The New Canon Project
What is The New Canon Project?
The New Canon Project is a new joint venture launched with the support of the Sphinx Venture Fund. Rising Tide Music Press, the American String Teachers Association, and the American Choral Directors Association are partnered together to focus on commissioning new works by Black and Latinx composers for the orchestra and choral classrooms.
Why does it matter?
While there is emphasis on intentionally diversifying repertoire within classroom string and choral ensembles, there continues to be a gap in addressing the barriers facing Black and Latinx composers in becoming successful composers for the music ensemble classroom. We cannot expect new repertoire from Black, Latinx and other composers of color without creating a pathway for these composers to create, refine, publish, and distribute their works. The school-based market represents about one-third of the non-film music publishing industry in 2022 and is a major market for classical composers. Composers are often not trained in how to write for developing students and are not versed in things such as skill levels, length, and stylistic considerations for elementary and secondary student ensembles. The New Canon Project is strategically designed to close these gaps in opportunities for Black and Latinx composers by growing their compositional skill set for developing works for student ensembles and ensuring their new repertoire has a pathway to publication and distribution.
How will it work?
At the heart of the project is a commissioning partnership, involving Black and Latinx composers working with mentors – either composers who are already successful in the school ensemble market or pedagogues in choral and string music who can assist with writing works that match student skill levels – and with a school classroom ensemble. Composers and mentors will be financially compensated for their creative work and time spent with the project. Composers will be supported over a year, with professional development opportunities and workshops provided by Rising Tide Music Press, as well as, one to one mentoring and peer support. Additionally, composers will have the ability to try out drafts of their new works in school classrooms, including direct feedback from the teacher and students; and support in revising their work for publication. Upon completion, the pieces will be published as a collaboration of Rising Tide Music Press, the American String Teachers Assocation, and the American Choral Directors Association and will be distributed worldwide with ArrangeMe, a Hal Leonard Company.
This project is generously supported by:
Call for Participants coming soon!
Applications for the next cohort of composers and mentors will be released in early spring 2024.
Questions? Contact us at newcanonproject@acda.org.
