What Composers Really Do--Fundraising Day #2

Let's talk about what composers really do for a living. Very few of us will ever have the opportunity to write professionally for a living. There are probably 1,000-2,000 composers in the country who write avant-garde music. Of that number, I would be surprised if 100 make any sort of money from their music. Of the 100 who do make any money, I would guess that maybe 3-4 specifically compose for a living. Most of us make our money doing other things. 


Many composers have made a living doing other things. I've taught at the University of Utah for three years and have another two years of teaching at the University of Iowa under my belt. At the U. of Utah, I have taught Theory I, II, III & Musicianship I, II, III, & IV. This semester, I have really tried to make myself into a master teacher. I really enjoy my Musicianship II class. They are a bright section of students and they laugh at all of my lame jokes.


I also have developed my skills as a writer. I work part-time for a company called High Performance Tutoring, LLC. We tutor all age groups. I am our music theory tutor. I also write content for our site, blog, manage our social media, and tutor writing. You can guess that the demand for music theory tutoring is almost zero. 


What else do I do? I offer my services as a freelance writer. I write for a few online companies and offer my support on Craigslist. I have also done iPad programming for the University of Utah Pain Research Center. I made an app that would have been used in a drug study. However, the drug company pulled out at the last minute. I made a good deal of money and learned an exciting new skill set.


You never go into music to do money. You have to be passionate. You have to love people. You have to network with people to get your music played. If it weren't for people, you would never get to hear your music. It's a very special moment when a composer and performer are brought together for a performance of a new piece of music. Sometimes, it only happens once. When you get a chance to have your music played, you should monopolize upon that.