The Fredösphere

Yesterday I joked about choral music as a path to riches.  Well, according to David Toub at Sequenza21, it's true!  Well, it's true within the incredibly constricted context of the composing world:

[O]ne shouldn't feel constrained to write for chorus almost exclusively (the equation being one chorus = many more score purchases than three string quartets). However, I did have a teacher who instructed me to do just that. From a business perspective, he was correct.

If I may extrapolate from what he said:  it's funny and sad to think there might be someone out there who envies composers of choral music for their income potential.

Toub has lots of good advice about getting new music performed.  His internet experience has taught him what a website can -- and more importantly, cannot -- do for you:

I've placed several scores and MP3s on my personal Web site, but while I see that it gets some visits, it has not resulted in any performances. In other words, placing music on the Web is a good thing in terms of being able to show people your music, but no one is likely to go to your music page and immediately e-mail you asking to perform your works....

While having a Web presence may not guarantee performances, it doesn't hurt either. Having PDFs of one's scores may facilitate access to one's music. Instead of having to copy a series of scores and mail them to Europe, it can be easier on both parties to simply refer a musician to a Web site where your music can be downloaded. The Web can thus facilitate musical networking, and it can do so in a very substantial way.

I can read your mind right now.  You're saying to yourself, "that makes me think about underpants!"

The part that I loved about this episode [of South Park] was when the boys followed the gnomes to their cave, and started asking questions about how such a business is run. I found what seems to be a transcript of the episode, and here's the snippet I'd like to draw your attention to:
Gnome 1: This is where all our work is done.
Kyle: So what are you gonna do with all these underpants you steal?
Gnome 1: Collecting underpants is just phase one. Phase one: collect underpants.
Kyle: So what's phase two?
     [Silence]
Gnome 1: Hey, what's phase two?!
Gnome 2: Phase one: we collect underpants.
Gnome 1: Ya, ya, ya. But what about phase two?
     [Silence]
Gnome 2: Well, phase three is profit. Get it?
Stan: I don't get it.
Gnome 2: (Goes over to a chart on the wall) You see, Phase one: collect underpants, phase two-
    [Silence]
Gnome 2: Phase three: profit.
Cartman: Oh I get it.
Stan: No you don't.
Kyle: Do you guys know anything about corporations?
Gnome 2: You bet we do.
Gnome 1: Us gnomes are geniuses at corporations.

I admit it.  I started The Fredösphere with a similar business model:  step one:  create a blog; step three:  get rich & famous.