Project 12 was a commissioned series of short pieces (3-5 minutes) for chamber ensembles, each written over the course of one week. The project ran from October 2020 through the end of December 2020, and included a wide array of commissioners—amateur musicians wanting to perform with family members, college students, young professionals, and even seasoned masters. I wrote a blog about each work, including score excerpts, linked in the Project Calendar below. The sheet music for works from this series will be for sale in October of 2021, after the exclusivity period for these works is over. To see works currently available for purchase, please visit my Library.
Project Updates:
DECEMBER 31st: Project 12 is now complete! You can read below to see some highlights from the project and check out blog posts about the works! Thank you so much to everyone who commissioned, read, shared, and listened—it was truly an incredible series to write for, and I’m so excited to start the next commissioning series soon. Happy New Year, everyone!
NOVEMBER 16th: Half of the projects have now been completed! While Week 6 will take a little longer to complete (you can read more here), the rest of the projects are right on track! A huge thanks to everyone who has been listening, sharing, and—of course—playing these pieces! I have been absolutely humbled by the response.
OCTOBER 26th: Exciting news! The project for Week 6 has turned into a larger project! While it is no longer part of the Project 12 series, I couldn’t be more excited to be working with the commissioner on this exciting performance art piece about isolation and routine. Check back again later for updates about this unique work!
SEPTEMBER 23rd: Project 12 Applications are now closed. Check back soon for more updates! In the meantime, you can read more about the project below, or check out recent posts on the blog!
Project Calendar:
12 Weeks, 12 Commissions! Below is the calendar of smaller projects I worked on between October and December! You can read more about each piece and see excerpts from the score by clicking the title—some also include audio!
Week 1 - Guitar and beginner piano (a birthday present from a grandfather to his granddaughter!) - “A Tiger Walks in Thunder”
Week 2 - Viola, Cello, Double Bass, and Percussion (about the beauty of the Grand Circle region, located in the American Southwest) - “Cliff Notes”
Week 3 - Solo Piano - “Mercurial Aims”
Week 4 - Soprano, Alto Saxophone, and Cello - “Quite Like the Quiet”
Week 5 - Soprano and Guitar (for a critical recital on the works of John Dowland) - “Think’st Thou Then By Thy Feigning Sleep”
Week 6 - Found Percussion (a theatrical work) - “Little by Little”
Week 7 - Cello Quartet - “Bear with Us”
Week 8 - Solo Flute with Singing (about Rockhopper Penguins) - “Hoppy Feet”
Week 9 - 2 Euphoniums, Bass Tuba, Marimba, and Electronics (about natural disasters) - “Wild Orbits”
Week 10 - Trumpet and Marimba Duo - “You and Me, Filigree”
Week 11 - Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Viola, and Harp - “Just Another Climb”
Week 12 - Voice, English Horn, Saxophone (doubling Flute!), Bassoon, and Piano - “Mouthpiece”
Call for Proposals:
Applications for this project are now closed, but you can still read the initial call for proposals below:
12 Weeks, 12 Commissions
The Challenge.
I have always enjoyed the speed and intensity involved with composing under tight deadlines. The creative freedom such focused writing provides is extraordinary. Between October 1st and the end of the year, I hope to schedule one such project each week—for a total of 12 pieces.
The Pieces.
Each project will be:
1-5 instruments, narrators, or singers
3-5 minutes in length
Inspired by a topic, mood, or idea chosen by the commissioners
Written within 1 week (Monday to Sunday)
Exclusive to the commissioners for 1 year
The Cost.
$150 due upon completion of the work
$10 back if an audio/video recording is posted online.
All spots have been filled — thank you to everyone who applied! Applications for this project are now closed.