CMC Ontario and the Canadian League of Composers are pleased to present:

Woodshedding: A Series of Free Workshops for Composers and Musicians
Composing for Accordion, Double Bass and Percussion

Session I: Accordion with Kimberley Pritchard Wednesday, March 7th from 2:00-4:00pm 
Session II: Double Bass with Peter Pavlovsky Friday, March 16th from 1:00 – 3:00pm 
Session III: Percussion with Dan Morphy Wednesday, March 21st from 4:00-6:00pm

All workshops are held at Trinity St. Paul’s Centre in the Chapel/Music Room 427 Bloor Street West, Toronto (Spadina and Bloor)
All workshops are FREE to attend
For more information, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Woodshedding is a time honoured tradition, often affiliated with jazz players, where an artist practices until their technique is perfected. The Woodshedding Series will feature multiple workshops for musicians and composers that will explore extended technique for various instruments. Each workshop focuses on one instrument and is presented by a noted performer of that instrument. The dialogue and demonstrations that take place will be fun and engaging, and greatly advance the ability of a composer to write effective and accessible music for each instrument.

Rather than have a piece lay dormant on a shelf because it is too complicated and beyond the range of most musicians, the woodshedding series will consider good and bad practices when writing for an instrument. Refine your piece to be more appealing to musicians, while also exploring a wider sonic range of an instrument. The series is also helpful for musicians who want to expand their skills, and exchange ideas with fellow musicians and composers.

More about the Facilitators:

Kimberley Pritchard
Canadian concert accordionist Kimberley Pritchard has graced stages through North America and Europe. Kimberley studied under Joseph Macerollo, earning her Master’s of Music Performance from U of T, and has now carved out her own distinguished career as a solo and chamber instrumentalist. Kimberley can regularly be heard celebrating the accordion in all it can do; from the wild to the wonderful; from Bach to Queen, and anything and everything in between.

Peter Pavlovsky
An extremely versatile musician, Peter is equally at home performing with major orchestras, premiering new works of music, and recording in the studio. He currently plays Principal Bass for Toronto Philharmonia and Sinfonia Toronto, and has performed with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, and the National Ballet of Canada. He has been privileged to work with some great conductors, including Pinchas Zuckerman, Helmuth Rilling, Simon Streatfeild, and Jukka-Pekka Saraste. Peter has premiered numerous contemporary works with Arraymusic, Tapestry New Opera Works, New Music Concerts, Continuum, and Esprit Orchestra. He is fortunate to have worked personally with some of the foremost New Music composers including Mauricio Kagel, Alexander Goehr, and George Crumb.

Dan Morphy
Dan Morphy graduated from the University of Toronto and Glenn Gould School at the Royal Conservatory of Music, and now performs with some of Toronto’s most well known and respected ensembles. An avid orchestral and chamber musician, Daniel frequently performs with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Esprit Orchestra, the Evergreen Club Contemporary Gamelan, and the Big Zang Collective. Other performances include concertos with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Toronto Wind Orchestra. Dan also performs and records as a member of the percussion quartet, Torq, and can be heard on recordings from the CBC, NAXOS, Centrediscs, and TSO.

More about the CMC:
The Canadian Music Centre holds Canada's largest collection of Canadian concert music. The CMC exists to promote the works of its Associate Composers in Canada and around the world. The Centre makes available on loan over 22,000 scores and works of Canadian contemporary composers through its lending library. The CMC sells more than 1300 CD titles featuring music of its Associate Composers and other Canadian independent recording producers. The Centre also offers an on-demand publishing service, music repertoire consultations, and is easily accessible through five regional centres across Canada, as well as through its website at www.musiccentre.ca.

More about the CLC:
The Canadian League of Composers (CLC) speaks for the interests of Canada's composers. Through partnerships, advocacy and professional development, the CLC helps to strengthen the small but spread out composition community in Canada. By connecting composers with musicians, artists, presenters and the public, the CLC helps to build a supportive network that values their music. The CLC serves over 350 members from across Canada, and is governed by a National Council of 12 members representing all regions and both official languages.

