The Evan Erickson Music “2024 Call for Scores”
Now entering its 4th year, the Evan Erickson Music “2024 Call for Scores” initiative aims to provide for a community of composers who are lacking the resources to hear their music performed by real performers. These composers are often overlooked for a multitude of reasons:
They lack access to a dedicated music education because of their geographical location
Their financial situation has made going to music school or hiring performers impossible
They are self-taught
Disabilities and luck have made it difficult to meet performers
Considering a career in music did not align with their life path, but they still have music in their heart
Etc.
In order to provide unknown composers with great prizes, give exposure, and allow their music be brought to life by real instruments, this opportunity is seeking composers from anywhere in the world who have heard no more than 5 of their pieces premiered across their life to submit (not including self-performed premieres). Please contact Evan at evanericksonmusic@gmail.com if you do not meet this requirement, but you still feel you deserve consideration for this opportunity.
A $5 to $10 donation (or what you can afford) is STRONGLY requested along with your application to support the project’s longevity for years to come, allow Evan to continue presenting the opportunity at national conferences to inspire more performers to create opportunities like this, and cover administrative costs (e.g. Evan’s time judging every entry, website costs, fiscal sponsorship fees). But, there is no entry fee so nobody applying is left out or discouraged from applying.
Most composition opportunities and competitions that show up are specifically aimed at finding “the best” composers to commission, which limits so many talented voices around the world from simply experiencing the joy of hearing their music performed. Just because they might not be as privileged as a student at a top United States conservatory, it does not mean their voice does not deserve to be heard and recognized. More resources need to be invested in cultivating interest from early-career composers, and this opportunity has been a platform in finding composers from all sorts of unique backgrounds who have heard few to none of their pieces ever performed live (e.g. a composer with no music education working at Target, an ex-industrial engineer who experienced a health crisis pushing them out of their career entirely, a retired IT worker…).
Since starting in 2021, this initiative has been able to help 14 composers (1/2 of them representing non-US countries) receive one of, if not, their first-ever composition premieres. The opportunity has received roughly 400 submissions from deserving, unknown composers representing more than 50 countries around the world. Please do not be discouraged to submit if you are eligible - Evan wants to review all entries to find deserving composers to work with.
3 composers will be selected to receive the following prizes:
$400 paid commission to compose a new 5-10 minute work (length can be discussed) for solo EFX clarinet (clarinet and guitar FX pedals)
Along with the opportunity to write a 1-2 minute etude experimenting with the EFX clarinet to receive a recording and feedback by Chris Mothersole prior to writing the commissioned work
Each work will receive a performance and studio recording in Spring 2025 in Memphis, Tennessee. All works will be applied to an international conference with aims to give more exposure to the selected composers. Travel to Memphis is not required
Premiere performance of the commissioned piece by professional clarinetist Chris Mothersole (sponsored by Royal Global and Brian Corbin Clarinet Products)
Professionally recorded and mastered track of the commissioned piece for the “2024 Call for Scores” compilation album
Professional engraving of the commissioned piece by Evan Erickson
Sponsored by Dorico, a copy of Dorico Pro 5 ($579) will be provided. *If a winner already has Dorico, this prize will be given to runner-ups to give them access to further resources for their composing
Sponsored by Wallander Instruments, a copy of Noteperformer 4 ($129) will be provided. *If a winner already has Noteperformer, this prize will be given to runner-ups to give them access to further resources for their composing
Click here to apply! Scroll down for more information, application guidelines, judging timeline, and EFX Clarinet information.
Important Information:
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THIS OPPORTUNITY IS NOT SEEKING WORKS FROM ESTABLISHED COMPOSERS OR THOSE IN DEGREE PROGRAMS / SITUATIONS AFFORDING THEM AMPLE OPPORTUNITY FOR PERFORMANCES OF THEIR MUSIC.
Please reflect inward on what privileges you have been afforded in your music life, and please reach out to Evan directly if you have any questions on if you qualify to be considered. Evan wishes he could help every composer that applies, but resources require this opportunity to still be handled as a selective competition.
Composers will be submitting the following for their application:
Submit two excerpts of your music that best demonstrates your musical voice (each excerpt should be maximum 5-minutes)
Score format: Name of Piece -Excerpt #1 - Score.pdf
Audio format (if audio is available): Name of Piece - Excerpt #1 - Audio.mp3
There will be a text box for you to state the measure numbers and times your excerpts cover
A 500-word maximum essay highlighting some of the following:
Why are you applying to this opportunity / why are you compelled to it?
