It has been a most adventurous 5 1/2 years but Friday, September 3 marks my last day as an employee of classical, jazz, and avant-garde music publisher Boosey & Hawkes.
I don't believe I'll ever find another workplace where CEOs are farewelled with staff productions of Meredith Monk's PANDA CHANT II, where it is decided before singing HAPPY BIRTHDAY in which composer's style it will be performed (Carter! No, Del Tredici!), where upper management consistently supports innovation not only in the artists represented but in its own staff, where I very occasionally get the opportunity to tell Steve Reich what to do and he listens, or where I might routinely mistake a piece of music for hard-hat construction on another floor (usually something from Steven Mackey or the Universal catalogues...).
Perhaps it is for these reasons that I'm not going to another workplace. It has been my long-term goal to go free-lance as a music publicist. At the same time, one thing I learned in my experience at Boosey is that I love collaboration. I mean...LOVE it. Therefore I have decided to team up with another Brooklyn-based publicist who is the yin to my yang. I'll soon be taking on select clients and projects, providing creative strategy and full-service PR to artists and organizations.
I hope this more modular business will also allow me to infuse more time into music-making of my own, rounding out my lifestyle and making me a better everything. (The French horn calls, after all, and so do the pen, the voice, and the piano.)
As I prepare for my departure, I'd like to take a moment to thank my colleagues at B&H for teaching me to listen intelligently and open-mindedly to sounds in order to hear them for what they are rather than for what they are not, and for never responding to crazy ideas by asking Um, why?? but rather by asking Hey, why not?
Good night, composers. Good night, stars. The next adventure awaits; I hope to see you there.
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I had a similar decision this past week, but decided to stay where I was instead of try something new... so, maybe I kind of know how you feel! You had a great opportunity to work at B & H and I know more great opportunities lie ahead for you. Best wishes! - Brad
ReplyDeleteSo how's it going so far?
ReplyDeleteI busted out my journal today, the one I bought after our "cemetery night" last summer. I have about 40 pages to go & it's all full. I think that's the fastest I've ever filled a journal of this size.
The bad thing is, I haven't been keeping up consistently with my writing. I get it out & fill 15-20 pages because so much has happened since my last entry, then I go another month w/o writing anything at all.
So are you doing any writing in your "free time" these days? Do you have any free time at all?
How's the new job going? Is there anything I can do to help?