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Just numbers
By Andy H-D | May 28, 2008
(Preamble: I am not on the board of Juventas, nor do I hold an administrative duty or position more official than blogger. Who plays guitar sometimes too.)For three seasons, Juventas has existed playing almost entirely the music of young composers. This is highly unusual for a new music ensemble and it is part of everything we do, from the mission statement to the name itself. However, our most recent call for scores sparked a lively debate on the Society of Composers listserve around whether or not this fundamental principle of our is ageism. By its strictest definition, it is. However the real question is whether this, and more generally age restrictions in general, are artistically beneficial. A post by Chamber Music Today duly notes that ageism is separate from other “-ism”s is that it is descrimination not in something you are but something you become. While there are many repugnant reasons that ageism comes up, the applicable one in this case is that through time one acquires skills, craft and most importantly connections that will get one’s music heard. As in the case of any “disadvantaged” group, it seems to make sense to give them a fair shake by excluding those that have such a skillset. Whereas drawing these lines along ethnic or gender terms more often than not comes across as pejorative, logic can be tricked into thinking it obvious that younger composers won’t have these attributes.Of course, the tricky part of this is that not all composers come to the profession along the same path. As many members of the SCI listserve note, many composers are in second careers after finding their initially chosen paths unfulfilling. These composers don’t have the practice or the connections that would expected of artists their age because they came to the clubhouse early. So the term “emerging composer” is bandied about which fits the spirit of the letters perfectly but is nearly impossible to quantify. Similiar programs for performers have an easier yardstick to use (lack of professional representation) but an essentially legal document like a call for scores needs something that draws a distinct line and a complicated definition of “emerging composer” is not particularly attractive.Some chatter on the SCI list called age restrictions hubris on the part of the ensemble, assuming that without them David Lang and Morton Subotnick would march in and win everything. Barring megalomania, this isn’t happening. There is something inherent about the call-for-scores that doesn’t appeal to the top echelon of composers, anyways. Why throw a score at a ensemble to likely don’t know if you have commissions and ensembles you’ve already worked with? So it should be the class of “emerging composers” that this entire construct appeals to anyways. Unfortunately, while prejudicial would be strong word I can feel comfortable calling people lazy. Reading a deluge of scores is taxing work, and even subconsciously is a name sounds vaguely familiar it can be enough to stand out. Hence the age restriction, which again does not help out our older emerging composers.It’s not like there is no precedent for this sort of program. Young artist programs for vocalists have existed for decades, mainly because what is implied for other artists is fact for singers. A singer’s voice is not going to be mature until their 30s, but if they work at Pizza Hut until they have the natural ability to stand a chance in an open audition they’ll lack any sense of musicianship or professional skills. While instrumentalists and composers do not have this natural cap, the career arc is not entirely different.Lastly, it is important that the age restriction is also to foster the celebration of music by our peers. We do not subscribe to the “cult of prodigy” as Kyle Gann describes it, the majority of us are current graduate students or recent alumni. This may make the age restriction seem more like a “No Adults Allowed!” sign, but our belief in the music of our time is not mere posturing. However this belief is not all-blinding, the majority of us play with other ensembles as well where we perform music by all shades of composers.Whether or not it can be deemed with a term as ugly as ageism, this is our mission and one we believe to be artistically valid. The music of our peers, the music of our time is something we look forward to continuing to explore.
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