“A new contemporary music ensemble is born every 5.6 seconds,” writes Sugar Vendil on Thursday (5/15) at NewMusicBox.org. “This is not true because I made it up. But doesn’t it feel like it sometimes? Conservatories have tuned into this trend … [and] launched music entrepreneurship programs in recent years. I would have loved these programs to have existed when I was an undergrad…. I probably would have started The Nouveau Classical Project sooner and with fewer growing pains…. But I’m wondering if anyone is asking: should you start another new music ensemble? … Consider that our industry is saturated, audiences are small, and funding is limited.… Can you answer these questions: Why am I doing this? What is unique about my ensemble? Who is my target audience? Am I prepared to spend the time and money I need to get this done? Am I willing to do this for the next ten years? It’s a long game. It’s going to be a while before you draw a salary.… These are the questions I’ve found to be relevant to my experience with NCP over the past six years. It’s true that you don’t know until you try, but some thoughtful questions like these might provide a clearer direction for your artistic endeavor.”
Posted May 20, 2014
