2021 Oboe & Soundtrack Consortium: Lantana
Below you’ll find information—deadlines, instrumentation, pricing, inspiration and FAQs—about the 2021 Oboe & Soundtrack Consortium
Still have questions about this project? Let me know!
“Many contemporary composers are interested in combining acoustic instruments with digital sounds, but few achieve the particular alchemy of craft, whimsy, and sensual appeal that the Baltimore-based composer Gardner consistently produces.” —The New Yorker
About the Consortium
Works for solo instrument with soundtrack/electronics are my favorites to make!
Participating members will commission a new 7- to 10-minute composition for oboe and pre-recorded soundtrack called Lantana. Composed for Seattle Symphony Principal Oboist Mary Lynch with a consortium of oboists, Lantana will be the 14th piece of this series of works. I often title these pieces with the name of a stone or plant, and in this case, the bright, rounded clusters of color in a Lantana flower seemed like an ideal fit for a colorful piece full of movement and vibrant contrast.
I love working with performers, and wind instruments are one of my happy places! Lantana will not have a click track (I never use click tracks because they are terrible!), and there is “wiggle room” in the score so that the performer can play with freedom of expression within the context of the soundtrack.
I am creating the soundtrack exclusively from pre-recorded oboe sounds. Just a few months into the pandemic last year, Mary and I began discussing this work, and she recorded some musical ideas I wrote for her. I am currently playing with those recordings—manipulating them in Pro Tools to create new sounds and textures—and building the soundtrack from them. I love setting this particular parameter for composing because it creates a new world for an instrument to inhabit that is made from the instrument’s own sounds! Something truly organic.
If you would like to hear some examples of my music in this format, I recommend:
Tourmaline for soprano saxophone and computer sound
Fade for flute and soundtrack
Bloom for cello & pre-recorded electronics
Luminoso for guitar and sampled sounds
Thank you for entering into the journey of creating this piece. I look forward to working with you!
Dates & Deadlines:
Consortium launch: May 1, 2021
Consortium closes: June 30, 2021
New piece is delivered via email or mail (see commissioning tiers below): September 15, 2021 (or sooner)
Exclusive performance rights for all commissioning ensembles: through August 31, 2022
Commissioning Tiers
Tier 1: Printed & Digital Scores + Oboe Workshop w/ Mary Lynch + Private Rehearsal Coaching w/ Alexandra
Consortium fee: $250
[button link=”https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=79GZS4HMAUWKQ” size=”large” target=”blank”]Join Tier 1[/button]
Register with PayPal using this button.
You will receive an email within 2 business days confirming your membership.
On or before September 15, 2021, you will be mailed a full score and downloadable audio track for Lantana.
Commissioning performers will have the exclusive right to perform this piece through August 31, 2022.
This tier includes:
– A 60-minute Zoom/Skype rehearsal with Alexandra to address questions about the piece, receive coaching.
– An online (via Zoom) 60-minute oboe workshop with Seattle Symphony Principal Oboist Mary Lynch. (To be scheduled in Fall of 2021.)
– Licensed digital score & soundtrack audio file
– Email support for questions about the score
– One emailed update with behind-the-scenes musical previews and notes from the composing process.
– Your name included as a consortium member on all versions of the score.
– Recognition & appreciation on social media (Facebook / Twitter / Instagram)
Tier 2: Printed & Digital Scores + Oboe Workshop w/ Mary Lynch
Consortium fee: $150
[button link=”https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=R5EST4XGJQF6C” size=”large” target=”blank”]Join Tier 2[/button]
Register with PayPal using this button.
You will receive an email within 2 business days confirming your membership.
On or before September 15, 2021, you will be mailed a full score and downloadable audio track for Lantana.
Commissioning performers will have the exclusive right to perform this piece through August 31, 2022.
This tier includes:
– An online (via Zoom) 60-minute oboe workshop with Seattle Symphony Principal Oboist Mary Lynch. (To be scheduled in Fall of 2021.)
– Licensed digital score & soundtrack audio file
– Email support for questions about the score
– One emailed update with behind-the-scenes musical previews and notes from the composing process.
– Your name included as a consortium member on all versions of the score.
– Recognition & appreciation on social media (Facebook / Twitter / Instagram)
Tier 3: Digital Score Only
Consortium fee: $75
[button link=”https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=3D6WNCAENK6TU” size=”large” target=”blank”]Join Tier 3[/button]
Register with PayPal using this button.
You will receive an email within 2 business days confirming your membership.
On or before September 15, 2021, you will receive a licensed digital score and downloadable audio track for Lantana.
Commissioning performers will have the exclusive right to perform this piece through August 31, 2022.
This tier includes:
– Licensed digital score & soundtrack audio file
– Email support for questions about the score
– One emailed update with behind-the-scenes musical previews and notes from the composing process.
– Your name included as a consortium member on all versions of the score.
– Recognition & appreciation on social media (Facebook / Twitter / Instagram)
FAQs
I’m interested but I’ve never played with an electronic track before. Should I still join?
Yes! It’s very easy—press play, and play along! Works for solo instrument + soundtrack are great ways to start expanding repertoire and technology capacity. The equipment needs are minimal, and if you’ve done any virtual performing or live-streaming over the past year, you have all the skills and gear needed to learn and perform Lantana.
Is there a click track for this piece?
No! I never use click tracks. No one likes playing with a click track. The score will include clock timings throughout, and a stopwatch can be used to help orient yourself within the music. While there are specifically timed cues between instrument and soundtrack, I always write to provide “wiggle room” for the performer to allow for freedom of expression and timing.
What equipment do I need to perform Lantana?
You will need a playback device for the soundtrack audio file (computer, tablet, or phone), a microphone to (lightly) amplify your instrument, a mixer or audio interface to combine the oboe + soundtrack, and (in the case of live performance) a pair of speakers/PA system. You may also want to use the timer on a phone/tablet/computer to keep you oriented in the score. I will be available to assist consortium members with tech questions as needed.
Can I perform this work later than August 31, 2022?
You can perform the piece whenever you like. Commissioning members have no obligation to perform the work within the appointed time frame.
I can’t sign up through the PayPal link. How can I join the consortium?
Please let me know if you need a traditional invoice payable by mailed check, a customized PayPal invoice, and/or any other information in order to join.
I’m not an oboist, but I’m interested in this project. Can I join?
Yes, please! Every contribution to the project is appreciated. You will receive all the benefits of the tier you decide to join, which you may use, or not, as you wish.
Is the consortium fee refundable?
The consortium fee is non-refundable; please take that into account when you register.
Rights
The commissioning members of the 2021 Oboe & Soundtrack Consortium have the exclusive rights to perform Lantana until August 31, 2022. Beyond that date, performers have the non-exclusive right to program this work with the commissioning members in perpetuity.
Join the Consortium
Register with PayPal here, or contact me for a traditional invoice payable by mailed check.
[button link=”https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=79GZS4HMAUWKQ” size=”large” target=”blank”]Tier 1: $250[/button] [button link=”https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=R5EST4XGJQF6C” size=”large” target=”blank”]Tier 2: $150[/button] [button link=”https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=3D6WNCAENK6TU” size=”large” target=”blank”]Tier 3: $75[/button]
You will receive an email within 2 business days confirming your membership.