Intensive Consulting Sessions for Composers
A 1:1 offering designed to open doors & windows to your goals, unravel creative blocks, build infrastructure,
and add ease & joy into your work.
What It Is and How It Works
The Dream & Scheme Session is 60 minutes of deep-dive, super-focused, empathetic, personalized support for your creative business and/or creative life. You bring your ideas, questions, visions, and goals. I offer my undivided attention and 25+ years of experience as a working artist and industry professional to help you find clarity and direction.
“Alex has a very calm and kind presence, creating space for you to be vulnerable and open, enabling you to dig deep and uncover what matters to you. She really listens and then gently but firmly pushes you to realize your dreams. I came away with a much deeper sense of clarity and confidence in my own artistic vision and my capacity to implement it. I am deeply grateful to Alex for her guidance and wisdom. I highly recommend her to any musician looking to take their artistry and career to the next level.” — Jon Russell, Composer / Clarinetist
Who It’s For
- Composers or creators looking for focused support bringing a specific project to fruition, fine-tuning their working methods, or jump-starting their work and career.
- Composers or creators wanting to pivot and change their work and/or career.
- Musicians returning to composing after years away.
- Self-employed composers or creators who want to level up their creative business.
- Composers who want to spend more time being creative and less time on administrative tasks.
- Composers who want to find more alignment with their personal flavor of creativity.
A Safe, Supportive Space for Weird and Wonderful People Like You
I pride myself on thorough and compassionate attention to your work and your goals. Whether you make music for orchestra or ocarina, are creating an online store, making beats or sample libraries, are starting a newsletter or podcast, or are funding a big project, I’m here to help you find your footing.
“Working with Alex has been an absolute pleasure and one I can’t recommend highly enough! Because she is extremely knowledgeable and approachable, I felt comfortable asking for her advice on a variety of topics. I better understand how to continue developing my career and am more confident I can do so successfully.” — Dave Molk, Composer / Producer
Career Guidance Tailored to Your Specific Goals
Common Topics
The Big Picture
- Aligning your creative offerings with your true self and your values
- Getting unstuck
- Building confidence
- Learning to advocate for yourself
- Work-life balance
- Long-term & legacy planning
Systems Setup & Maintenance
- Royalties (ASCAP/BMI)
- Self-publishing & distribution
- Contracts
- Pricing
- Organizing professional materials
- Grant-seeking and preparation
- General finance for the self-employed
- Time management
Marketing & Communication
- Website evaluation & feedback
- Audience Development (aka Finding Your People)
- Negotiation
- Effective writing (emails, proposals, web copy, you-name-it)
- Presentations and public speaking
- Development & management of collaborative projects
“I am so grateful to Alex for her deep insights on such a wide range of topics. She gave me a terrific kickstart in organizing and updating my website; she helped me value my own work as a business and create appropriate pricing; she coached me in connecting with those interested in learning about and performing my music. She was also excellent at thinking about commissioning options outside the usual suspects. All of this has led to significant progress in these areas! Alex is organized in her approach, has excellent suggestions, and is useful and kind in her critiques. I highly recommend her!” — J.S., Composer
Why should you work with me?
With over 25 years of experience, my career as a self-published freelance composer spans various genres and collaborations. My portfolio includes commissioned works for major symphony orchestras, symphonic bands, professional chamber ensembles, acclaimed solo performers, and electronic music projects. These compositions have often intersected with the worlds of dance, animation, and visual art, leading to diverse and dynamic creative partnerships. Participating in a vibrant community of artists is a source of inspiration and fulfillment for me.
My music has been performed across the U.S. and on international stages and has been featured on multiple albums. My schedule includes engagements with colleges, universities, and music festivals. I actively participate as a panelist for various competitions and granting organizations, leveraging my expertise to support emerging talent.
Beyond composing, I have also worked as an audio producer, writer, and educator for organizations like National Public Radio and New Music USA, where I’ve managed projects and people. My superpowers include troubleshooting, streamlining processes, and connecting individuals with valuable resources to enhance their professional lives.
For many years I wrestled with learning how to manage my musical life and make it sustainable. Now I love empowering music makers to navigate the musical world with joy and ease and successfully manage their businesses and careers!
Read more about me here.
“It has been a joy to work with Alex! As a person shifting from the performer side of a performer/composer career to that of a composer, I needed coaching on how to put myself forward in a different capacity. Alex showed me how to organize my pre-existing scores and position them for maximum accessibility and usability, and helped me get started with a performing rights organization. She also helped me reimagine my website so it looks more composerly. I am so grateful for Alex’s richness as a composer and artist and a highly organized coach.” — Heather Bentley, Composer / Improviser / Violist
Here are a few client success stories to give you an idea of what we can accomplish together:
- A consortium commissioning project that attracted 52 members
- A revamped composer website that quadrupled sheet music sales and helped generate three new commissions within weeks
- A new communications plan that helped generate $10k in extra income over 6 months.
- A large-scale musical project that successfully partnered with a major art museum.
Dream & Scheme Session (60 minutes)
Sessions take place on Zoom.
(Phone meetings available by request.)
Schedule and pay by clicking the button below.
Fee: $75 $150
(50% discount on sessions scheduled through January 31, 2025!)
“Alexandra has a really good sense about people. In our first meeting, she immediately picked up on the quirky, bubbly person I am; she also saw the disparity between that person and the calculated, proper persona I presented online through my website and social media marketing. Through her coaching I learned to express my authentic self in my online and written communications, allowing people to see the type of composer I actually am.
Alexandra also offered me lots of challenges to grow and take myself out of my comfort zone. They were perfect little nudges to edge me out of my complacency.
I highly recommend hiring Alexandra as a coach, particularly if you want help with the entrepreneurial/business side of composition.“
— Kendra Harder, Composer / Feminist Musicologist