If instrumentalists are not exposed to new music when they are learning to play, they are naturally going to be much more inhibited about trying it when they are done with their studies.

From finding ways to encourage the performance of new music by students to creating opportunities for all composers to write for young players and considering how to help educators find their way to us, many penetrating questions have been raised. But has this online conversation made a difference?

Even though I pride myself on how much I try to stress collaboration between performers and composers, I was still taken aback with the ease and forthrightness the documentary film crew had when talking about the music.

Is interpretation something that we can foster in a player or is it innate?

There still is still a Berlin Wall between composers (and their representatives) and the community of non-professional/student players; we do not have a way to communicate to them and they do not have a way to find us.

In the world of pre-college music education, there is a lot of frustration among players and teachers regarding the affordability of buying or renting new music.

What can we as composers and administrators do to help those performing organizations that have a true desire to continue to involve living composers, but are still green to it?

The thought of having my special own radio station sounds fantastic, but the idea that my tastes can be defined by an algorithm based upon an absolute set of parameters does somewhat unsettle me.

I recently asked a chamber ensemble if it would be possible to take five minutes to read through one of my student’s pieces; instead of doing it behind closed doors, the group offered to do the reading as part of a public rehearsal/workshop.

Do we artificially make symphonic music into the gold standard, the quality and importance of which other genres must live up to?