ISCM Canadian Section Announcement of Selected Works for the World Music Days 2013 in Košice, Bratislava and Vienna

The ISCM (International Society for Contemporary Music) Canadian Section is pleased to announce the composers and works selected to represent Canada at the World Music Days in Košice, Bratislava and Vienna in 2013.

A committee consisting of Robert Lemay, Rose Bolton and non-voting chair Jim Hiscott met recently in Toronto and selected six works as Canada’s official submission to the international jury of the 2013 World Music Days. These works will be featured on the annual ISCM Canadian Section CD, which will be handed out to presenters and interpreters from countries around the world.

World Music Days 2013 in Košice, Bratislava and Vienna ISCM Canadian Section Selected Works (no order of preference*)

Derek Charke
Disturbances of Circadian Rhythm (flute and electronics)

Brian Harman
Supposed Spaces (orchestra)

Alice Ho 
Aeon (solo piano) 

Anna Höstman 
Pine Trees & Blue Sky (flute, clarinet, piano, percussion, violin and cello)

Anna Pidgorna
Light-play through curtain holes (solo accordion) 

Patrick Saint-Denis 
Trombe (flute and electronics)

The ISCM Canadian Section is pleased to be associated with the above works, and we look forward to hosting our selected composers at the World Music Days Festival 2013 in Košice, Bratislava and Vienna. 

For more information on ISCM activities, and on the artists and their works, please review the websites listed below and/or contact the ISCM Canadian Section representatives. 

At least one of the six works included in our national submission will be performed during the festival (the international jury can, however, select more than one of these works); we will endeavour to promote and disseminate all of these works with the hope that they will receive performances in Canada and abroad, in addition to the eventual World Music Days performance and annual ISCM Canadian Section CD printing.

Sincerely,
Jim Hiscott

Jim Hiscott, President, ISCM Canadian Section
Brian Current, Vice-President, ISCM Canadian Section

*please note that the committee identified several other high-quality works that unfortunately were not selected due to the limitations imposed on each ISCM country’s submission.

IMPORTANT Composers whose works were not selected by the Canadian Section, and composers who would still like to apply on a private basis are welcome to submit directly to the international jury (fee applies for individual submissions). Deadline for individual submissions: December 31, 2011

**For more detailed information provided by the festival organizers, visit:
ISCM WMD 2013 call for works: http://www.iscmwnmd2013.org/

Information:

For additional information specific to the ISCM Canadian Section: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

For information on the ISCM and the World Music Days 2012 visit:

http://www.iscmwnmd2013.org

www.iscm.org

www.composition.org

ISCM Canadian Section contact:
Jim Hiscott : This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
20 St. Joseph St. Toronto, ON M4Y 1J9

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts. The ISCM Canadian Section is administered by an elected Council member of the Canadian League of Composers.

October 5th, 2011

Dear Mr Laroche,

The Canadian League of Composers is writing to you today to express their concerns in regards to the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec’s recently announced new measure, which prevents composers to apply for a new development grant prior to their having submitted the final report on a previously awarded grant. We hereby express the distress of many of our Québec members, specifically in regards to the commissioning grants program. We have expressed similar concerns to the Ontario Arts Council in regards to comparable changes to their policies, as you can see by visiting our website.

We understand that in principle the new measure may seem advantageous: limiting the number of candidates per jury, thereby augmenting the candidates’ chances at receiving the financial support they are applying for. However, considering that the distribution of funds amongst the various CALQ programs is proportional to the number of applicants in each of them, the portion awarded to the commissioning grants program risks being greatly diminished with the new measure in place.

