Welcome to SCI!
SCI is an independent organization concerned with the fellowship, collaboration, career goals, and objectives of new and contemporary music composers and those interested in topics related to composition. For Membership Information, including the member application, visit our membership information page.
Why SCI?
Society of Composers, Inc. is an independent volunteer-based organization concerned with the fellowship, collaboration, and career goals of new and contemporary music composers and those interested in topics related to composition.
But what does that mean? How does SCI do these things?
Conferences
Every year, several multi-day conferences are coordinated by
SCI members with the sole intention of presenting new and exciting works by
fellow SCI composers. Not only are these conferences a vehicle to get your
music performed and hear new pieces but also an opportunity to share ideas and performance
resources with other composers from across the country. Professional contacts
established at our conferences can benefit composers for their entire career.
SCI has one annual national conference in addition to the
several conferences which happen on the regional level (and yes, you can submit
works to regions other than your own!). SCI also has select conferences
exclusively for student members.
Opportunities
SCI is also a great place to learn about opportunities for performances, awards, recordings, and commissions through the online list SCION. While SCI sends out a reminder about SCION once a month, new opportunities are listed all the time. SCION lists thousands of such calls for works each year.
SCI also provides certain opportunities which are only for SCI members. In addition to the conferences, SCI has partnered with ASCAP to create the annual SCI/ASCAP Student Composition Commission. For all members, SCI publishes the Journal of Music Scores (consisting of members' scores) and thanks to our relationship with Parma Recordings, SCI offers composer-based recording opportunities and CD distribution.
Resources
With the conferences, the SCION opportunity list, the Journal of Music Scores, the Composers' CD Series, the Performers' CD Series, and the bi-monthly SCI Newsletter, SCI has a variety of ways to stay current and connected on the diverse world of contemporary music composition. You can even manage your own information, scores, and recordings using your personalized website available via your own mySCI Account!
Community
One of the main reasons for all of these features is to foster a sense of community and to facilitate dialog and the open share of ideas and resources between SCI members. Anyone can join SCI regardless of your compositional interests and tastes. More members means more diversity; more diverse musical voices means more interesting discussions! Membership in SCI provides more than a website with calls for scores. Membership in SCI provides a wide spectrum of resources meant to cultivate a strong and vibrant community of creative musicians.
Recent SCI News Items
2019 SCI Jazz Composition Award [Deadline: September 3, 2019 at 11:59pm]
2019 SCI Jazz Composition Competition
Society of Composers, Inc. is pleased to announce the second annual Jazz Composition Competition. One first prize will be awarded to a composer.
First prize: $500.00
To Qualify
All entrants must be SCI members at the time of submission. Join SCI here: http://www.societyofcomposers.org/join
Submitted works must have been composed in the past 5 years from the submission deadline. Only original works for jazz big band are eligible; arrangements are not eligible. The work submitted must have not received an award in a national or international composition contest.
To Apply
Submit both a score (PDF) and a recording (mp3) of one work composed for standard jazz band instrumentation [5 saxophones (with or without standard doubles), 4 trumpets/flugelhorns, 4 trombones (3 tenor plus bass), piano, guitar, bass, drum set]. The recording submitted can be of a studio session, live performance, or sequenced format. Live or studio recording preferred.
Scores should be free of identifying information, using only a title and pseudonym marked on the score.
Apply at New Music Engine at: https://www.newmusicengine.org/categories/2019-SCI-Jazz-Composition-Award/index.html
Receipt Deadline: September 3, 2019, 11:59pm
For additional information or questions, contact the contest coordinator, Dan Cavanagh, at cavanagh@uta.edu.
Winners will be notified by October 15, 2019
SCI Journal of Music Scores, Vol. 60-61 [DEADLINE 7/30/2019; 11:59 pm EST]
The Society of Composers, Inc. is pleased to announce a call for works for Volume 60 and 61 of the Society of Composers Journal of Music Scores.
To see an archive of past SCI Journals, please visit here.
Prize: Inclusion on Volume 60 or 61 of the SCI Journal of Music Scores.
Fee: None to Enter.
