Some Thoughts on How to Commission Music

An overview of the process:

  1. Consider why you want to commission.
  2. Decide who will select the composer.
  3. Determine your budget.
  4. Establish your deadline to receive the finished work.
  5. Lay out your performing forces.
  6. Observe your performance space.
  7. Ponder the type of work you want.
    1. What performance forces do you want to use?
    2. Do you want/need to hire additional performers?
    3. Who will select the text, if there is one, and secure permission to use it?
  8. Prepare a list of possible composers.
  9. Scrutinize the list, contact some composers, listen to their music, and converse with them.
  10. Select and contract the composer.
  11. Touch base.

Some detailed thoughts on the process:

1. Consider why should you commission a new work of music. Many reasons are given by those who commission music on a regular basis. Your reason may influence how much money you want to spend, the type of work you commission, the performing forces you employ, and the selection of a composer.
Following are a few of the reasons often cited for commissioning a piece of music:
-to honor and highlight a specific event ...


-to honor a person at a special time ...
-to bring awareness to a moral or political issue ...
-to teach a specific theology ...
-to foster new music in the world.

2. Decide who will select the composer. Will this be done by an individual or a committee? Form the committee now if one is needed.

3. Determine your budget. Consider both income sources and expenses.
What are your potential sources for funding? Sources to consider include ...
your budget
personal donations from ... persons with a similar interest, members of a church choir or a Sunday School class, Board of Directors, relatives of an honoree.
memorial funds
corporate donations ... within the community, from connections outside the community.
grants from Arts Councils ... state arts councils, National Endowment for the Arts.
Then consider the various expenses concerned with the commission.
hiring performing artists, if any,
music copying,
publicity,
room rental,
transportation for the composer to attend the premiere.

4. Establish your deadline to receive the music. Be sure to include sufficient time for the performers to prepare the work and time for copies of the music to be made.

5. Lay out your performing forces. Has the individual or group to perform the commissioned work already been selected? You must know your performing forces before the composer can write a note. However, talking with the composer can help you finalize the forces you wish to use. Some options of performers to consider:
orchestra,
choir, adult, children, professional or amateur,
accompanying instrument(s) need to be considered,
vocal soloist,
pianist,
organist,
instrumental soloist,
instrumental ensemble ...
flute choir,
woodwind quartet or quintet,
instrumental duo,
brass ensemble,
jazz band,
narrator combined with any of the above forces.

6. Observe your performance space. Is it acoustically alive? Will it hold the performing forces you wish to use? Do you have access to the instruments you want? Does it allow for or invite the use of dancers?

7. Using your budget and performing forces, ponder the type of work you wish to commission. Even a small budget can accommodate some type of work. If you have a large budget, you have a large selection of types of music. But small budgets have options too.
Commissioning possibilities for a small budget ...
introit (call to worship) for soloist or choir,
benediction response for soloist or choir,
prayer response,
short vocal or choral reflection on the theme of the event,
trumpet fanfare.
Possibilities for slightly larger budgets can include ...
sung communion setting,
sung baptismal setting,
organ work, short,
piano work, short,
choral anthem, short, with or without keyboard,
hymn tune for an existing text.
Larger works include ...
anthems for one or more choirs and added instruments,
set of choral pieces,
set of vocal solos or a song cycle,
orchestral works of any size,
instrumental ensemble works.

7a. What performing forces do you want to use?

7b. Do you want or need to hire additional performers?

7c. If commissioning a work with text, who will select the text, the commissioning body or the composer? Who will be responsible for gaining permission to use the text if it is covered by copyright?

8. Prepare a list of possible composers. Perhaps you already have someone in mind. If so, you are probably ready to contact them. Consider composers whose works you know you like. If you need to search for a composer, you can do an internet search. Get recommendations from people who have commissioned. Talk to local performing groups or churches to find people who have commissioned. Once you start looking, you will find more composers than you want to research! Several factors to consider ...
Are you interested in supporting an unknown composer?
Do you want a composer with a national or international reputation?
Are you looking for specific qualities in their music .... traditional, contemporary, avante garde, pop, neoclassical?

9. Scrutinize the music of your potential composers and converse with them. This is quite important. They may not have written for your particular circumstances, so you need to hear their music to see if they can meet your needs. Appreciating their music is important. Think beyond your initial impression. Sometimes good music grows on you. You might want something that is a challenge to your audience. Does the music have qualities that meet your needs? Composers will generally be happy to send recordings or MP3 files of their music for you to hear.

Narrow your list of composers and consult with one or more. See if their time framework can meet your deadline. See if you can communicate well. Discuss fees and negotiate changes in your project to make the fee workable, if necessary.

10. Select and contract the composer. Draw up a contract that spells out the terms to which you have agreed. A clear contract can prevent trouble down the road. It is protection for both the hiring agency and the composer. Be sure that each of you has a copy signed by both of you.

11. Touch base. Maintain contact with the composer to see if problems arise, or if new items enter your thinking. At the same time, don’t distract the composer with too much contact or guidance. Composers need a free hand, but there is a also a collaborative element to a commission and the dialogue involved in the process can help the work be much stronger for your needs.