Furthermore, collaborations with ensembles, especially for larger works, require a lot of advance planning. There is a great deal of risk involved for a composer, especially one who focuses on creating new works, in not applying for grants as long in advance as possible. Also, should an applicant be successful right away in their grant application process (with advance planning), they are then penalized by their success and foresight, as they aren’t eligible to submit any further applications to the CALQ until completion of their previous commissioned work. This makes the planning of future projects impossible. For example, a composer with a work completion date in May will have to miss the April application deadline and wait for the September one, for which they will receive a response only in December, thereby paralyzing their work for two thirds of a year. In consequence, the new measure disadvantages both the more ambitious projects and the more prolific composers, creating in our view an obstruction to the creative drive and artistic effervescence, thereby going against the objectives of the CALQ.

We would be most grateful for your attention to our concerns and your efforts to find solutions. For example, in the case of the commissioning grants program, seeing as it requires more extensive planning, a requirement of an annual mid-project report could be authorized. If you wish to discuss these matters with us in person, we would be more than happy to take advantage of Brian Current’s upcoming visit to Montreal to go and meet with you on November 24th at 4pm.

In gratitude of your continued interest in the composers’ views,

Jennifer Butler
President, Canadian League of Composers

Mr. Robert Morin
Secretary General
CRTC
Ottawa ON K1A 0N2
Fax – 819 994 0218

July 5 2011

Dear Mr. Morin,

Re: Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2011-379 – License renewals for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s French- and English-language services.

The Canadian League of Composers wishes to respectfully submit this intervention on the above consultation, specifically with regards to Radio Two (2011-0288-9) and Espace Musique (2011-0286-3). As we represent a large membership, we kindly request to appear at your hearing in June 2012 so that we might advocate in greater detail than what is outlined below, and respond to any questions posed by the CRTC.

The Canadian League of Composers (CLC) was formed so that it may speak as a single voice for composers across the country. In recent years the league has flourished into a visible, active and national network currently representing professional composers of all ages and backgrounds, working in both official languages.

As both the CBC and SRC have historically championed the work of Canadian composers, we are writing in support of the application renewal. However, we would like to alert the CRTC that due to programming decisions in 2007, these radio networks are no longer providing Canadians with adequate access to substantial and detailed musical works of a non song-based nature.  Not only has this devastated the classical music community – which represents an incalculable number of musicians of all ages and backgrounds across the country – it has also deprived millions of listeners in every region of Canada access to large-scale and detailed musical works.  These compositions are not disseminated by commercial stations and concerts of these works are now largely unavailable anywhere on our airwaves or digital platforms. We hope that the CRTC will closely examine the programming decisions made by Radio Two and Espace Musique and mandate that the network revitalize its commitment to disseminating non song-based works. We believe that supporting and broadcasting pieces of this nature will help to give Canada an enduring cultural legacy, support a multimillion dollar sector, and maintain Canada’s international brand as a place where innovative ideas thrive.

What are Canadian composers writing, and why?

Canada’s composers create music for active listening that reflects the time and place in which they live. They usually do this by composing scores to be performed by classically‐trained musicians, but they also compose for instruments from many different musical traditions, such as the sitar or koto. In addition, many composers are active in the fields of electronic music and improvisation. The music itself – its textures, sounds and shapes – is usually meant to be the centre of attention. The length of time spent composing these works is typically many months, and sometimes years. Moreover, the breadth of styles is huge, reflecting the cultural mosaic that is Canada, and defies categorization.

Composers are trying to create art that withstands the tests of time and helps define who we are as Canadians, in much the same way that Canadian authors such as Margaret Atwood, Anne Hébert, Michel Tremblay and Michael Ondaatje have done. Our tradition generally takes a “long view” that will give Canada a body of great music one hundred years from now and beyond. As with the music of Beethoven, and even the works of Shakespeare, audiences may be small at first but potentially very large over the long run.

