Guidelines for Submitting to Opportunity Update

If you are an ensemble, organization, or performer you may submit information announcing a competition, call for scores, grant, residency, program, or other opportunities for composers and new-music performers for inclusion in the following month’s issue. Opportunities with deadlines beginning the 15th will be included in the current and following month’s issues until it expires. The deadline for submitting opportunities to the Opportunity Update is the 10th of the month prior to publication (i.e., for a January Update, the submission deadline would be December 10). Submissions will now only be accepted via email and those received by the deadline will be published exclusively for members in the last week of that month. Please email your submission to and if possible, in the format below:

• Deadline (indicate postmark, receipt, or no deadline)


• Fees*/tuition (if applicable)


• Name of the Organization--Name of the Opportunity


• Complete but concise information in three short paragraphs:



1. Information on the opportunity, benefits that the winner(s) receive(s) (prizes/awards).
2. Eligibility: Any limitations on age, residence, citizenship of the composer, or performer and limitations on instrumentation and duration of the work. Any other detailed rules.
3. Submission: Information on how to apply, exactly what materials to send, and how to send it.

• Complete contact information: name, address, telephone, fax, web address, and email.

Other suggested guidelines: The announcement should read in third person. Please provide professionally written information free of spelling errors. Indicate if the deadline is a postmark deadline or a receipt deadline. If this is not indicated, AMC will assume that the deadline is a receipt deadline. AMC has the right to edit the submission for suitability in the Opportunity Update while still maintaining the necessary information of the opportunity that was provided by the ensemble, performer, or organization.

SAMPLE LISTING:

Receipt Deadline: March 1, 2009

The Curious Stills--5th Annual Composers Competition

The Curious Stills announces their 5th annual Composers Competition. A prize of $500 will be awarded to the composer of the winning work, which will be performed during the 2009–10 season. The winner will be announced in May. All entries may be considered for performance.

Composers of any age or nationality may submit works of any duration for 1 to 6 performers, selected from the following instruments: fl(picc/alto) cl(bs cl) pno vln vla vc. Works with electronics will also be considered.

Please send: anonymous score(s); anonymous recording(s) if available (MIDI realizations are acceptable); a sealed envelope containing an information sheet with the work's title, composer's name, address, telephone, and email; entry fee; and an SASE for return of materials (international submissions cannot be returned). To submit or for more information, please contact:

Scot McAllen
The Curious Stills Composers Competition
P.O. Box 0000
Anytown, CA 11111-1111
Phone: (555) 555-5555
Fax: (555) 555-5556
Email: info@curiousstills.org
Web: www.curiousstills.org

AMC reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to accept or decline any opportunity submitted for publication. AMC is not responsible for any falsely published information that was inadvertently provided by the ensemble, performer or organization.

*PLEASE NOTE: The American Music Center does not encourage the charging of entry fees to composers or performers participating in competitions, calls for scores, festivals, or other opportunities. While we understand that organizations may feel compelled to charge a nominal fee to help pay for reasonable administrative costs not covered by funding, the American Music Center strongly objects to organizations that charge fees in a manner that is misleading or inappropriate, such as charging relatively high entry fees in order to fund the cost of the actual award or performance or, worse, charging entry fees while reserving the right not to award any prize at all (e.g., hundreds or thousands made by charging fees, but no commission, performance, award, etc.). It is for these reasons that we urge all composers and performers to consider carefully all opportunities with entry fees and to contact the AMC directly if you have questions or concerns about a particular opportunity.