National Seminar 2009

Unpublished Reading Session FAQ

Hello, fellow composers and arrangers!

The Unpublished Music Reading Session (UMRS) is back, and in a far more formal and “official” capacity this year in Tucson!  For starters, this year UMRS is offered TWICE, since two to three hours at the end of a long day (and just before another one begins!) is tough on even the most die-hard bell ringer.  (Polytonal music is easy to create when eyes get bleary, though.)

The sessions will, however, still be at the end of the day, to allow everyone who wishes to do so the opportunity to participate, without worrying about scheduling conflicts.  Drink your coffee and join us at these sessions:

Session #1 is Wednesday, July 15, from 9:45 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Session #2 is Friday, July 17, from 9:15 to approximately 10:30 pm.

UMRS is a fantastic opportunity for any composer or arranger to hear his or her unpublished creation(s) sightread by a group of people who are kind, constructive, and enthusiastic about handbells!

If you wish to ring in the “demonstration choirs,” or just sit in the “gallery” and listen, you DO NOT need to register in advance.  Demonstration choirs will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis, though registered composers will receive a “place at the table” before other ringers.  We will have multiple sets of handbells and chimes (specific octaves are unspecified at this time, but at least five octaves of bells and three octaves of chimes are reasonable expectations), and we will have mallets.  Everyone should bring gloves and a music notebook.

Composers and arrangers, you MUST register for UMRS before JUNE 1 in order to “get on the list.”  Those who register after June 1 will be placed on a “secondary list,” to be rung as time permits, following two passes through the initial list.  (On-site arrivals, if any, will be played only if time permits following two passes through the initial list and once through the secondary list.  If time remains thereafter – highly unlikely – those on the initial list may present a third piece.) 

At a glance:

Registering for UMRS is EASY, and done SEPARATELY from your Seminar registration: e-mail me at michael@michaeljglasgow.com and let me know you plan to participate (if you don’t receive a confirmation e-mail within two days, please follow up).  From those that register, a schedule and rotation will be created.  To maximize efficiency and fairness, composers/arrangers are asked to attend both sessions in their entirety (just like a ringing track), as the rotation will span as a continuum from one session to the next, with Session #2 picking up where Session #1 left off.  We’ll hear from everyone on the list once before we go back to the top of the list for any who have “seconds.” 

To help everyone understand the rules and new policies, here’s a list of anticipated FAQs.  Please contact me if you have additional questions!

Q:  WHO MAY PARTICIPATE?

A:  Anyone may come to ring or listen, with no registration in advance.  As for who may register to present a piece, anyone who has something they’ve written or arranged!  (Please include permission-to-arrange clearances on all copies of arrangements of non-public-domain pieces.)  You don’t have to be previously published, write at a certain level, in a certain style, or for a certain number of octaves or ringers.

Q:  HOW EXACTLY DO YOU DEFINE “UNPUBLISHED?”

A:  This has been a source of confusion in the past, so here’s the deal: if your piece is in print with a publisher or “self-published” for sale, it is NOT eligible.  If your piece is under contract with a publisher, it is NOT eligible.  If, however, you have submitted your piece for publication and are awaiting a response or had it rejected at the time of the UMRS, you are welcome to present it.  If you have not submitted your piece anywhere for publication consideration, it is of course welcome as well!

Q:  DO I HAVE TO HAVE THE MUSIC PRINTED ON A COMPUTER?

A:  Not at all.  If you still write by hand, you’re welcome.  Just remember that legibility often helps ensure success, especially in a sightreading setting.

Q:  HOW DO I SUBMIT MY MANUSCRIPTS?

(NEW INFORMATION FROM PREVIOUS YEARS)

A:  Each composer/arranger is responsible for bringing copies of his/her own pieces.  The following applies to composers/arrangers on the “initial list,” the “secondary list” and “on-site arrivals.”

