Author Archives: mhindson2000

How much? A guide for commissioners and composers

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How much? A guide for commissioners and composers I am often asked how much a commissioner should expect to pay a composer for a new piece of music. For example, a recent email: “Dear Matthew, I was wondering if you happened to have a copy of the current Australia Council suggested commissioning rates?  I am looking at launching a Commissioning Project for our Centenary and need to pull together a budget for the Executive.” A few of things about this. Continue reading How much? A guide for commissioners and composers→

Why is no-one vomiting in timpani any more?

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The last two Tuesdays I have been mentoring composers as part of the Ku-Ring-Gai Philharmonic Orchestra’s Australian music program.  This is an excellent opportunity for emerging Australian composers to hear their orchestral pieces workshopped by a community orchestra.  It’s a long-standing commitment to Australian music by a community organization that understands the importance of nurturing an art form. One of the composers, Solomon Frank, is a 2nd year student at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.  He wrote a piece in which the Continue reading Why is no-one vomiting in timpani any more?→

Recording of House Music now available

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A superb premiere recording of my flute concerto, House Music, has been released. It was recorded by virtuoso flautist Alexa Still with the Oberlin Orchestra, cond. Raphael Jimenez. It is a wonderful recording – totally top notch and very much as I imagined the piece in the first place. The recording is available through iTunes, Amazon US or Amazon UK.

The 5 Cs of (arts) grant applications

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From 2009-2013, in my role as Chair of the Music Board of the Australia Council for the Arts, I assessed over 2000 grant applications. This included reading thousands of pages and listening to countless hours of support materials – which was a rare privilege, and extremely illuminating re. the vast range of musical activity occurring around Australia. Based on this experience, many people have asked general advice as to how to write grant applications. There is no magic bullet. However, the Continue reading The 5 Cs of (arts) grant applications→