What is your story?
Why have you had difficulty hearing your music performed?
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SUBMISSIONS OPEN: April 15th, 2024
DEADLINE: June 16th, 2024 at 11:59PM CST
RESULTS: Early August, 2024
EFX Clarinet Information Webinar: Late August, 2024. Event will be recorded and archived on Evan’s channel. REGISTER HERE
For Selected Composers
ETUDES DUE: September 8th, 2024
FIRST DRAFTS DUE: November 1st, 2024
- First drafts of the solo EFX work by the winning composers will be due for Chris Mothersole to look through and learn for a reading session of the works. This will be recorded to give a sense of how the works come together (along with comments by the performer)FINAL DRAFTS DUE: December 8th, 2024
- Finished works will be delivered on this date so the performer can begin learning the music, and so the engraver can begin the engraving process. Each work will receive a performance and studio recording in Spring 2025 in Memphis, Tennessee. All works will be applied to an international conference with aims to give more exposure to the selected composers. -
Three rounds of judging will take place for the competition:
Round 1:
The 1st round of judging will be done by Evan alone to narrow down entries. All submitted materials will be reviewed. Please do not expect feedback on your submission. The submission pool will be brought down to 20-30 applications to be reviewed in the 2nd round.
Round 2 (Semi-Final):
Professional Guest Judges - Viet Cuong & Jenni Brandon
The judges above will grade the 20-30 applications based on a rubric. This round will be based solely on the music submissions, not including the essays. Scores given by all of the judges will be compiled and the applicant pool will be narrowed down to 5-10 finalists for the 3rd round.
*Jenni Brandon has offered her time in providing comments for the semi-finalists!Round 3 (Final):
Judges - Evan Erickson & Chris Mothersole
The 5-10 finalists’ applications will be reviewed in full by the judges above in order to choose the three winners for the listed prizes, along with 2 honorary mentions.
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My initiative for new music and providing opportunities for this niche in the composition landscape comes from my personal experience of nearly being unable to pursue a degree in music. I was on track to quit music for good due to being a first generation student unable to afford a degree outside of my state. I was beginning to look into any other career path because I believed there was no space for me in music. Luckily, the world saw other plans for me, but I know there are countless circumstances where amazing musicians were not given the right cards to further pursue their dreams. This can make it extremely difficult for some composers to meet real performers or build a career in this cut-throat field that seems to only ever want to give resources to “the best” musicians. On top of this, there have been many people submitting who only just started to compose in their 60s after already fulfilling a long (and unrelated) career path! There are so many people at the start of their composing careers just looking to hear their music played, and it is my hope to provide exciting and inspiring opportunities for these composers. I want to use my privilege to give back to the world as much as I can.
Due to the nature of competition and the resources I have available, I cannot provide for the entire community of composers that deserves access to my opportunity. At the least, my goal is to make submitting composers excited that there is someone looking out for them, and I want to be a reason that composers continue to keep writing and know they are being listened to. While not required, many people write brand new works to submit just to this opportunity, which is so beneficial to the growth of a composer! Every new piece written allows you to refine your ideas, learn your composing process further, and interact with new timbres you have not yet explored. For this reason, I hope nobody feels their submission is a waste of time. I appreciate everyone’s efforts and I deeply enjoy connecting with and hearing all of the wonderful music that is submitted to me. Last year, I received 221 entries that I holistically reviewed by myself. For this reason, I cannot provide comments, but I welcome you to reach out to me at any time!
Because I will not be a performer in this year’s call for scores, my schedule should open up if you would like to hire me to perform some of your music! This call for scores opportunity is my big charity event to make sure the selected composers walk away well-compensated, but I would love if you wanted to reach out for me to give a quality performance of one of your works so I can help build your portfolio.
All related questions should be addressed to Evan Erickson by email at evanericksonmusic@gmail.com. If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to the Evan Erickson Music “Call for Scores” initiative, please click here.
*The Evan Erickson Music "Call for Scores” is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the charitable purposes of Evan Erickson Music "Call for Scores” must be made payable to “Fractured Atlas” only and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
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Thank You to the 2024 Sponsors!
〰️ Thank You to the 2024 Sponsors!
What is “EFX Clarinet”?
