Sometimes you can figure things out just by thinking them through; sometimes you can figure them out by watching other people. But sometimes you just have to grab onto the electric fence with both hands yourself. For those of us who prefer to learn by doing (including with the occasional low-voltage shock), contemporary classical composition is a difficult profession. New pieces are often premiered with only the bare minimum of rehearsal time, meaning there isn’t time to play around and get things wrong. The first draft has to be right, because the first draft is the only draft you’ve got.
Unlimited access to our