There is no single “art‐music” style. Canada’s composers produce strikingly different music from one another. This plurality is our strength as a community, and represents a genuine musical diversity. Canada’s composers and classically‐trained musicians come from nearly all cultural backgrounds of the country. It is in fact a testament to, and showcase for, Canada’s cultural mosaic when this music is brought to domestic and international stages.

Since 2007, the music described above has almost entirely disappeared from Radio Two and Espace Musique’s airwaves.  The network has systemically dismantled infrastructure that champions the creation and dissemination of large-scale and detailed non song-based works. We are not against change - in fact we applaud Radio Two and Espace Musique’s move into online platforms and their efforts to attract younger listeners – however, we have strong areas of concern regarding their vision that we hope the CRTC stringently address prior to renewing its license:

1. The restrictions imposed in 2007 to increase audience numbers are not working.

In the November, 2010 issue of The Walrus it was reported that: “Since the shift away from classical music, the audience for Radio Two was down 20 percent. Robert Rabinovitch considers this one of the places Stursberg failed, calling Radio Two “a disaster.””  Radio Two has lost its core audience, who have abandoned the network in overwhelming numbers. The plan to replace them with younger listeners - listeners drawn in by the song-based format and who remain to hear non song-format pieces - has not materialized.

2. Monostylism on the airwaves.

Radio Two states in their proposal that they now disseminate many more tracks and represent many more acts and genres. We do not believe this to be a genuine measure of success as the vast majority of these works are by nature shorter, song-based compositions.  While song-based compositions can be successful in bringing audiences to the networks (and are artistically valid in their own right), we believe that in addition to song-based music, the country is richer and culturally stronger if there is also world-class orchestral, choral, operatic, jazz, improvised, chamber and detailed electronic music available to Canadians in all regions.

While it is true that the network still plays some classical music during the day, these are mostly existing commercial recordings, rather than those of live concerts, which foster the creativity and growth of the sector. Many of these recordings are those often found on commercial stations, rather than the edgier and more contemporary music described above, which we believe is of more interest to younger listeners.

The League of Composers is grateful to the Radio Two for providing the online station devoted to contemporary concert music, as this has been helpful for the visibility of our membership. Unfortunately, the station is only able to broadcast existing commercial recordings, which is very different from the recordings of live concerts that promote the growth of the art both across Canada and abroad.

3. Impact on music education.
While we applaud Radio Two and Espace Musique’s desire to attract younger listeners, we believe that young listeners are fully able to appreciate substantial and large-scale works of a non song-based nature. The high level of musicianship attracted by youth orchestras and choirs across the country, as well as the success of youth programs such as those run by the Toronto Symphony and the Canadian Opera Company are good examples.  Innumerable children across the country are encouraged to take music lessons on piano and orchestral instruments, but now they cannot hear what world-class Canadian musicians have achieved on those very same instruments.  

4. International exposure
Canadian composers are at a disadvantage internationally, as nearly all developed nations have specialized departments in place within public radio departments that support and champion their composers.  As the online radio audience is becoming global, with listeners tuning in regardless of national or geographic borders, Canadian composers have dramatically less presence than our peers in other countries.

Suggested Remedies:

We respectfully request that prior to renewing the licence of Radio Two and Espace Musique, the CRTC review the network’s programming priorities, and do whatever is in its power to mandate the following:

1. That Radio Two and Espace Musique commit to recording, promoting and disseminating in all its platforms: excellent, new and substantial non song-based works for symphony orchestra, opera, chamber ensemble, choir and electronic media. 
   
   
2. That Radio Two and Espace Musique identify and encourage contributions by producers with a knowledge and passion for the work of Canada’s composers who create music of a non song-based format.
   
   
3. That where possible, Radio Two and Espace Musique continue its long tradition of identifying and promoting emerging Canadian composers.  
   
   
4. Seek to commission or partner in the commissioning of large scale and substantial musical works.
   
   

We thank you for your attention, and respectfully look forward to representing our intervention in person at the public hearing in the National Capitol in June, 2012.

