The American Music Center's survey of composers is a typical good news/bad news affair. Most composers described themselves as working more now than ever before, yet the average income is only $45,000 - which might not be too bad in lots of places, but for the composers concentrated in urban areas like NY, that's a pretty tight budget. And, that average is probably skewed a bit by the handful of successful composers who get 6-figure commissions for a new opera or symphony, or a Hollywood film score.
So who are these struggling yet active artists? Well, the survey showed that 80% were male, and 20% female. Respondents were also 85% white. Since only 3% of orchestral musicians are black or Latino, the fact that black and Latino composers are a similarly small group isn't surprising. Part of the reason, as the report points out, might be who chose to answer the survey. And part of course goes to the vexing question of access. Composers are not born, they're made - you may have the creative urge to be a composer, but if you're not exposed to music and instruments, you don't have the tools you need. As long as the arts remain the province of well-to-do schools and are scarce in urban public schools, that percentage of black and Latino composers is likely to stay low.
The small percentage of women composers IS surprising, though. Again, I wonder if part of this is a function of who chose to answer the survey - self-selecting groups like this can be problematic for this sort of thing. In NY, at least, there seems to be no shortage of talented composers who don't have a Y chromosome. But one thing that struck me, as I desperately tried to stay awake through last night's tedious Academy Awards show, was that actors are as often female as male -- but directors, soundtrack composers, producers? Still mostly men. If 20% of composers in this survey are women, maybe that's a sign of progress.
The overall picture painted by the survey is of a music scene more active than ever, with composers who've at least moved from "starving" to "struggling," and who've found ways to engage with technology and with the practical demands of making a living. It doesn't sound easy - but it does sound like the kind of scene that can produce some lasting art.
Tell us: what do you think the biggest challenge facing America's composers is?
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John Schaefer has hosted Soundcheck since the show’s inception in 2002. He has also hosted and produced WNYC’s radio series New Sounds since 1982 (“The No. 1 radio show for the Global Village” – Billboard) and the New Sounds Live concert series since 1986.
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