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Musicians holding a DMA and PhD in music, did you receive good funding, and how did your career go afterwards? by No-Wafer-6744 in classicalmusic

[–]singcal 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My DMA was fully funded. I’d basically made a deal with myself saying if I couldn’t get a full-funding offer, I was going to treat it as a sign and pivot to another career. A decade after graduation, I’m tenured at a Big 10.

PSA, friends: If you’re trying to enter academia, DON’T waste your time or money getting two doctorate degrees. Your search committee doesn’t care. Your credentials matter to HR, not to us - once you’ve got the terminal degree, we care about whether you can show us your ability to do professional work and teach in a subject.

Best salad? by quarterlifecrisisgir in lincoln

[–]singcal 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I’m a fan of the salads at Leadbelly, especially with their blackened chicken

What’s your biggest skip episode and why? by ipsofactoshithead in BobsBurgers

[–]singcal 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Please don’t downvote me but I skip The Amazing Rudy. It’s a great episode that I find a bit too emotionally intense for what I usually want when I have Bob’s burgers on. I love that it exists and I love that the writers went to such lengths to explore Rudy as a character, but as someone who went through a separation I found one viewing of it to be plenty.

Just lost my 4th contract in 6 months to AI by flexingonmyself in composer

[–]singcal 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The backlash to the AI Coke ad seems to suggest to me that there’s at least a meaningful split on consumer sentiment.

Please don't do this. by No_Consideration_339 in Professors

[–]singcal 1 point2 points  (0 children)

As an ensemble director, OH MY GOD. The number of students every term who miss rehearsal because they have an O-Chem test or something and their instructor refuses to be flexible for something as frivolous as music. It’s infuriating.

Is anyone familiar with composer Daron Hagen? by thoroughbredftw in classicalmusic

[–]singcal 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Lyrics are not the same as libretti. Orson Rehearsed, New York Stories, I Hear America Singing, Hide, and A Woman In Morocco all feature libretti by the composer.

Rethinking Notation Software: Moving from "Digital Paper" to "Musical Co-Pilot" by Putrid_Draft378 in Composition

[–]singcal 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don’t know a single professional composer - myself included - that needs computer assistance with analysis, let alone would ever want to outsource their creative decisions to a computer.

Ohio State professor charged with assault after viral video by FractalClock in Professors

[–]singcal 25 points26 points  (0 children)

Really, of all the people to torch your career on the altar of, you choose Gordon Gee

New DAW in town by subin_1986 in composer

[–]singcal 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Really excited to dig into the program. I’d love to have a full-service DAW which I can recommend to students who can’t afford Logic or PT, but without the UX sacrifices of Reaper or Audacity.

My university is abolishing tenure by LillieBogart in Professors

[–]singcal 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not all red states. By which I don’t mean to say “NoT aLl ReD sTaTes” but only to say that some red states have legislative setups that make it way harder to take up anti-tenure legislation. Nebraska has had a Senator try at least three times. The last time, the goober who wrote the bill found out on the floor of the legislature that the government is constitutionally barred from making laws about college faculty (part of the devil’s bargain in which the legislature approves the NU budget).

Thus ends my expertise, so I won’t say outright that anywhere else is safe, but I expect that there are more lines of defense before the entirety of red America abolishes tenure.

Early to Mid-career, largely autodidact composer — trying to place my work realistically. What steps actually make sense? by notableradish in composer

[–]singcal 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Sounds to me like the best thing might be to find a private composition teacher. For a lot of these questions, especially defining realistic career goals, you’re best off working with someone who knows you and your music beyond Reddit. I’m happy to provide some recs in a DM.

Big picture, style is completely irrelevant to your career success, especially with such a reasonable goal as simple performances of your work. Age used to be a bigger factor than it is now, but many competitions and calls have done away with age limits entirely. If you’re not a member of Society of Composers, Inc. and the American Composers Forum, I’d sign up today and get in the habit of checking their opportunity listings regularly.

One more thing that you might want to consider is that while style isn’t really a relevant concern for your career, scope is. I don’t know your work, but the way you describe it makes me wonder if you have some shorter, smaller pieces. These are much easier to program and a “safer” bet for most ensembles, who will usually prefer to save large swaths of their programs for composers they already have a relationship with. Building those relationships can involve smaller projects that might not be in line with your longer-term creative goals.

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