This engagement of Fifth House Ensemble is made possible through the ArtsCONNECT program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Day 1 Schedule

2-3 PM ET: The Gainfully Employed Composer, Workshop

This workshop is all about the composer’s toolbox: sure you know how to compose a great motet, but how do you run a successful business and home studio? Covering topics from the best equipment and software to invest in, to passive income strategies for sales and rentals as a self-published composer, these are the “nuts and bolts” that keep your business running smoothly.

Populated by various case studies of both emerging and established composers who inhabit diverse genders and genres, this workshop also sketches out the variety of related employable skills such as music engraving, audio recording, and web design acumen which can become part of the modern composer’s “portfolio” career. We’ll also trace what professional advancement looks like in terms of growth and income streams for composers building any permutation of entrepreneurial, academic, fine arts, and commercial music careers.

3:30-4:30 PM ET: Creating Compositions with Community, Workshop

Composing all alone is fine and all, but what about designing projects in collaboration with a community? This workshop explores the exciting world of public practice art, and the skills composers need to weave musical creation into engaging events for communities as diverse as students, non-arts cultural organizations, or vulnerable populations such as the homeless and incarcerated youth. While composers are often cast as the heroes of classical music, designing musical projects with and for the community requires a shift in defining the arts as a form of service; a shift which likewise requires new skills in guiding group improvisations, activities, musical games, and how to program in dialogue with your audience. Learning how to hold space for others most different than ourselves can be the most inspiring part of a composer’s work!

6 PM ET: Stream of Fresh Voices Performance

This program features pieces by women composers from 5HE’s Fresh Inc Festival, including Becky Turro, Patricia Wallinga, Chelsea Komschlies, Ayanna Woods, Jordyn Davis, Karalyn Schubring, Alex Temple, Rene Orth, and Daixuan Ai.