10-15-26 Symposium #8

Summary

The session began with a reminder to music majors to complete their recital-attendance requirement. Students need eight attendances; those who have not yet recorded them were encouraged to use the remaining seven weeks to catch up.

The main event was a performance and presentation by Catchfire Collective, a contemporary chamber ensemble formed by musicians who met in graduate school. The group performed an excerpt from music by Jennifer Higdon and discussed how to build a career, develop an artistic identity, and connect with audiences.

The musicians’ varied career paths

The ensemble members emphasized that music careers can combine performance with other work. Their roles include university teaching, private instruction, freelance performance, orchestra administration, church music, composition and theory teaching, marketing, and work in music-related software. Several members described this as a portfolio career—a combination of multiple roles rather than a single job.

The ensemble’s music and artistic approach

Catchfire Collective works primarily with Pierrot-plus-percussion instrumentation: flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, and percussion. The group explained that this instrumentation grew from the Pierrot ensemble associated with Arnold Schoenberg’s Pierrot lunaire.

The ensemble focuses on contemporary music, often works by living composers, and has commissioned new pieces as well as revived works that received little attention after their premieres. Its members enjoy a broad range of contemporary styles, from experimental and unconventional music to more accessible, energetic pieces.

The group works with different forms of notation. Graphic notation, for example, gives performers visual prompts rather than conventional notes and rhythms, inviting them to create musical material. The ensemble also tackles highly detailed scores that specify techniques, timing, and other performance instructions.

Programming is treated as a way to tell a story. The group considers how pieces relate to one another, what themes they share, and how a concert can develop from its beginning through a climax to a conclusion. The concert experience may include staging, lighting, movement through the performance space, amplification, and conversation with the audience—not just playing from a stage.

The program discussed in the presentation included:

• A seasonal work by Jennifer Higdon, exploring people’s connection with the natural world.
• George Crumb’s Eleven Echoes of Autumn, noted for its unusual sounds, techniques, and visual and symbolic elements in the score.
• Sequoia, a newer work by Yas Linkester, featuring percussion and designed to evoke trees in the concert hall.
• Joseph Schwantner’s Music of Amber, described as combining distinctive harmonies with repetitive, minimalist-like patterns and themes of light and shadow.

Practical lessons for starting and sustaining a musical project

• Start by asking. The ensemble began as a one-off graduate-school project. Its members encouraged students to invite others into a project, even if they are not close friends. A first performance does not have to be large or polished to be worthwhile.
• Experiment before settling on an identity. Catchfire tried different repertoire, venues, and presentation styles before recognizing what felt distinctive to the group. Some early projects were chaotic, but the experimentation helped reveal its artistic voice.
• Use your network. Personal and professional connections led to early performance opportunities and eventually to the group’s visit to the university. Even when a request is declined, it can help people remember the ensemble for a future opportunity.
• Build skills beyond performance. Groups need people to handle marketing, logistics, operations, fundraising, and finances, as well as artistic decisions. Learning these skills in school can create additional career options.
• Agree on the time commitment. Members need to account not only for rehearsals and performances but also for individual preparation and planning. Catchfire described its rehearsals as intense and concentrated because its members live in different states and meet only occasionally.
• Keep working relationships healthy. The musicians highlighted trust, clear communication, and the ability to give direct feedback. They shared a rule of thumb for evaluating a project: it should deliver at least two of three things—artistic fulfillment, good pay, or a genuinely enjoyable social experience. In their early years, when they were not being paid, artistic satisfaction and enjoying one another’s company mattered especially.
• Choose repertoire that suits the group. Programming should showcase both the ensemble as a whole and its individual members. It should also give potential audiences a reason to attend.
• Make concerts welcoming. Playing in casual venues, including bars, and occasionally performing familiar material can introduce new listeners to less familiar music. Explaining unusual works, speaking with audiences, and meeting people afterward can make performances more accessible and help build a loyal community.
• Invest in presentation. Good-quality audio and video recordings, photos, a logo, and a consistent visual identity are useful when promoting performances and applying for opportunities.
• Make a deliberate decision about payment. Catchfire began as an unpaid labor of love but later committed to paying members, even if that meant doing fewer performances. The group advised agreeing on compensation expectations rather than postponing the decision indefinitely.
• Explore varied funding sources. Potential sources include university residencies, local or regional arts councils, grants, donations, crowdfunding, and creative fundraising events. Grants can be competitive, so persistence matters. The presenters also recommended clearly explaining what donations will pay for.
• Expect membership and roles to change. People’s work and personal lives evolve, and not every member needs to manage every aspect of the group. A changing lineup can also bring new artistic possibilities.
• Keep trying things. The closing advice was to take initiative, invite people to make music, and treat projects outside formal coursework as valuable parts of musical education and preparation for life after school.

Speakers and sources featured

Speakers

• An unnamed symposium host, who made the opening recital-attendance announcements and introduced the ensemble.
• Dr. Jillian Story — flute; also discussed her software and teaching work and the ensemble’s business and organizational development.
• Dr. Peter Swanson — cello; discussed the ensemble’s instrumentation, score study, preparation, and collaborative performance.
• Dr. Anya Arco — piano; discussed her musical training and teaching career.
• Jan Philazarta — violin; described his graduate studies and contemporary-ensemble experience.
• Isaac Patt — percussion; discussed his varied music work and the ensemble’s repertoire and programming.
• Taylor Sturm — clarinet; visiting artist and doctoral student, with freelance, teaching, and orchestra-administration work.
• Unidentified audience members who asked questions during the discussion.

Composers and musical sources discussed

Arnold Schoenberg, Jennifer Higdon, George Crumb, Yas Linkester, Joseph Schwantner, Hillary Purington, and Ini Figgis-Vizueta (name as rendered in the subtitles).

Ensembles and organizations mentioned

Catchfire Collective, Network of New Music, Hypercube, 8th Blackbird, Greensboro Symphony, New Music USA, and the Copeland grant program.