• Please make these copies at home and bring them with you; it saves the hassle and expense of finding a copy center at or around the hotel. 
• Bring a copy for yourself (or a guest director, see below) and at least 28 additional copies of each piece, and PLEASE HAVE THEM HOLE-PUNCHED.  Even if your piece is for a smaller number of octaves, at least 28 copies are requested so that even those not ringing may follow along in the score (trust me, you’ll appreciate it when it’s your turn to sit out from ringing!).
• While it’s not required, having the music run on 11x17 paper and folded in half like a traditional bell folio will be far more manageable than a bunch of single-sided copies. 
• When you check in at the start of Seminar, you should leave the copies of your piece(s) at the Registration Desk.  (If you have more than one piece, please indicate your priority order for them, and please CLEARLY MARK the Director’s copy.)  I will collate sets of music to save us time in the actual Sessions. 
• Music rung at Session #1 will be returned to composers at the start of Session #2.  Music rung at Session #2 will be returned to composers immediately after Session #2.  Any music unclaimed immediately following Session #2 will be destroyed.

Q:  I’M NOT A CONDUCTOR – MAY I STILL BRING MY WORK?

A:  Of course!  If you are a composer/arranger but not a director, I’d be happy to conduct the piece for you, or you may bring a friend along to do so.

Q:  HOW LONG CAN THE PIECE BE?  MAY I “WORK ON IT” AT ALL?

A:  Since time is always a factor, each piece will be given no more than 10 minutes (including setup time), allowing us at least seven pieces per session.  You may use the time as you wish, should you desire to work through a tricky spot or experiment with a different technique somewhere.  Remember, everyone is sightreading, so the piece is unlikely to be “performance ready” during this session.  In fairness to other composers, please do not monopolize the session or push the envelope with your time.  And if your piece is short and you’re happy with it, feel free to end your time early; this will allow us to get through more music.

Q:  DO I HAVE TO BE THERE TO HAVE MY PIECE RUNG?

A:  Absolutely.  Pieces will not be rung with composers/arrangers in absentia.  All composers and arrangers are asked to attend the entirety of both sessions: leaving after “your” pieces are done is gauche.

Q:  MAY I COMPOSE A PIECE WITH EXTRA INSTRUMENTS?

A:  Of course you may.  You just won’t be able to hear those parts unless you provide the instruments and the players.

Q:  WHAT IF THERE ARE JUST TOO MANY PIECES TO GET THROUGH?

A:  We simply may not get through everything.  However, since the “initial list” of composers/arrangers will be created on a first-come, first-served basis, the “cut-off point” will be fair.  Every registrant is subject to the “as time permits” clause.  If, for example, 40 composers register – even if they are all before June 1 and placed on the “initial list” – it is unlikely that all of those composers will be able to present their pieces.

Q:  WHAT IF SOMEONE IS LATE, OR DOESN’T SHOW UP? 

A:  Session #1 will begin at 9:45 p.m., or ten minutes following the dismissal of the Southern Miss Carillon concert, whichever comes later.  Session #2 will begin promptly at 9:15 p.m.  PUNCTUALITY MOTIVATION: any registrant on any list who isn’t present at the start of each session will be moved to the end of the “on-site arrivals” list.  When his or her work comes up in rotation, it will simply be skipped and returned to at the end, time permitting.  To keep things fair and objective, no exceptions will be made, so please don’t make us even “enact this clause!”  Bring your baton, gloves, etc. to the concert on Wednesday and to dinner on Friday so you’re not caught without them at the last minute.   Travel off-site for dinner knowing that service may be slow and traffic may be an issue.  We don’t want to be accused of showing favoritism or being insensitive, so we’re saying it proactively: the only acceptable excuse for not being on time is your own demise.  Traffic, getting lost, malfunctioning room keys, getting stuck in the elevator, avoiding a stalker, etc., are all sad things and we will be very sympathetic toward you…as you move to the end of the line.

Thanks in advance to all of the composers, arrangers, ringers, spectators, equipment suppliers and coordinators whose hard work will be represented at the UMRS.  The registration is detailed and the rules are firm, but this will help us maximize our time together, giving us the opportunity to get through even more wonderful creations!