do NOT have to be complete; we are just making sure that each applicant has the ability to notate music on a score/sheet music. This is NOT a competition, and scores will not be judged on their musical merit. The application form opened on Monday, November 22, and will close on Monday, December 20 at 11:59 pm EST. Each applicant will be updated via email regarding their acceptance status on or before Monday, January 3.
Deadline 20 December 2021
Website thenowbeatproject.org