Introduction
As a reflection of Evan’s current journey as a composer and performer, he wanted to utilize this year’s “Call for Scores” experience to get even more musicians interested in electroacoustic music. EFX Clarinet is the dubbed name for utilizing clarinet with guitar effects pedals. While guitarists have been using these pedals for decades, it is still considered a bit of a novelty within a majority of the acoustic orchestral instrument world.
With an easy to install pickup microphone (e.g. a Piezo Barrel), an instrument like the clarinet can be plugged into a computer program like a DAW or guitar effects pedals to open a whole new world of sound possibilities. Chris Mothersole, the guest professional performer for this year’s “Call for Scores,” has been at the forefront of really showcasing classical clarinet as an electroacoustic instrument through adaptations of existing works, commissioning new works by composers, and writing his own compositions.
For this project, a streamlined list of effects has been chosen to utilize in the commissions. To the right (below on mobile), you can find audio examples of how the clarinet sounds when individually put through each of these 6 effects pedals. 6 pedals may sound slightly limiting, but utilizing different combinations of these pedals and their settings at the same time allows for an almost infinite amount of sound variety that composers will get to experiment with!
Why Commission for EFX Clarinet?
Evan is always looking for more ways to make sure the composers selected through the “Call for Scores” opportunity can find more ways to get their music performed after the promised premieres. Chris’s involvement with the International Clarinet Association has given attention to the instrument and inspired many more performers to start utilizing electronic effects in their playing. With such limited repertoire for the instrument, this is a great time to invest in a growing community of performers looking for music to play with this setup by composing some of the first dedicated pieces for the instrument.
To the left (below on mobile), you can find multiple examples of Chris Mothersole and Evan Erickson performing with EFX Clarinet in a multitude of ways. “Demo” is Chris Mothersole’s own composition, utilizing several of the effects listed above to create a retro video game-inspired work. “Black Dog” is a staple acoustic clarinet concerto, and Chris’s performance adapts effects like distortion, delay, and flanger to breathe new colors into the work. “Cacophony” is a commissioned work by guest composer Jenni Brandon, demonstrating how even a single effect like delay can elevate the engagement of a solo clarinet piece. Finally, “Soul Searching” is a fully-improvised composition / performance by Evan Erickson utilizing a multi-FX board to craft unique sounds from the ground up.
Electronic music for classical composers is really paving the way towards the future of music, and this EFX Clarinet medium is a fantastic entry point into getting into the vast world of electronics. Chris Mothersole has created a standardized way of notating for EFX Instruments, which can be found here.
What About Interested Composers Who Are Not Selected for a Commission?
While this opportunity only has the resources to properly compensate 3 composers for a new work, if you are interested in learning more about this instrument, its capabilities, and considerations when composing for the instrument, Chris Mothersole will be offering a free online webinar for interested composers later in 2024. You can click here to indicate your interest in attending this class!
Clarinetists like Chris and Evan would welcome being sent new work for EFX Clarinet by any composers interested in writing for the medium, and hope this class inspires more composers to write new pieces for the instrument.
About the Artists
Chris Mothersole, Guest Performer
https://www.mothersoleclarinet.com
Christopher Mothersole is Instructor of Clarinet & Chamber Music at the University of West Georgia. Prior to his appointment in 2019, he served as principal clarinet of the Great Falls Symphony and member of the orchestra's resident wind quintet, the Chinook Winds. His performances with the ensemble have been featured on Montana Public Radio and Montana PBS’s 11th & Grant, the “premier music outlet […] seeking the state’s most acclaimed, accomplished, and pioneering talent”, showcasing a wide variety of works and imaginative programming.
Christopher's most recent work places him at the forefront of clarinet performance with guitar effect pedals. He has presented on this topic for the International Clarinet Association on multiple occasions, demonstrating the enhanced sound capabilities of using live effects and working together with composers to create new music for what has been nicknamed "EFX Clarinet". Recent compositions and commission projects include two works by Jenni Brandon (Cacophony for Clarinet & Delay, Chansons de la Nature for Clarinet & Delay) and several of Christopher's own compositions.
Christopher holds degrees from the New England Conservatory of Music and Royal College of music, and performs on Royal Global clarinets as a Royal Global artist.
Evan Erickson, Organizer & Engraver
Evan Erickson (b. 2003) is a clarinetist, composer, and engraver currently studying under Robyn Jones (clarinet) and Kamran Ince (composition). As a performer, he serves as an advocate for new music, always utilizing the stage to share music from those in under-privileged situations. Within his compositions, he crafts a wide range of aural atmospheres that are not afraid to jump between groove, ambiance, chaos, and beauty. As an engraver, music Evan has engraved has appeared on the stands of various military bands and professional orchestras across the United States.