Yours sincerely,

Brian Current, 
Advocacy chair, National Council, Canadian League of Composers

Jennifer Butler,
President, Canadian League of Composers

Billyann Balay
Director of Granting Programs
Ontario Arts Council
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
151 Bloor Street West 5th floor
Toronto, ON  M5S 1T6

Dear Billyann,

On behalf of the Canadian League of Composers, please accept our thanks for the OAC’s continued support of Ontario’s composers and ensembles. At our national meetings, the OACmusic office, and David Parsons in particular, is often held up as a shining example to other councils for the knowledge, efficiency, and dedication you bring to fulfilling the OAC’s mission and goals.

The Canadian League of Composers (CLC) was formed so that it may speak as a single voice for composers across the country. In recent years the CLC has flourished into a visible, active and national network currently representing nearly 400 professional composers. Roughly 130 members work in Ontario, and we are proud that a great many of our members are considered to be at the emerging level.

We are writing to draw your attention to the recently announced restrictions in the spring edition of Arts Connect, specifically that “as of September 2011, OAC project grant recipients must submit their final report on their previous grant prior to applying again to that grant program. This will help to ensure that a growing pool of artists has access to OAC’s project programs. The policy change will be consistent across all OAC programs.”

While we applaud your goal of supporting emerging artists, we would like to respectfully express our surprise and strong opposition to the proposed restrictions outlined above. In particular, we are concerned that there are serious unintended consequences to the proposed policy changes that will substantially undermine music composition in Ontario.

The purpose of this letter, therefore, is to describe the implications of the restrictions of the proposed change on the ground, and to propose some recommendations that we believe will serve the purpose of allowing greater access to programs, without undermining the capacity of composers to pursue excellence in their work.

Areas of Concern

A bias against large-scale works
The proposed restrictions will immediately create a culture of hastily written music. Many Ontario composers, both emerging and established, are trying to build significant works that withstand the tests of time. Often these are very detailed compositions for symphony orchestras or large ensembles that generally take from eight months to a year to compose or even longer. The pieces get better when there is time to go back and rework, and then rework again. In the case of opera and other large-scale music theatre projects, the time-frame is even longer considering the need for planning and fundraising. Under the suggested restrictions, very few composers would be able to afford to undertake a project that would remove them from the granting program for such a long period of time.

It is suggested in the newsletter that one goal of the proposed restriction is to allow more artists to access the program since composers working on larger-scale pieces would absent themselves from the subsequent deadline. However, the financial reality is that most composers cannot afford to skip even one application round. By consequence, rather than abstaining from the application round, the same pool of composers would be compelled to submit a hastily written, poorer quality piece to meet the deadline. Emerging artists would compete against the same candidates, while the level of excellence and overall quality of music in Ontario is likely to decline.

Long-term planning becomes impossible

The inflexibility imposed by the new restrictions will also affect both composers’ and ensembles’ ability to plan future seasons. Ontario’s composers, both emerging and established, need to be able to plan their writing schedule at least one, if not two seasons in advance to coincide with the advance planning of orchestras, choirs and ensembles.

Under the proposed restrictions an emerging composer with a proposal from an orchestra would have to plan all his/her pieces around the arbitrary start and end dates a year in advance and hope that the grant is successful. If it is unsuccessful they will have blocked off that time and refused other proposals unnecessarily.

Moreover, larger ensembles, orchestras and opera companies rely upon OAC commissioning grants as leverage to help fundraise for the commissioning and production budgets required to produce ambitious, world-class new work. The proposed restrictions severely compromise timelines, access to composers, and the ability to hire the best artists, which are fundamental to making new works successful.

The restrictions amount to a 50% cut to composers

The most serious consequence to the proposed restrictions is that for those who cannot meet the short-term deadlines, it amounts to a 50% cut to both emerging and established composers who have built a career based on the excellence of their work. This is a major shift in OAC policy that did not receive adequate public scrutiny and review. Moreover, such a decision seriously undermines a fundamental goal of the 2008-2013 Strategic Plan, which aims to create an environment where the “lives, careers, and work of individual artists can truly flourish”. 

