Sixth World Symposium on Choral Music ... - NewMusicBox

NewMusicBox May 2003
something concerning composition. And then I try to order things around that, if I can. That's
what I do.
MOSES HOGAN: That's a beautiful story. In my heart I am organized! You know life is everchanging.
You ask yourself a couple of questions about the creative process. You say to yourself,
"Well, why do I compose?" That's the first question. Many times I will live or think about a
piece for months. It depends on how quickly the commission is, or how quickly the response to
it. But there is nothing about music that there is ever absent from anything that I do—as I am
listening to people on the street, or I am in the supermarket listening to the Muzak TM in the
background; I'm analyzing it. And so it is always present with me. What makes you a composer?
What it is that makes you want to document what it is that you're documenting. You know, a
person is a result of his/her own musical experiences. And so you have various influences that
will make us who we are. And so once you get in touch with that initially, there is never a
problem—When it is time to compose, the music will come to you. I believe that this is the
process, and whether I do it every day for 15 minutes, or if I don't actually sit down for another
2 weeks or until late at night. Sometimes I walk along the street and I just feel the rhythms, or I
just hear this idea—not necessarily dashing it down, but sometimes I just need it to stay with me,
and I know that when I get to the piano or when that time is appropriate for me to finish that
composition it will come out. So there is no regular schedule. Music is always present with
every thought, and even if I haven't had a minute on a composition, and we are talking about
something two years down the road, I'll start on it really the minute we start talking about it.
When it comes out a year from then, but I believe it has taken all of that time to come to fruition.
LINDA HOESCHLER: I will ask Libby and Moses to make some final comments, and then I am
sure they will be able to stay a few minutes afterwards to answer personal questions. I would
like to say that we have two extraordinary composers here who are articulate. They are both very
successful. But having worked with hundreds of composers in my work and in my private life of
commissioning, the composers are generally very easy to work with. In fact, I don't think I have
ever worked with a difficult composer. They are articulate. They are, I think, easy to work with
because they can explain what they are doing. They are used to having some parameters, and I
encourage you all to try to work with a composer. It is one of the great joys I think you will have
in your life to experience something new. This is not about getting married. This is about a new
piece of work. I was thinking of one commissioner whom I sent to work with Libby who I think
was difficult to work with, and Libby handled it quite well. But because there was a fear… Not
all parties succeed. But the joy in creation and, I think, understanding what the artist is thinking
about, and then the artist doesn't exist without you who literally give voice to the artist's work,
this is also a great joy, working with each other. We heard in the beginning about what Moses did
to work with the choir from Michigan, and Libby with the Japanese choir. How they worked on
the piece together, and how you get others to understand what is going on, and that is the great
joy of a commission. Not just doing standard repertoire. And I think if you can involve private
commissioners in this and get them to experience that joy, so that you are truly creating a historic
occasion, not just a program of pieces that everybody has heard on recordings over and over
again. We have gotten so much into music wallpaper here. I really urge you to take that chance.
Composers’ Dialogue #1, 08/06/2002