Submission Guidelines
All submissions must be made at New Music Engine. Submissions sent via email, post, or other methods will not be considered.
Only current members of SCI are eligible to apply. To become a member of SCI, visit here.
Composers may submit one composition for consideration. This work may be for any instrumentation, for any number of performers, in any style, and in any media including electroacoustic. Composers whose works have been included in the previous five volumes of the Journal are ineligible to apply.
All submitted scores and recordings must be ANONYMOUS. Any element that may reveal the composer must be removed. This includes composer's name from all pages (front matter and copyright included), dedications, catalogue information, and file names.
Scores should be no more than 25 pages long and must be legible when reduced to 8.5x11 dimensions (portrait or landscape acceptable).
All score submissions must be uploaded a single, anonymous .pdf document containing the entirety of the score and all front matter. Multi-movement works must include all movements in a SINGLE .pdf file.
Submitting a recording is optional but preferred. Multi-movement works must include all movements in a single audio file. For submissions, accepted audio formats include .aif, .wav. and .mp3.
A panel of professional composers will judge each anonymous entry independently. Scores will be adjudicated for both their musical content and for the quality and clarity of their engraving. The resulting scores will be tabulated with the highest scoring works selected for inclusion. Submitting composers will be notified of the panel's decision by the end of the summer.
Any questions can be directed to Chin-ting Chan.
SCI CD series, Vol. 34 [Deadline 7/30/2019; 11:59 pm EST]
June 30, 2019,
The Society of Composers, Inc. is pleased to announce a call for works for Volume 34 of the Society of Composers, Inc. CD Series. The winners of this call will be featured on our SCI CD Series, released by Navona Records, a label under PARMA Recordings. To see an archive of past SCI CDs, please visit here.
For a more detailed look at a recent release, see NAVONA's page: http://www.navonarecords.com/catalog/nv6112/
Prize: Inclusion on Volume 34 of the SCI CD Series, professionally released by PARMA Records.
Fee: None to Enter.
- Winning composers must pay production costs of $90 per minute for music selected.
Submission Guidelines
All submissions must be made at New Music Engine. Submissions sent via email, post, or other methods will not be considered.
Only current members of SCI are eligible to apply. To become a member of SCI, visit here.
Composers may submit one composition for consideration. This work may be for any instrumentation, for any number of performers, in any style, and in any media including electroacoustic. Composers whose works have been included in the previous five volumes of the CD are ineligible to apply.
All submitted recordings and scores must be ANONYMOUS. Any element that may reveal the composer must be removed. This includes composer's name from all pages (front matter and copyright included), dedications, catalogue information, and file names.
Multi-movement works must include all movements in a single audio file. For submissions, accepted audio formats include .aif, .wav. and .mp3.
Selected composers will need to provide hi-resolution audio files upon acceptance. Submissions lacking the proper audio attachment will not be considered. There will not be an additional recording session for selected works. Therefore, both the quality of the audio recording as well as its compositional merit will be considered in the selection process.
Submitting a score is optional but preferred. Any score submissions must be uploaded a single, ANONYMOUS .pdf document containing the entirety of the score. Multi-movement works must include all movements in a SINGLE .pdf file.
MIDI realizations of acoustic works are NOT acceptable. Remember, the winning selections for the CD will be chosen based on both their musical content and the quality of the recording.
In the "Bio(s)" text field, please include the composer's biographical sketch, limited to 200 words.
A panel of professional composers will judge each anonymous entry independently. The resulting scores will be tabulated with the highest scoring works selected for inclusion. Submitting composers will be notified of the panel's decision by the end of the summer.
Any questions can be directed to submissionscoordinator@societyofcomposers.org Chin-ting Chan.
2019 SCI REGION V Conference (Deadline May 13th)
Call for Submissions
Eastern Illinois University is pleased to announce a call for works for the 2019 Region V Conference of the Society of Composers, Inc. The conference will be held on the campus of Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois, October 11-12, 2019.
