RESIDENCIES

Stephanie Ann Boyd loves bringing tales from the world of composing to audiences of all ages and interests. She especially relishes being a role model for young people who have an interest in the arts: in many cases, her music is the first they’ve ever played written by a woman, and in most cases, she is the first “real live” composer they’ve ever met.

From elementary and middle school talks and Meet + Greets, youth orchestra clinics, and university composition studio lectures to talks at conferences and presentations for orchestra patrons, speaking about music is an exciting part of the job! Stephanie has given her talk “Two Steps Out the Door” at Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts, the Longy School of Music of Bard College, the University of Northern Colorado, the University of Arkansas, the University of Central Florida, Texas State University, Northwest Arkansas Community College, and others, and has been invited to give talks on her work at the New Music Gathering conference (in Boston and in Minneapolis) and the Continuum Music Festival in Memphis. In the last year alone, she has given talks and clinics on zoom to younger groups like the Casper College Chamber Orchestra, the Winnipeg Youth Orchestra and El Sistema Winnipeg, and the Chesapeake Youth Symphony Orchestra alongside zoom lectures at universities and zoom pre-concert talks. Stephanie especially believes in instilling agency and sparking initiative in young people, and as such has given talks on creativity at high schools in Wyoming, New Mexico, Michigan, and Hawaii.

meet + greet.

MEET AND GREET: For Student Ensembles
20 minutes-45 minutes
These happen over zoom and include: Stephanie telling the ensemble the “behind-the-scenes” program notes of the work they’re playing, a few minutes speaking about the life of a real-life composer, Q & A session with students, and (if desired) an ensemble run-through of the piece or a portion of the piece with feedback from Stephanie.

Fee: $150-$250 in most cases, taking into account institution needs and budget, talk length, and audience.

talks and lectures.

TWO STEPS OUT THE DOOR: A Guide to Courageously Creating a Composition Career Right Out of Music School
45 minutes-60 minutes
This talk is an inspiring lecture/workshop that traces Stephanie’s journey as a composer while going over important lessons and sharing pithy stories to offer students advice how to transition into the life of a full time composer. In covering the fabulous and frustrating sides of social media and music publishing, the rhythm of a composer’s work week and work year, and what really matters when putting together a portfolio of your work, Stephanie is able to offer an extra facet of knowledge to existing composition curriculum. (In the five years she has been giving this talk, Stephanie has received many a thank you note from students when they start seeing dividends from implementing her advice!)

MUSIC AS MEMOIRE: The Music of Stephanie Ann Boyd
30 minutes - 60 minutes
A talk about how music can help us capture moments and stories in art and why this process is at the heart of my work. Audiences are led through the stories behind creating LULLABY FOR SOPHIE, BEYOND THE GATE, and a recently completed work. Piece excerpts are played while attendees think of prompts that ask them to imagine what stories from their own biographies they would like to put into art. If appropriate, the group is led on a brainstorming exercise with regards to making their stories into art. The talk ends with a Question and Answer session. Piece excerpt lengths are adjusted to fit the needs of the audience age group.

Fee: $250-$550 in most cases, taking into account institution needs and budget, talk length, and audience.

composition residencies.

Stephanie is currently Composer in Residence with the Peoria Symphony Orchestra and has previously been Composer in Residence with the Eureka Ensemble (resulting in SHELTERING VOICES), the Cremona International Music Academy (resulting in A KALEIDOSCOPED MENAGERIE), JVL Music in Summer Festival (resulting in BEYOND THE GATE and DARK SKY SOLILOQUY), the El Sistema inspired YOURS Project Chicago (resulting in ETERNAL GOLDEN BRAID), Gurrie Middle School (resulting in SUMMER WALKER DANCES), and Pioneer High School Orchestras at Interlochen.

Residency activities have included signing 70 limited-edition Betty Friedan whisky bottles (truly!), helping over 100 young people write their first string quartets, coaching rehearsals, being a spokesperson for the ensemble via interviews with city newspapers for their front page features, on PBS news hour programs (one time they even let me keep the mug!), in the studio with morning radio jockeys and everything in between. Activities have also involved curating lecture presentations for orchestra patrons that bring them behind the scenes with engaging stories and behind-the-scenes program notes about the music as well as other outreach events like giving talks about the power of creativity at local colleges and high schools.

Composer in Residence positions usually involve one-three weeks per season of being in the city of the ensemble, performing outreach duties and attending rehearsals. It usually involves the commission of a work for the ensemble and/or performances of other music by the composer.

(Being a Composer in Residence feels like being an artistic bee, bringing art and ideas from city to city and community to community while making sweet and beautiful things that make people happy and last a long time!)

Composition Residence Fee: case-by-case basis depending on time, preparation, and travel involved