Episode 4 - Composing Music for Publication (with Bruce Tippette)

Most aspiring composers have narrow goals, seeing film (or video game) music or being a concert composer as the way to go, but if you can create music on paper, you actually have many options to contribute original music and add at least some income in the process.  One of those ways is composing for publication that is marketed to schools and churches: music for school bands and orchestras, music for church choirs and handbells ensembles, and more.  It's a tricky world that requires a flexible but creative composer who can still write very good music that is specifically tailored to various ages and levels. Bruce Tippette is a composer with dozens of published works through Alfred Music, Hal Leonard, C. Alan Publications, Carl Fischer, FJH, and more, many of which have been honored as J.W. Pepper's Editors Choice.  Bruce talks with us about the skills needed to become this type of composer, how to navigate the sometimes intimidating grading system of school ensembles, strategies to getting published, and how all of this can lead to building relationships and getting commissioned work. You can explore Bruce's music and contact him through his website at https://www.brucewtippette.com/ If you have a question or feedback after listening to this episode you can leave a voice message at https://www.speakpipe.com/MusicianToolkit or you can send me a written message at https://www.davidlanemusic.com/contact You can find this episode and links to this show on all podcast apps from https://musiciantoolkit.podbean.com/ . If you enjoyed this, please give it a rating and review on the podcast app of your choice. You can follow David Lane AND the Musician Toolkit podcast on Facebook @DavidMLaneMusic, on Instagram and TikTok @DavidLaneMusic, and on YouTube @davidlanemusic1 This episode is sponsored by Fons, an online platform that helps private teachers of all types (music, yoga, martial arts, academic tutoring, coaches, etc) with smooth, automated assistance such as securing timely automatic payments and scheduling.  Click here for more information or to begin your free trial.