Michigan State University Music Composition

Dr. Gillingham earned bachelor and master of music degrees in instrumental music education from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and the doctor of philosophy in music theory/composition degree from Michigan State University where he studied with Professor Jere Hutcheson. He is now the head of the composition department at Central Michigan University and has written many pieces that have become standards for Wind Ensembles throughout the country and abroad. This message was written in response to an email I sent inquiring about the composition program at CMU and Dr. Gillingham’s views on the role of the composer in contemporary society:

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Hi Matthew;

Thank you for your email. Students at CMU can study composition at the undergraduate and graduate level.  Our program accommodates up to 15 undergraduate and graduate students. (We could easily have more, but our loads can only accommodate this number) There are many opportunities for our composers to have their works performed.  We have two annual composition contests for our composition students, one for an orchestra composition and one for a band composition.  The winners have their pieces rehearsed and performed.  We also have a volunteer wind ensemble which meets for the sole purpose of reading student works for wind band.  The group gets together for a couple rehearsals and then records the works.  Each semester we have a composition studio recital in our large recital hall where our student composers can have their works performed and recorded.
In addition to myself, we have three composition teachers on staff, Dr. Jose Mautua, Dr. Scott Harding and Dr. Jay Batzner (electro-acoustical composition).   We encourage and promote an eclectic studio of composers and help our composers find their individual voices by exposing them to the music of modern day composers as well as the latest craftsmanship and techniques.  Therefore, the music coming from the composition studios has a broad range of style including tonal, atonal, minimalistic etc.

Our graduate program attracts many students who are writing for, or would like to write for the wind band because of the fact that I am on the faculty and they know that I am fond of writing for this medium.  I do no recruiting at this point and we usually get 5-10 applications each year for the graduate program and only accept 2-3.

The composer’s role in the society today is quite complex.  Most students opt to pursue the terminal degree and teach at a university or college so that they have a regular job but can pursue their passion of composing on the side — just as I do!  There is a growing number of students who are interested in writing music for film.  Though it is a hard business to break into, some of our students are now enjoying some success in getting into this area of composition.  Other students elect to pursue writing “jingles” for commercials etc.  And, some students may elect to become a freelance
composer and virtually “beg” for a living…..working from one commission to the next.  There are so many composers in this world and only a few are really making a living from composing alone.  Most of us have regular “day jobs”, but are hoping for that golden opportunity to be discovered and to “make it big”.  We are all struggling to be an individual voice to be reckoned with.  It is not easy.  We have to have the passion for creating, we have to be persistent and we have to have a thick skin to withstand a lot more rejection than acceptance.  But the joy of composing far outweighs the negatives—-those moments where a new work is premiered and comes to life and that moment when you stumble upon something that you have never done before and you claim it as yours and yours alone.

Hope this helps!

David Gillingham

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