Alabama Music Teachers Association
Affiliated with Music Teachers National Association
Composition Opportunities
Composer Commission Award
Alabama Composers are invited to submit an application to be considered for an Alabama Music Teachers Association and Music Teachers National Association Commission Award.
Eligibility: Composers who currently reside in Alabama. Composers who have received an AMTA commission in the past five years are not eligible.
Entry Fee: None
Award: The commission award is $1000.
Submission Deadline: December 1, 2024
Submission Requirements:
To be considered for the commission, composers must submit the following:
• At least two, but no more than three, representative scores written in the past three years. Scores should be submitted as PDF files.
• Recordings must accompany the submitted scores (studio and live performances are preferred; however, computer-generated formats are acceptable).
• Resume (please limit to 2-3 pages).
• A Letter of Intent detailing the proposed commissioned work (instrumentation, length, etc.). The commissioned work can be for any size ensemble, however, the commissioned composer must provide performers for the performance of the commissioned work at the AMTA conference.
• All materials must be labeled with the name of the composer and contact information. All materials must be uploaded to a cloud-sharing platform (Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, etc). The access link should be emailed to the State Composition Chair, Lisa Higginbotham, NCTM: lisahhigginbotham@gmail.com. Recordings may be submitted via Youtube link (public or unlisted).
• The decisions of the judges are final.
• Primary communication is via e-mail.
Commission Requirements:
• The commissioned composer must provide performers for the performance of the commissioned work at the 2025 AMTA conference.
• The commissioned composer must attend the 2025 AMTA conference (June, 2025, TBA).
• The composer is responsible for covering the cost of his or her performers and travel.
MTNA Distinguished Composer Award:
• The completed commissioned work will be submitted by AMTA to the MTNA Shepherd Distinguished Composer of the Year Award (SDCY) competition. The composer must supply AMTA with copies of the final score and a live recording of the work for this submission.
• If the work wins the SDCY award, the composer will be responsible for providing performer(s) for the presentation of the piece at the MTNA national conference.
• Composers will receive an additional award for winning the SDCY.