American Composers Forum

CHAPTER SPOTLIGHT
San Francisco Bay Area

A note from Chapter Director Tod Brody:

The San Francisco Bay Area Chapter has been in existence for six years now. I've served as its director for the past two and a half - and believe me, it's a job and a half. At times it can be exasperating, but all in all, it's been both an instructive and rewarding experience. I love the flexibility of the Forum's organization and how its mission takes us into many unexpected places and communities. I've cherished the relationships and connections I've made with composers, performers, other administrators, and funding organizations. Together, we're doing good work here and filling a real need in creative ways.

Here is an overview of the past year in the Bay Area, starting with some new programs and projects launched in the fall of 2002. My report covers a lot of ground -- our chapter currently has no fewer than eight separate programs either up and running, or in development.

My deepest thanks to those who have helped me: our Bay Area composers, especially those who have participated in chapter programs and as peer reviewers; our partner organizations; my fellow chapter directors across the country, who are a constant source of support, strength, and knowledge; our local Bay Area chapter board; and the Forum's national board and staff.

Serving Composers

October saw the launch of our new Composers Workshop program - a series of workshops geared toward composers, demonstrating and exploring advanced instrumental and vocal techniques. We were fortunate to have as our inaugural artist the world-renowned composer, flutist, teacher, author, and inventor Robert Dick. Over the course of the three-hour workshop hosted by the San Francisco Ballet, he covered topics ranging from the economic and political challenges of composing to technical instructions on how to get the most out of the flute. In a talk generously illustrated with demonstration and performance, he enthralled an audience of about 45, mostly composers, with a smattering of flutists.

The Composers Workshop series continued later in the season with two events hosted by San Francisco State University. January's session featured cellist/composer and contemporary music specialist Hugh Livingston; in April, we enjoyed an informative session with multi-percussionist Daniel Kennedy.

This year also saw the Bay Area launch of Subito, the Forum's quick-turnaround granting program for composers. The application process is simple and the turnaround time is 4-5 weeks. Originally piloted in Los Angeles, the program is now available to composers in northern California, thanks to funding from the James Irvine Foundation. We were fortunate, in launching this program, to be able to consult with Los Angeles Chapter Director Heidi Lesemann and her assistant Karl Montevirgen, who were both very generous in sharing their experience and expertise. As of this writing, Subito has now funded 19 projects in the Bay Area, with two more rounds of funding to go in 2003. These projects have run the gamut from film music to electronic music to chamber opera and music theater works.

Much of the chapter's work is project-oriented, but some of the most practical and important work we do is in personal service to composers: making connections, giving advice, and publicizing events and opportunities. The chapter's e-mail list of about 600 composers and new-music fans has become a great resource in the community; during the past year, we sent out over 300 messages ranging from concert notices and composer opportunities to people looking for copyists, lyricists, or jobs.

Engaging Communities

Ten new Bay Area Community Partnership Projects were funded in 2003. Again, a wide range of projects and partners demonstrated what a strong need this program fulfills. Grantees included New Music Bay Area, for its wonderful Garden of Memory performances at Julia Morgan's spectacular columbarium, Chapel of the Chimes, in Oakland; San Francisco's Punk Rock Orchestra, to support original compositions for this unique ensemble; and SHIFT>>>Physical Theater for composer Jess Rowland with choreographer Manuelito Biag, to support their full-length show Giving Strength to the Fragile Tongue, performed at ODC Theater in San Francisco this year.

Last October our long-running Composer in the Schools (CITS) program chose Dr. William Beck for a residency at San Francisco's Lowell High School. Both faculty and students at the host school were invited to give their input in the selection process and sit on the interview panel. Dr. Beck is on the music faculty at UC Davis, and has previously worked with high school students from the Sacramento Youth Symphony. He has a particular interest in electronic and electro-acoustic music.

Our chapter has recently received funding from the San Francisco Foundation to support the development and piloting of a new branch of the CITS program, which would adapt the curriculum to make it suitable for students in low-income schools without well-developed music programs. We are currently in discussions with several prospective host schools, and will begin program development this fall.

The chapter is working with an Alameda County-based homeless services organization called BOSS (Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency) to develop a composer residency. The selected composer will spend time in BOSS's various facilities and create a work based on the experiences of BOSS's clients.

Enriching the Arts

In partnership with the Community Music Center in San Francisco, the chapter has developed a pilot residency program entitled Music for People to Play, which will place composers in residence with amateur chamber musicians. The goal is to create music of high artistic value, but designed to be playable by amateurs. The idea came from the Forum's Faith Partners program, which reconnects composers to churches, synagogues, and faith-based constituencies. Historically, that connection was a mainstay of many composers' careers. Similarly, in previous centuries, new music that ordinary people could buy and play at home was a part of everyday life, and an important source of income and audiences for composers. The increasing complexity and technical difficulty of most contemporary music has severed that traditional link.

Our Music for People to Play pilot program aims to contribute to the repertoire of high-quality contemporary music that can be performed and enjoyed by amateur musicians. We are in the process of seeking funding dedicated to this project.

Another new program that the chapter has been developing is the New Music Theater Project (NMTP), in which the chapter will collaborate with the San Francisco Opera Center, the Playwrights Foundation, and a major theatrical presenter. NMTP will produce workshops designed to foster teams of writers, composers, and performers in the production of new musical works for the stage; public showcases of the work will give these artists a chance to put the work in front of producers and presenters.

This project is spearheaded by Forum member Clark Suprynowicz, a composer who participated in an earlier version of this program at Z-Space studios.

Making It Work

Each of the Forum's chapters is in the process of transforming itself into a self-governing, self-sustaining body, in a charter relationship with the national organization. Here in the Bay Area, we have enjoyed financial self-sufficiency since the chapter's inception, so our challenge has been in developing a governance structure. We're working on building a strong, diverse, and effective local board, pursuing our tax-exempt status, and creating local structures for fiscal and operational management. We have been working closely with other chapter directors and with the national staff and board to craft an effective and flexible charter, so that the Bay Area Chapter can continue to serve as an exemplar of the Forum's mission in action.