A Mixed Methods Study of the Process of Commissioning New Music for Choirs

This study provided an in-depth look at the commissioning process for choral music. The pursuit of new music has a storied tradition in western culture, deeply connected with the Catholic church, starting in the medieval era. In modern times, there is a substantial amount of research on commissioning new music. However, most of the existing research is focused on band and orchestra ensembles, with very few exploring choral music commissions. Using a mixed methods design, this study identified a process for pursuing new music for choral ensembles and measured attitudes and perceptions of the director and composer during the commissioning process. Surveys were distributed to educators, directors, and composers who had previously participated in a commission project. Concurrently, an autoethnographic model was employed that allowed for the researcher to provide more insight into the relationship between composer and conductor during the commissioning process. The results indicated that the majority of K-12 educators and church directors did not have a clear understanding of how to pursue new music for their ensembles. Further, the autoethnographic results provided valuable insight into the working relationship between composer and director during the commissioning process. The findings of this study suggested that future research could expound upon the process of seeking new music and provide further data that is more generalizable.