2004 Distinguished Composer of the Year Stefan Freund.(Forum Focus: Composer Commissioning)(Interview)

The 2004 Distinguished Composer of the Year has a rich student history with MTNA. Stefan Freund, D.M.A., Eastman School of Music, is a professor of composition at the University of Missouri in Columbia and was the winner of four state composition awards and two division composition awards from 1988-1992. It is most gratifying to get to see the career development of a musician we've supported through our activities.

DW: As you were growing up, did you have a teacher who encouraged (or discouraged!) composing?

SF: Well, that would he my dad. At the time he was a professor of composition at Memphis State University, now the University of Memphis, and a member of MTNA. Now he teaches at Indiana. Listening to him practice piano, watching him compose, seeing his passion for music and being around as he collaborated and performed with other musicians were a great inspiration. He's a very eclectic composer, which I think is fantastic. There's so much great music in the world, from jazz, to Mozart, to rock, to French impressionism, to folk music, the avant-garde, etc. He's inspired me to not be afraid to incorporate elements of all the music I love into my own.

My mother was a very dedicated Orff public school teacher. The Orff method is a great introduction to music, especially for creative young people who may go on to compose. In my music classes there was always an emphasis on performance and improvisation. This served as a great introduction to making music and having fun doing so.

DW: Your life was positively affected by an array of great teachers. Do you have a philosophy of teaching composition?

SF: I believe in a "baptism by fire" approach to learning composition. This means I require my students to write as much as possible and, more importantly, have their works read and performed. This is the only way to truly grow as a composer, just as a performer matures through performance. We do a lot of listening and score study as well. I try to encourage students to steal from the great masters as much as possible.

DW: What would you say is involved in building a career as a composer?