Chamber Music in 2013

Happy New year! I am stunned to see that I did not blog once in 2012! The year just seemed to fly on by. It has been a truly wonderful year with the launch of my trio, Pulse Chamber Music. We are a clarinet/violin/piano trio, but change things up with some viola, baroque violin and recorders. It has been a great experience! We have had a very full first year, culminating with a very successful Call For Scores, and an awesome trip to Rome, Italy to perform the closing concert for the Nuovi Spazi Musicali Festival, at the American Academy. 2013 brings some exciting concerts as well, including venues in NYC, Washington DC, and Paris, France, among others. Things have moved along pretty quickly for us as we attempt to launch a chamber ensemble. It’s a pretty interesting venture to do this, totally self-managed. We live in an amazing time where it is possible to easily create an online presence, through self-made websites and social media. Identifying appropriate venues and finding contact information is possible with only an Internet connection and some time on your hands. The tough part, for most of us, I think, is the self-promotion necessary. It requires researching venues, sending countless emails, and making countless phone calls. It requires a continuous investment of time, but is absolutely possible! I think the idea of self-management, and creating a performance career for oneself, is incredibly exciting. The days of orchestra/soloist/string quartet being the only performance opportunities are gone. Create your own musical identity in this world – the possibilities are limitless!! I would be very interested to know if anyone is interested in this conversation. I would love to hear from others about how you are doing this very thing for yourselves. Please leave comments, or if you prefer you may email me at UM – mdonaghue@miami.edu Let’s share our ideas, the more the merrier! I am wishing you all a healthy, prosperous, and fulfilling New Year. Happy 2013!