At NewMusicBox on Wednesday (6/5), composer and pianist Bill Doerrfeld writes, “Ageism is very much alive in the emerging composer arena. In short, once you get to a certain age, you’re considered too old to tango.” Doerrfeld reviewed a variety of opportunities for composers using the ComposersSite.com database as published from November 2012 through mid-April 2013. “Of these 165 opportunities, 35% are restricted to composers at or below the age of 40…. Of all the opportunities, there is merely one which is available only to people older than age 40 and that is the Composers Concordance Annual ‘Generations’ Concert and Composition Competition which provides one division for composers over age 65. That same competition… also has a division exclusively for composers under the age of 25…. Ageism most definitely exists in other professions and in some it makes perfect sense. This is why you don’t see many professional baseball players over age 40. But in arts and letters, ageism really doesn’t make sense, even though it is rampant across virtually all music disciplines…. Why should there be any obstacles based on age for someone choosing a career path, in particularly a path where maturity and experience can bring a lot to the table, such as with music composition?”
Posted June 7, 2013
