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N./ERIC/\N UirTYCJ' l.J'J~TY aMR:IfRS 250 West 54th Street • Room 300 • New York, New York 10019 MAY, I 980(Vol. 13, No. 2 CONTENTS including an unbroken record of personal attendance at ASUC 1980 NATIONAL CONFERENCE annual conferences. And, in the same session, Edwin London 1981 NATIONAL CONFERENCE (Cleveland State University) was recognized and applauded NEWS OF THE SOCIETY for his years of service as Chairman of the National Council. Proposed name-change A further resolution of gratitude was made in appreciation of Student composition winner the unselfish and generous service contributed by the volun Proceedings articles teers who serve in the New York office. Their fine work is Journal submissions appreciated by the entire membership. RADIOFEST 2 ~ Jackson Hill LETTER FROM NMC USEFUL INFORMATION REGIONAL CONFERENCES RECENT FESTIVALS ASUC NATIONAL CONFERENCE KEY UPCOMING FESTIVALS AND NOTE ADDRESS PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES COMPETITIONS The distinguished American composer, conductor, and COMPOSERS IN ACTION educator, Gunther Schuller delivered the keynote address at the national conference in Memphis in March. Mr. Schuller began with reminiscences of what it was like to be a young American composer in the 1940s, with little in the way of REPORT FROM THE NATIONAL CONFER performance opportunities, limited access to the campus ENCE arena, no tape facility, no support foundations, and no new music record labels. The School of Music of Memphis State University hosted Mr. Schuller expressed the sentiment that American one of the most ambitious programs of concerts, addresses, composers have composed themselves into a corner - and and paper sessions ever undertaken at an ASUC national con into a crisis - for three reasons. In paraphrase, first, the ference. The conference, from March 26th through March revolution of ca. 1910 discarded more than we have gained 30th, comprised twelve concerts and nineteen paper sessions. since. We have lost harmony, rhythm, repetition, true melody, The performance standards, almost with no exceptions, were and traditional forms. Second, we have lost clear direction uniformly high. Certainly the membership. left the conference and leadership, and have lost a language in which to speak to with the impression of Memphis State as a thriving, bustling our audiences and to our peers. Third, we have arrived at a school of music, with a fine community of performers and juncture at which our technology and intellectual bric-a-brac composers in residence. Don Freund, conference chairman, have far outstripped what we can do with them. Our intel is to be thanked, complimented, and commended for putting lectual capabilities go far beyond what we or our audiences together such a splendid array of musical events. Altogether, can perceive artistically. 107 member composers were represented on the twelve con Like the composers of the Ars Nova we have invented certs (a staggering 15% of the membership!). A logical and for ourselves intellectual concepts that tantalize and excite interesting question that comes up in this context is that of us but that just may kill off music altogether. Many com how much music can one listen to and assimilate in the course posers have skill and know their craft, but art without emotion of a day. It is an interesting question for pondering by those is valueless. Our chief enemy is our brain. In our age, it is in charge of future national conferences in Cincinnati, Seattle, now our task to simplify, refine, sift, and screen, until our and Hartford. intellectual prowess is matched by our emotional capacity. In various sessions of the full membership, the Executive Electronic music, in spite of many masterpieces in the Committee, and the National Council several items were genre, has come to be the last refuge of the fraudulent, largely resolved of which the membership should be made aware . because it uses a language that is difficult to penetrate and to First, Richard Hervig (University of Iowa) was designated evaluate. The language of 1910 was a foreign language to Chairman-elect of the National Council. In the same session everyone, and seventy years later it is still a language that Kurt Stone was named an Honorary Associate Member of the appeals only to a narrow (elitist) group. society. In the plenary session of the society a resolution was Maybe what we need are composers with the genius to passed in recognition of David Cohen (Arizona State Univer recapture those lost qualities, not by imitation, but by finding sity) for his record of 15 years of support of the society, in our own experience analogi.es to those old virtues, couched - within our new all-embracing language. One of the problems in selecting a new name is avoid- We have enjoyed the freedoms of 1910, but we have ing similarity to other organizations, such as the American been short on coming up with an integrity within our total Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP), language. It