Why I’m no longer ticking the ‘emerging artist’ box

BY RACHEL BRUERVILLE

Dear reader,

I would like to officially announce, here in writing, that I have ‘emerged’ as an artist.

Yep, from today onwards, I am declaring myself an established composer of music.

Done!

Is this what people do?

Yes, my website has been under construction for quite a long time. Yes, I haven’t published a definitive list of works, and I continually ruminate about it.

Yes, I often feel the pressure to upload more recordings, more scores, more consistent social media content, content, content, content…

But why does our work have to be reduced to generic ‘content creation’? That’s probably another tangent for another day.

I recently saw a Facebook memory from September 2018, which I reposted in September 2023. Somehow, it’s been another year since then.

Original post, 2018:

Live broadcast on ABC Classic FM TODAY of 12 beautiful world premiere pieces commissioned by The Hush Foundation – playing in just over 1 hour 🎉💖

Repost, 2023:

Sharing some composition career thoughts… prompted by this amazing thing that happened 5 years ago today!!!

I had the opportunity via The Hush Foundation to work directly with Elena Kats-Chernin (✨FANGIRL MOMENT✨) and the Australian Chamber Orchestra Collective to create the professional recording of ‘Dancing on Tiptoes’ on the ABC Classic label. I regularly get a few dollars of royalty payments per month for this piece existing. The piece has also had success overseas, most significantly being played by the Boston Symphony Orchestra in the presence of JOHN WILLIAMS… WHAT.

I’m so proud of everything I’ve just described. However, this was five years ago. In the vast majority of my (mostly rejected) recent applications and opportunities for professional development and commissions, I am an ‘emerging composer’.

In the vast majority of arts opportunities, we are defined as ‘emerging artists’ in the first five years of our professional practice.

So how does one realistically ‘emerge’ past the label? When and how do we simply stop accepting being treated as ‘emerging artists’ – such as not being paid properly, among other things?

Technically in 2018, I had already been ‘emerging’ for three years (after completing my Bachelor of Music in 2015). But for the sake of this announcement, let’s say that this 2018 experience cemented my position in the Australian musical community as a ‘legit’ emerging artist. Someone to watch.

What’s she going to do next?

Most often, the answer to that question is: I have no idea.

As professional composers in Australia, we all deal with the uncertainty of living and working within an unstable industry. As a consequence, many of us are not seen as ‘established’ voices despite our professional experiences.

Fee negotiations for access to existing performance scores and new commissions often see voices perceived as ‘emerging’ devalued and exploited for the dreaded payment option of ‘exposure’. People can die of exposure!

Those who hold power related to funding, commission opportunities, and performance opportunities should be transparent with the composers they are considering working with. Of course we all know that arts funding in Australia is ridiculously difficult. Of course we all know there are many independent artists and small organisations doing amazing work, despite the fact that nobody has any real money. But arts organisations and funding bodies must value and respect the work of composers whether they consider them to be ‘emerging’ or not.

As for me, I’m at a point in my life where I am more confident in questioning these things when opportunities come my way. This is a privileged place to be in a precarious environment, and it’s still incredibly challenging and exhausting.

For now, I guess I’ll just stop ticking the ‘emerging artist’ boxes on my applications and see what happens.