Composing for the Orchestra: An Exercise in Decision Making

• Main Authors: Sabey, Benjamin, Sargent, Dr. David
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: BYU ScholarsArchive 2014
• Subjects: composing; orchestra; decision making; music; Orca
• Online Access: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2014/iss1/511; https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/context/jur/article/2850/viewcontent/auto_convert.pdf

As a young, aspiring composer, writing for the orchestra has always been a desirable but intimidating goal. I knew that my first attempt would be fraught with obstacles and challenges. The first of these was one of purely logistical nature: the lack of orchestra that might play my piece. There aren’t many good orchestras lined up at my door waiting for me to write for them (yet). Thankfully, the Office of Research and Creative Activities provided an answer. With the grant that I received from ORCA I planned to hire good student instrumentalists and create my own orchestra. Thus, having fairly easily secured the means of producing an orchestra, I was free to focus on the challenge of actually writing a piece for it.