is high time to devote our intellects and our the American Guild of Authors and Composers (AGAC), and technologies to the task of discovering a new integrity and the League of Composers. Suggestions have included the to discovering analogies that respond to our expressive needs Association of American Composers (AAC), the North Ameri- ,--..... and to our own times. can Composers' Society (NACS), North American Com posers' Association (NACA), and Society of North American Mr. Schuller's remarks may stimulate some dialogu.e Composers (SONAC). A change of name that encouraged among the membership of the society. Members are invited Canadian composers to join the Society might serve to en to forward responses to the editors of the Newsletter. hance the Society's broadening image. If the membership at large indicates a strong interest in changing the name of the Society, the committee will under take to select several names that do not infringe upon other CALL FOR SCORES AND PAPERS, 1981 organizations and will submit them to the National Council NATIONAL CONFERENCE, CINCINNATI for further action. Responses to the following questions would be helpful The membership has received independently mailed to the committee: circulars describing submissions procedures for scores and 1. Do you feel that the term "university" has an papers for the 1981 National Conference to be held April exclusive connotation? ls this desirable? 8-12, at the College-Conservatory of Music of the University 2. Do you feel that some worthwhile composers might of Cincinnati. The deadline for receipt of scores for works feel excluded because of the word "university"? for orchestra, opera, theatre pieces, and dance has already 3. Do you feel that dropping the word "university" passed, but other categories of works may still be submitted. would be consistent with the aims and character of the Society The deadlines are as follows: July 1, 1980, for chamber as you see them? works, band, percussion, choral, electronic, solo, jazz, and other small-force compositions; and August 1, 1980, for 4. How would the change of name affect the support papers, lecture-demonstrations, and other presentations. you would receive (travel funds, conferences, etc.) from your Materials are to be sent to ASUC Conference Co-Chairman, university or other funding organizations? College -Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati, 5. Do you personally know of composers who would Cincinnati, Ohio 45221. Scores and tapes should be sent join, or members who would quit, if this change were made? to the attention of Prof. Norman Dinerstein, papers and 6. Do you favor or oppose the change? Additional abstracts to Prof. Jonathan Kramer. comments and remarks are welcome. All responses should be sent directly to the New York office (please note new address): ASUC, 250 West 54th ,..--... Street, Room 300, New York, NY 10019. NEWS OF THE SOCIETY PROPOSED NAME-CHANGE A perennial question that surfaced at the national ASUC/SESAC STUDENT COMPETITION WINNER conference was that of whether or not to change the name of the Society. In the current period of prosperity for the Dennis Miller, a composition graduate student at Col Society - a period in which the membership is growing in umbia University, has been named winner of the 1980 ASUC/ unprecedented numbers - there is sentiment that a sizeable SESAC Competition for ASUC student composers. The number of composers are reluctant to join, either out of winning composition, Quartet for violin, cello, vibraphone, past disenchantment or out of a feeling that the Society and flute, was performed on March 27, at the ASUC National exists only for university-affiliated composers. There is some Conference in Memphis. Dennis Miller, a native of Kentucky, feeling among members that a change in the official name of studied at Loyola University in New Orleans and at the Hartt the Society to a name that does not include the word uni College of Music in Hartford. At Columbia, where he was versity might encourage these composers to join, thereby awarded the Rapoport Prize in 1979, he has been a student increasing the base and range of the Society. The counter of Chou Wen-Chung, Mario Davidovsky, and Harvey Soll arguments are that the Society, after fifteen years of existence berger. as ASUC, has established a reputation, and to change the Second prize was awarded to Stephen Mason, and name would affect the character of that reputation. Further, Honorable Mentions went to Michael Gandolfi, Daniel Roth a name-change would unduly complicate the status of society man, and Cindy McTee. publications, which now have a foot-hold in the contemporary The prize money was provided by SESAC (Society of music market - ASUC Journal, Proceedings, and the Radio European Stage Authors and Composers), and ASUC is in Series. the process of developing an expanded role for SESAC in the A committee of Dennis Kam (University of Miami), competition.

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