Non-dead composers

Philip Copeland (director of choral activities at Samford University) writes about the travails of composing in the midst of an already busy musical life. Much of his article resonated with me.  I was struck most with his remarks about inviting performers to contact living composers when they perform one of their works:

And so a simple request from all of us not-yet-dead composers. Please tell us if you perform any of our music, preferably well before a concert so that we might arrange to attend if we are in your area. Simply “Google” the composer’s name; most of us are not at all hard to find. We want to be found! A one-line email would suffice:

“In our spring concert on May 18, 2013, 7:30 p.m., the Happy Valley Choir of Happy Valley, ND, will be performing your work, ‘A Simple Request,’ in the Happy Valley Civic Auditorium.”

But, but, but—you say that as an extremely busy choir director you have no time to do this? Why not ask a dependable choir member, or a helpful parent/guardian of a child choir member, or even a board member who really needs a job to serve as your group’s official “Composer Notifier”?

Please, just let us know. It will make all the difference. Truly it will.

I know I would get a kick out of hearing form folks who perform my music.  I'll see if I can become more faithful in making contact when our music groups do the same.