What does it look like to be a professional composer?
written by Erin Busch
Bahlest Eeble Readings Cycle 16 Fellow
In my opinion, one of the great failures of a formal composition education is the narrow perspective that students are provided regarding the variety of career paths available to composers. At this point in my life, I’ve earned a bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD in composition, and while I have learned so much about my own creative practice and craft in that time, I also feel like there was little to no formal advice given about the practical application of my skills. How might I go about making a living as a composer? Should I just wait for inevitable commissions to arrive, or hope that I win that coveted tenure-track position? The career path of a composer varies greatly from person to person, and perhaps my teachers (who, it should be noted, all succeeded in finding that coveted tenure-track position) were not the best people to inform me of the multitude of other careers that might be possible.
THE PATHS AHEAD
There are so many possible paths that a composer can take beyond living off large-scale commissions (the dream for many, but unsustainable for most) or finding a tenure-track job (far and few between); however, these are often the only two career options that are presented to composers. Not only does this tunnel-vision approach cause damage to composers, who can feel like they have failed if they don’t attain a certain job or get a big-name commission by a given time, but it also closes the door to so many other possible paths. It can also result in composers carrying tremendous guilt during periods of their lives when they aren’t composing or engaging with contemporary music, when in reality this kind of ebb and flow is perfectly normal. There are many careers out there that are just as rewarding, creatively stimulating, and sustainable (perhaps more so) than becoming a college professor or operating as a commissioned composer.
I have been a freelance musician for a long time, and have always cobbled together different jobs that combine composition, performance, and music administration in some way. Currently, I teach as an adjunct at Temple University, where I did my undergraduate and master’s degrees; I am a church music director at my childhood congregation; I am the founder and Executive Director for a 501c3 nonprofit called Wildflower Composers; and I am the Co-Founding Director of the Gabriela Ortiz Composing Studio with OAcademy, which is a virtual academy that awards artist diplomas. This is in addition to the occasional commission or project that will come my way, as well as some sporadic cello gigs. With perhaps the exception of the Temple job, I didn’t get any of these positions solely because of my skills as a composer. I got these positions for other reasons, like my organizational skills and desire to design a program, or my ability to improvise at the piano and be flexible within a church service. I would argue, however, that this is what the life of a professional composer can look like: balancing a few different opportunities while building personal artistry and connections.
None of these jobs technically require me to compose, and I’ll admit it can be challenging to find time to work on my own music in addition to working multiple jobs. However, these positions have provided me opportunities to grow as a composer in ways that writing alone in my room has not. Through my work with Temple, Wildflower, and OAcademy, I get to work and meet with amazing young composers and musicians who have innovative ideas and approaches to writing music. In my administrative capacity with Wildflower and OAcademy, I have learned so much about how the music industry works, and I have improved upon my ability to speak and communicate narratively and effectively. Through my church job, I get to compose each week through moments of improvisation that I have helped to build into the service (with the support of our minister) and have begun to compose new hymns that the congregation sings each week. All of this work feeds my spirit and improves my ability to be a composer that serves the music, not the idea of a certain career.
FINDING THE BALANCE
For the young composer out there who isn’t sure what the future holds: I encourage you to seek career opportunities that provide you with both a living wage and the headspace and inspiration to compose. The job that brings in your weekly paycheck doesn’t need to be related to your composing; in fact, it might benefit your composing if it was something totally separate, so that you might arrive at the blank page feeling musically refreshed. Don’t underestimate the potential of creating your own opportunities that fit the balance and lifestyle that you want.
One of my favorite moments from my residency at the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music (GLFCAM) was a discussion with Gabriela Frank, when we were speaking about our careers & hopes for the future. Gabriela said something along the lines of: “You get to decide how much or often you want to compose.” It was the first time I heard a master composer open the door to this possibility: that perhaps not everyone who wants to improve as a composer wants it to be the main focus in their lives. It was incredibly refreshing. Composing is a part of our lives, but it doesn’t have to be the focus all of the time (or even any of the time). Perhaps you will find that releasing yourself from the image of what a “composing career” looks like will make your time spent composing more enjoyable.
What does the life of a professional composer look like? You get to define what it means for you. If you are working within the music sector but you come home completely drained and without energy to compose, is that really a better option than working at a non-musical job but still having the creative drive and energy to write when you get home? You get to make that decision. Don’t waste your time wishing that your career looked like someone else’s - use that energy to build a sustainable & balanced life for yourself and your creative practice.
Erin Busch is a composer and cellist residing in Philadelphia. She has been commissioned and performed by the Composers Conference, So Percussion, the Albany (NY) Symphony, Yarn/Wire, Quartet Iris, the American Composers Forum, Pennsbury Middle Schools, the TAK Ensemble, the Amorsima Trio, Orchestra 2001, the Philadelphia Charter – A String Theory School, Matthew Levy of the PRISM Quartet, and Network for New Music, among others. Erin recently received her PhD in composition from the University of Pennsylvania with advisor Tyshawn Sorey.
Named one of Yamaha’s 40 under 40 music educators, Temple University’s 30 under 30, and Philadelphia Magazine’s 2022 “Luminary Leader,” Erin is the Founder and Executive Director of Wildflower Composers (formerly known as the Young Women Composers Camp), a 501c3 nonprofit in Philadelphia that serves female, transgender, nonbinary, and genderqueer composers. She also serves as the Director of the Gabriela Ortiz Composing Studio at OAcademy and the Director of Music Ministry at the Unitarian Universalist Church at Washington Crossing. Erin currently teaches composition at Temple University’s Boyer College of Music and Dance.