The Five Lines: Values of the NDSU Composition Studio
1. Real Artists Ship
Composers at NDSU create works that are written at NDSU, heard at NDSU, and heard outside of NDSU—in our communities, in our region, and in the wider world. We not only write music; we take Composition to mean that we see our music through creation, performance, distribution, and if necessary, revisions. Shipping is an ongoing commitment.
2. Love the Process; Love the Product.
Composers at NDSU are dedicated to both the process of creating a work, and to the work itself. We value both the act of writing and the act of sharing. We practice integrity in our craft: accurate scores, professional parts, respecting deadlines, and making artistic choices that serve the music.
3. Promote Yourself; Promote Your Colleagues.
Composers at NDSU promote themselves and each other. Alex Ross tells us that “music is a child of loneliness that lives off crowds.” This can be a difficult and time-consuming task which is made easier when distributed among others. When one of us succeeds, the whole studio succeeds.
4. Every Sound Matters
Composers at NDSU believe every sound matters, whether in our own work, in rehearsal, or in performance of others’ music. From the smallest detail to the largest structure, composers at NDSU treat every element and decision of their music with care and intention.
5. Fail Forward
Composers at NDSU take risks, fail, and overcome. Music Composition, and in fact all creative fields, involve a great deal of learning by failure—failure means we had the courage to take creative risks. It is the fuel for innovation. This studio embraces Samuel Beckett’s words: “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”