COMPOSING A LIVING
Forthcoming September 30
Oxford University Press
How do composers build sustainable careers, ensuring their work aligns with their financial goals and personal well-being? Composing a Living is a practical and empowering guide for composers navigating the intersection of music, money, and business.
Drawing on extensive industry experience and twenty-eight interviews with successful composers across genres, Brandon Elliott and Dale Trumbore offer comprehensive guidance on pricing work, negotiating contracts, understanding copyright, hiring a creative team, and diversifying income. This book demystifies financial strategies, legal essentials, and entrepreneurial thinking, equipping music creators with helpful tools to take control of their careers.
Whether you're just starting out or refining your business approach, Composing a Living provides real-world insights and proven strategies to help you thrive in today's music industry.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
DR. BRANDON ELLIOTT is an influential conductor, educator, and consultant dedicated to empowering artists to thrive at the intersection of music, business, and creative growth. As Founder and Artistic Director of Choral Arts Initiative, Brandon has shaped an award-winning new music ensemble that champions contemporary choral works, commissioning over 25 works, premiering more than 150 works, and producing three Billboard-charting albums. His leadership has positioned Choral Arts Initiative as a leading voice in innovative choral performance and artistic development, garnering accolades such as the ASCAP/Chorus America Award for Adventurous Programming and the Louis Botto Award for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
In academia, Brandon serves as Professor of Music and Director of Choral and Vocal Studies at Saddleback College and as Lecturer in Music Education at California State University, Fullerton, where he guides emerging musicians with a focus on resilience, artistry, and entrepreneurship. His dedication to lifelong learning and comprehensive music education has been recognized by the Recording Academy, where he was honored as a GRAMMY Music Educator Award semifinalist.
Brandon’s consultancy extends into the broader entertainment industry, advising on music rights, artist management, and strategic growth for creatives and organizations. His expertise in contract negotiation, leadership development, and inclusion initiatives has made him a sought-after consultant and industry commentator, featured in U.S. News & World Report, Lifewire, and other major outlets. A trusted mentor and visionary in the arts, Brandon is committed to fostering sustainable artistic careers and shares insights through industry publications, podcasts, speaking engagements, and conferences. Learn more at brandon-elliott.com.
DALE TRUMBORE is a Los Angeles–based composer and writer whose music has been called “devastatingly beautiful” (Washington Post) and praised for its “soaring melodies and beguiling harmonies deployed with finesse” (New York Times). Trumbore is passionate about setting to music poems, prose, and found text by living writers. She has written extensively about working through creative blocks and establishing a career in music in essays for 21CM, Cantate Magazine, Center for New Music, and NewMusicBox. Her first book, Staying Composed: Overcoming Anxiety and Self-Doubt within a Creative Life, was hailed by writer Angela Myles Beeching as a “treasure trove of practical strategies for moving your artistic career forward.” Trumbore also writes poetry and fiction, with work published in F(r)iction, New Delta Review, PRISM International, Southern Indiana Review, and other literary journals.
Trumbore’s compositions have been performed widely in the United States and internationally by the Atlanta Master Chorale, Central West Ballet, Chicago Symphony’s MusicNOW ensemble, Conspirare and the Miró Quartet, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Pasadena Symphony, Phoenix Chorale, and Seraphic Fire, among others. Her music is published through Boosey & Hawkes and G. Schirmer and distributed through Graphite Marketplace. Learn more about Trumbore’s music and writing at daletrumbore.com.
COMPOSERS INTERVIEWED