Suggested Remedial Measures

The CLC greatly appreciates the effort to see greater support to emerging talent. We at the CLC are certainly in agreement that it is troubling that more emerging composers are not successful in the OAC commissioning program. Although the program is open to emerging composers and juries are often favourable towards young talent, it can be difficult without specific support to develop a competitive portfolio or name recognition. Emerging composers have also recently lost the CBC Young Composers Competition, which in the past has helped to identify upcoming talent. To address this issue, without compromising the ability of composers to sustain their careers over the long-term, the League would like to put forward the following recommendations:

Initiate an Emerging Composer category within the OAC commissioning program, much like that which exists within visual arts.

Such a category could mandate that at least 3 out of 15 successful awards are designated for emerging composers. This would certainly be within our mandate to advocate for the work of composers at all levels. Such a competition would support accessibility to the program without seriously punishing the excellence of mid-career composers, and make the category workable for both creators and ensembles.

Offer composers in the classical category a window of up to two years from the announcement of the results to complete their projects, while still being able to apply to the program.

This will offer the flexibility not only to plan writing schedules in advance, but also the necessary time to complete works as required. In this context, Ontario composers will not shy away from creating large-scale and substantial works. In addition, we suggest that special accommodations be continued for opera or theatre works, due to the years required for development and fundraising. There is currently an effective provision for this in the commission guidelines and we hope that it can remain.

We are very grateful to David Parsons for his offer to meet with Ontario members of the League to discuss this possibility further. We have wide consultation in the community in both official languages, and are happy to provide ideas from them as to how to move forward in sustainable way.

In closing, we certainly understand that the OAC would like to be consistent in its mandate across all its programs. However, it is important to recognize that each practice must be supported according to its fundamental needs, and that a one-size-fits-all ruling can be detrimental to the OAC’s fundamental mission and goals.

We very much appreciate your attention to our requests, and welcome a further conversation at your convenience. The elected Ontario councillors to our National Council are Robert Lemay, Gayle Young, Brian Current and James Rolfe. Myself, and each of them, are available to your office, or David Parsons, should you require any additional feedback from the community. We respectfully request a reply in timely manner, and look forward to continuing our important relationship.

Forward in music!

Yours sincerely,

Jennifer Butler

President, Canadian League of Composers

All are welcome to our special anniversary events:

Friday May 13th

8PM:  Esprit Orchestra’s New Wave Festival Concert

Fleck  Dance Theatre, Harbourfront Centre, 207 Queens Quay West

Featuring works by the CLC’s 60th anniversary competition winners, John Rea and and Farshid Samandari

followed by a post-concert CLC Awards Reception

for the winners of the 60th Anniversary Composition Competition, the Student Composition Prize (co-presented with the Canadian University Music Society), the Friends of Canadian Music Award for Lifetime Achievement in Canadian Music Scholarship, and the 2011 Friends of Canadian Music Award (co-presented by the Canadian Music Centre)

Saturday May 14th

3:30PM to 5:45PM: Keynote Address and Panel – Our Native Song

Room 330, Edward Johnson Building, Faculty of Music, University of Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park Crescent

Featuring as guest speaker the composer, performer, and professor Glenn Buhr, followed by discussion with composer-performers Jennifer Butler, Brian Current, André Ristic, and Gayle Young, and moderated by Alan Stanbridge, Professor of Visual and Performing Arts at the University of Toronto

Sunday May 15th

12:00 to 2:30PM: CLC Annual General Meeting

Chalmers House, 20 St. Joseph St.

5:00 to 7:00PM: “A 60th Toast to the CLC”

Chalmers House, 20 St. Joseph St.

A celebratory reception hosted by the Canadian Music Centre