As a composer, Evan has been performed and commissioned by a growing list of ensembles and performers across the United States, some of which including: the University of Memphis Wind Ensemble, the Heartland Marimba Quartet, the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra, and the Eastern Michigan University Orchestra. He was selected as a composer for the 2023 Imani Winds Summer Chamber Music Festival at the Juilliard School. His work for wind ensemble, “Desert Tales,” was a finalist for the 2023 ASCAP Morton Gould Award.
Evan was featured as a clarinet soloist with the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra in both 2019 and 2021 as the winner of their concerto competition. Through his non-profit “Call for Scores” opportunity, he has been able to premiere and feature the works of 14 composers who have heard 5 or less of their pieces performed. Through this opportunity, Evan has performed and presented a various national conferences and events like: the College Music Society’s 2024 National and Souther Division Conferences, the 2024 North American Saxophone Alliance Conference, and the International Clarinet Association’s Clareidoscope 2024 event.
Viet Cuong, Guest Judge
https://vietcuongmusic.com/about
Called “alluring” and “wildly inventive” by The New York Times, the music of American composer Viet Cuong has been performed on six continents by musicians and ensembles such as the New York Philharmonic, Eighth Blackbird, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Sō Percussion, Alarm Will Sound, Atlanta Symphony, Sandbox Percussion, Albany Symphony, PRISM Quartet, and Dallas Winds, among many others.
Cuong’s music has been featured in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Kennedy Center, and his works for wind ensemble have amassed several hundreds of performances worldwide. Passionate about bringing these different facets of the contemporary music community together, his recent projects include a concerto for Eighth Blackbird with the United States Navy Band. Cuong also enjoys exploring the unexpected and whimsical, and he is often drawn to projects where he can make peculiar combinations and sounds feel enchanting or oddly satisfying. His works thus include a snare drum solo, percussion quartet concerto, and double oboe concerto.
He is currently the Pacific Symphony’s Composer-in-Residence and serves as Assistant Professor of Music Composition at The University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Cuong holds degrees from Princeton University (MFA/PhD), the Curtis Institute of Music (AD), and Peabody Conservatory (BM/MM).
Jenni Brandon, Guest Judge
https://jennibrandon.com
Jenni Brandon stands out as a distinguished composer and conductor, weaving memorable melodies inspired by collaborator stories, nature, and poetry. Her extensive catalogue, of over 80-plus works, spans solo pieces, chamber music, concertos, operas, and orchestral compositions, and two dozen albums across prestigious labels like Delos and MSR Classics feature her music. Brandon's artistry has earned her top accolades, such as the Sorel Medallion and the American Prize, reflecting her music's influence on the global stage. Her compositions are required repertoire for leading music competitions and auditions at premier institutions like Juilliard, UT Austin, and the Manhattan School of Music among others.
She oversees the global publication and distribution of her works through Jenni Brandon Music, collaborating with top publishers like Boosey & Hawkes, Imagine Music and others. As a conductor, she's led performances of her works and others, notably her opera "3 PADEREWSKIS" at the Kennedy Center. Beyond her compositions, Brandon champions music education and collaboration, holding workshops nationwide and co-directing Heartland Marimba. With degrees from West Chester University and the University of Texas, plus doctoral studies at USC, Brandon's academic and professional footprint is significant. Beyond music, she's a yoga enthusiast, dog lover, and avid scuba diver with her husband.
Past Composers
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Alessandro Adamo
2023 Call for Scores Winner
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Annemie du Plessis
2023 Call for Scores Winner
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Pouria Nasiri
2023 Call for Scores Winner
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Chris Dorner
2021 Call for Scores Winner
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Leah Childers
2021 Call for Scores Winner
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Alec Schantz
2022 Call for Scores Winner
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Samreet Juneja
2022 Call for Scores Winner
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Ted Shapiro
2022 Call for Scores Winner
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Samuel Wallach
2022 Call for Scores Winner
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Oscar Rojano
2021 Call for Scores Winner
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Ali A'râb
2021 Call for Scores Winner
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James Gerrard
2021 Call for Scores Winner
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Scott Alexander
2021 Call for Scores Winner
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Thomas Aschcom
2021 Call for Scores Winner
