How to get music performed/recorded?

Hello,

I have written several jazz pieces for jazz band and smaller groups, and I am trying to find an ensemble to make a recording. I have contacted several university and community bands with no success.

I have considered using a sampler to make a digital recording, but I'm not sure it would sound authentic enough.

What about sending MIDI or sampled recordings directly to jazz record companies? Some do not accept submissions, though.

What do you all suggest that I do to find a group? I am in Atlanta, GA.

Thank you,

Jeffrey

I have written several jazz pieces for jazz band and smaller groups, and I am trying to find an ensemble to make a recording. I have contacted several university and community bands with no success.

...

What about sending MIDI or sampled recordings directly to jazz record companies?

...

What do you all suggest that I do to find a group?

Welcome to the forum Jeffrey.

Best thing I could say would be: start your own band. If school ensembles are unreceptive, circumvent this - recruit your own players. Students are a good bet, I expect Atlanta has more than a couple universities, conservatories to draw talent from. Another good thing about students is they often have rehearsal rooms available at the school, and possibly access to departmental recording gear.

I would strongly recommend NOT trying to pass midis off of reasonable representations. Even a sampled version, decently rendered would be cringeworthy (although, some experienced folks here can pull off a convincing performance).

Get a good recording, with live musicians. Starting your own band shouldn't be too difficult, especially in a major city like Atlanta.

:D Good luck!

I was also going to suggest local colleges or music schools, but if you've already tried that my second thought would be what Robin just described.

Precisely how you would go about that is up to you. Seeking out students in person at music departments in college might be the most promising. You could even post flyers on the college bulletin boards.

A second approach might be to just advertise (separately) for players of all of the instruments you require. Then when they call tell them you are putting together group (don’t say your “trying” to put together a group). Be positive about it and maybe even refer to group as “we”. In other words, “We need a trumpet player”. That makes it sound like you already have something started even though you may just be starting out.

Once you get enough potential musicians you would need to coordinate them into a group. Then when you get that far, you’d need to have a recording made. However, for the sake of motivating the group you may also need to arrange for some live performance that actually pay. That probably wouldn’t be difficult at all if you put together a half-decent band.

That’s certainly the long way around though just to get a recording!

But the bright side is that you’d have a band for future pieces. Who knows, they might become popular and you will have started them off!

I’m actually thinking about trying to start a local orchestra in my small town. I’m not sure if I can pull it off and any performances would probably be just freebie community service events. There is no orchestra in my town currently save for the college itself. And maybe that’s why! It is a college town and the college does have a student orchestra. But I’d like to see a public orchestra as well. Even if it is just a small one.

yeah, i think local highschools or Community Colleges might take your work. you should become good friends with Conductors at Highschools and stuff.

i would hand my compositions (which i dont have lol) to my Community Colleges Orchestra, or Jazz Orchestra.