"The House of Belonging" by Choral Arts Initiative (Jeffrey Derus)
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Today's episode I meet with Jeffrey Derus, our first featured choral composer! I think you'll find there is a lot in common with songwriting and composing choral works.
This featured song is performed by Choral Arts Initiative, a small ensemble choir that I sing in that exclusively performs works by living composers. We recently released a #1 Classical Billboard charting album called "The Tapestry of Becoming," and this song "The House of Belonging" is the opener.
This episode, Jeff talks about his creative process, collaborating with poets including David Whyte, the poet for this piece, navigating commissions, publishing, self-education, marketing strategies, and the significance of quality recordings in the contemporary music industry.
Follow Jeffrey Derus
Graphite Publishing
Listen to "The House of Belonging"
Learn More about Choral Arts Initiative
This featured song is performed by Choral Arts Initiative, a small ensemble choir that I sing in that exclusively performs works by living composers. We recently released a #1 Classical Billboard charting album called "The Tapestry of Becoming," and this song "The House of Belonging" is the opener.
This episode, Jeff talks about his creative process, collaborating with poets including David Whyte, the poet for this piece, navigating commissions, publishing, self-education, marketing strategies, and the significance of quality recordings in the contemporary music industry.
Follow Jeffrey Derus
Graphite Publishing
Listen to "The House of Belonging"
Learn More about Choral Arts Initiative
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Chapters
1. Welcome to the Song Saloon: A Unique Episode (00:00:00)
2. Introducing Jeffrey Derus (00:01:13)
3. The Genesis of 'The House of Belonging' (00:01:48)
4. Exploring the Relationship between Text and Composition (00:03:41)
5. Harmonic Choices and Voicing (00:08:43)
6. Jeffrey's Composing Process and Working on Multiple Projects (00:10:48)
7. Navigating Commissions and Creative Freedom (00:12:27)
8. Collaboration with Poets and Text Selection (00:18:09)
9. Jeffrey's Musical Education and Path to Composition (00:22:56)
10. Exploring Publishing Options for Composers (00:27:41)
11. Mainstream Publishing vs. Self-Publishing (00:28:28)
12. The Risks of Losing Control Over Your Music (00:29:52)
13. Navigating Rights and Reclaiming Ownership (00:30:33)
14. The Unconventional Path of a Self-Taught Composer (00:34:04)
15. Creating Music with Audience Engagement in Mind (00:39:40)
16. Marketing Strategies for Composers (00:43:12)
17. The Importance of Quality Recordings (00:49:04)
18. Connecting with the Audience and Future Collaborations (00:51:28)
41 episodes