Selected composers must be current SCI members. Preference will be given to members within Region V (IN, MI, MN, OH, IL, IA, MN, ND, SD, WI, MB, ON). Student submissions are welcomed and encouraged. Submission of works for which the composer can provide performers are welcomed and encouraged.
Composers may submit up to 2 works. Works that are no more than 15 minutes in duration will have the best chance of being programmed. All scores and recordings (MIDI is acceptable if no live recording is available) should be submitted online only via the New Music Engine website (www.newmusicengine.org). All composers will be notified about the acceptance status of their submission no later than July 15, 2019.
(Early submissions are strongly encouraged to help accommodate conductors and performers planning their repertoire for the season. Early acceptance/notification may be possible in some cases.)
Submitted works can fit into any of these categories:
1. Wind Symphony: (picc, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 3 clarinets, 4 saxophones (SATB or AATB), 5 trumpets, 4 horns, 2 trombones, 1 bass trombone, euphonium, tuba, 5 percussionists.)
2. Percussion Ensemble (up to 16 players)
3. Concert Choir
4. Chamber Choir
5. Jazz Band
6. Solo/Chamber
Solo/Chamber: Compositions for Instrumental/vocal or mixed-media (any instrument or combinations of instruments) for consideration by EIU performers. Works that draw from the following list will have the best chance of being programmed by EIU performers: picc, fl, ob, eng horn, cl, bass cl, bsn, hn, tpt, tbn, euph, tuba, sax, vln, vlc, db, piano, percussion, all voices. Any chamber piece requiring more than three string players will not be a good fit for the resources available for this conference.
7. Electroacoustic Music
Compositions for fixed audio or audio/video media, and/or live computer/electronics; installations. Works can be diffused over an 8.1 audio system.
8. Composer Provided Performer
Composers are encouraged to bring their own performers. Solo and chamber works for all choral and orchestral instruments may be submitted for consideration by EIU performers. However, please note that Eastern Illinois University does not have a faculty harpist, organist, or classical guitarist.
EIU Electronic Music Studios encourages submission of electronic media and art for presentation. We have a state-of-the-art performing arts center which can accommodate video projection and multichannel audio playback. In your submission, please provide detailed technical requirements, and list what the composer can provide.
Composers and presenters who are selected for this conference are required to remit a registration fee and must agree to attend the festival. Regrettably, SCI is not able to offer travel stipends or honorariums to conference participants.
Upload submissions to the New Music Engine at: https://www.newmusicengine.org/categories/2019-SCI-Region-V-Conference/index.html
The Annual SCI/ASCAP Student Commission Competition [Deadline: May 1, 2019]
The annual SCI/ASCAP Student Commission Competition is now open, with two levels, one for undergrad/high school composers and one for graduate students. Details are available at this link: CLICK HERE
The competition is for composers who are members AT THE TIME OF SUBMISSION.
Although composers are expected to be SCI student members at the time of application, I want to emphasize that the membership fee ($25/$35) is not intended as an application fee, and it is not used to finance the contest?s commission awards. Rather, it is a special opportunity for students who are already members and an invitation to non-members to try out SCI, Inc. for a year to experience what the organization can offer members:
-connection to nearly 1500 other composers,
-performance opportunities at regional and national SCI conferences
-specialized SCI Snapshot conferences specifically for students
-access to a wide variety of email postings and discussions amongst members
-an online opportunities listing that is inclusive, up-to-date, and easy to use? publication and recording opportunities available only to SCI members
If you have composition students or know composers who might fit into either level, please consider personally inviting them to participate, and tell them the reasons for your own SCI membership. It is clear that women composers are a much smaller portion of the SCI membership, and it is also clear that there has been a much smaller proportion of women entering the contest in the past. This may also be true of composers-of-color, but it harder to know that because it is often not apparent from names. I invite you to make a special effort to encourage any young composers to enter who might not have thought about joining a professional organization or who might be unsure of the reception they would receive. An influx of young composers, including those in under-represented groups, would be a lovely bonus outcome of this year?s competition and we would welcome them!
Deadline: May 1, 2019
For further information, please feel free to contact Zae Munn.
Zae Munn
SCI/ASCAP Commission Competition Coordinator