A Commission Comes to Life

By Susan Jackson

In recent years, Juilliard’s Preparatory Division embarked on an ambitious commissioning journey to “forge a path toward a more inclusive and pedagogically valuable repertoire for young musicians,” as Weston Sprott, dean and director of the division, said. More than 50 new works have been commissioned over the last three years, and thanks to the generosity of Pre-College alum Jerold Kayden, the initiative will continue in perpetuity with several new commissions annually.

The initiative also includes co-commissions, allowing for the involvement of more young musicians and educators as well as increased performance opportunities here and around the world. The resulting works “expose our broader community to the creation and performance of new music and increase their understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures and perspectives,” Sprott said. “They also continue an effort across Juilliard to elevate talented creators from every walk of life.”

One of the commissioned composers, Jeff Scott, a classically trained horn player, also brings his roots in Brooklyn and Queens to his compositions. “Growing up, my best friends were Puerto Rican and Hasidic Jewish, so I went to seders and I danced the merengue, and all of that stuff comes out like a doggone stew in my music. And I think it’s important because there’s not much of that in the classical music canon,” Scott said in an interview with the Journal this fall. It was the first time he had heard his piece Count Down: Ten Minutes to Live played live, and he was effusive in his praise of the orchestra. The piece is part of the Kayden Music Commissioning Program at Juilliard Pre-College and also a co-commission with Interlochen. The Pre-College Orchestra premiered it in November.

Tell us about Count Down: Ten Minutes to Live.
Jeff Scott: Weston came to me and asked me to write something around 10 minutes long for the Pre-College Orchestra. So I googled “best classical pieces, 10 minutes or less,” and the algorithm took me to a vlog of a kid asking people in Times Square, “What would you do if you only had 10 minutes to live?” And I thought, “Wow. What would I do in that situation?” I ended up writing a piece that captured those highs and lows. When you try to throw that much emotion into something that short, it ends up being sort of a cauldron.

How has it been working with students?
JS: I've connected with them throughout the process, which has been really nice. A couple of weeks into composing, I asked the students what they would like to experience in the music and also what makes them excited about classical music. They were excited about Mahler and Strauss and Fantasia—things that bring up so much emotion and joy. As it happens, that’s what I’d been thinking the piece would be like anyway, so I knew I was on the right track. And while the students get a very balanced sample of the European tradition in their musical education, this piece also lets them connect with themes and rhythms they might not be familiar with technically but know, like samba beats and Afrobeats. And all of a sudden, those are in their classical music repertoire as well.

What was it like hearing your work performed live for the first time?
JS: I had such a great time listening to them! There’s really something special about watching young people perform your work. They play and they look at you, like, did I do a good job? They do this because they love music, but they also do it because they want to make the people around them proud. That moment when you make eye contact and give them a thumbs-up after their solo and you know you’ve literally made their day—that’s what it’s all about.

Weston, you mentioned in the rehearsal that you and Jeff have known each other for quite a while.
Weston Sprott: More than 20 years—and I have enormous respect for him as a performer and composer and friend. He’s also a very positive spirit and someone who wants students to have a good time making music. That’s really important because we want our students to play the music of their time and have programming that’s rigorous, but we also want it to be fun. They make a huge commitment to this program by showing up 30 Saturdays a year. We want that experience to be more than just improving on their instrument or getting into their desired college; we want them to feel that “Saturday is my favorite day of the week. That piece we’re playing in orchestra is so cool, and I can’t wait until next week for the performance.” Jeff is the perfect person for that—he’s created music that’s new and fun and challenging. Capturing all those elements in one piece is a difficult balancing act, but Jeff understands the assignment of making music that’s great for young people.

Jeff’s also going to be speaking with some of the Pre-College and MAP classes today, right?
WS: Yes, we invite the composers we’re commissioning to interact with the students. I guarantee that when those kids leave the room, they’re all going to feel better about themselves than they did when they walked in. And that’s an important part of a great learning experience as well. That’s why Jeff’s here and why, hopefully, he’ll be back. •

Susan Jackson is editor in chief of the Journal.