Menu

MUSIC

Discipline-Specific Guidelines

2021 Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship

The Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship in Music supports Minnesota or New York City-based composers and sound artists, early in their careers, creating bold, innovative and risk-taking new work that challenges conventional artistic forms. The Fellowship is open to creators/composers/vocal composers of new original music and sound artists.

Please take the Eligibility Questionnaire to assess whether you meet the Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship eligibility criteria before reading through these further, discipline-specific requirements. You must meet all of the general eligibility requirements as well as those found in the Discipline-Specific Guidelines below, whether you are applying as an individual artist or as an ensemble/collective/collaborative.

Defining “Early Career”

Eligible applicants must have a sufficient body of completed work that a panel can use to assess your artistic development over time, dedication to the field and ongoing motivation to create new original work.

Early career artists:

  • Have between 2 to 10 years of experience as a composer or sound artist creating new original work (excluding any time a degree-granting program; as a musician or singer of non-original work created by others; or arranging or reviving the work of other composers; or time away from working as an artist due to circumstances–e.g., having children, caring for family members, long-term illness, etc.).

Composers or sound artists who have been generating new work for more than 10 years (excluding any time spent as a student) are generally not eligible, even if they feel under-recognized. Such artists with more than 10 years in the field who wish to discuss eligibility—based on circumstances (whether personal or geographic) or on specific creative practice considerations (i.e., the scale of work and/or extended creative cycles necessary to complete a single work)—should contact Jerome program staff before April 15, 2020 to discuss eligibility in advance of submitting an application.

  • Have 2 completed and publicly presented works. Works created and presented while in a degree-granting program are not eligible for meeting this requirement.
  • Have at least 1 work on your resume/CV that has been supported by a presenting organization (that is not your own organization, if applicable) or funder (for a project grant from either a foundation or a federal, state or local arts agency). Self-presented work or work created and presented while in a degree-granting program is not eligible for meeting this requirement.

Panels rely on work samples and a resume/CV to assess the review criterion of artistic merit, impact and readiness. An artist’s application materials must demonstrate development over time, dedication to the field, craft and potential.

This is not an opportunity for beginning artists who have never composed, whose generated new work has yet to be publicly shared, or without a sufficient body of completed work that a panel can use to assess your artistic development over time.

Age is not a factor in determining eligibility.

Artists who are mid-career or established are not eligible.

Artists will be considered beyond early career and ineligible if they have:

  • Received consistent significant financial support for their artistic work from foundations and/or federal, state or local arts agencies for multiple different projects.
  • Considerable bodies of work and are consistently touring and being produced by organizations (not your own organization).
  • Garnered significant regional or national prizes or awards in recognition or support of the creation and/or public presentation of multiple different works, including but not limited to:
    • Grammy Awards
    • United States Artists Award
    • Creative Capital Awards
    • MAP grants and/or Fulbright Fellowships
    • ASCAP Foundation or BMI Awards
    • Foundation for Contemporary Art
    • Aaron Copeland Fund for Music
    • Chamber Music America Grants
    • New Music USA Award
    • commission or touring grants from national or regional performance venues

Receipt of any one of these grants and awards does not make an artist ineligible—it is the receipt of multiple grants and awards for multiple projects that, taken as a whole, move an artist to mid-career or beyond.

  • Achieved significant commercial success (i.e., is signed with the Atlantic Records or Def Jam or Sony or consistently scoring commercial feature films with Dreamworks, etc.)
  • Received recognition in the form of awards, commissions, residencies or funding opportunities that are specifically categorized as mid-career.
  • Received awards or prizes in recognition of significant cumulative career achievement (including but not limited to the Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, The American Prize, Guggenheim Fellowship or the MacArthur Fellowship).
  • Have a full-time tenured faculty position (or the equivalent).

Recognizing that different funders may define “mid-career” in different ways, artists who have received mid-career awards but consider themselves still in an early career stage should contact Jerome program staff before April 15, 2020, in advance of submitting an application.

Musicians with substantial recognition and lengthy careers performing the work of others will generally be considered ineligible. Musicians who want to discuss eligibility should  contact Jerome program staff before April 15, 2020, in advance of submitting an application.

Mid-career or established artists from fields other than music will not be considered early career. For example, a new media artist with a substantial career who is now moving into composing will not be considered early career for the purposes of this Fellowship.

Ensemble/Collective/Collaborative Eligibility

Ensembles/collectives/collaboratives may submit a single application requesting support request for 2–5 members who will share the Fellowship funds equally. In order to submit an eligible application, the ensemble/collective/collaborative must have a majority of members that meet all of the Fellowship eligibility requirements for artists applying individually and have a demonstrated history of creating new work collectively or as part of an ensemble/collective/collaborative. Only eligible ensemble/collective/collaborative artists may be included in the application.

Please take the Eligibility Questionnaire to assess whether your group meets the Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship eligibility criteria for ensembles/collectives/collaboratives.

In the application, you must provide:

  • 2 work samples, either audio or video, each from a different completed and publicly presented work that you have conceived, generated and publicly delivered as a generative artist. Use your most recent and strongest work. Panels prefer work created within the last 3 years. Older samples may be submitted with an explanation in the “work sample context” field. Work created and presented while in a degree-granting program is not eligible.
  • If you create scores or visual notations for your work, you have the option to upload pages from the score (in PDF format) that correspond to each work sample excerpt.
  • Artists may also submit a third work sample of a work-in-progress, especially if this is a project you would be pursuing during your Fellowship.

Work sample time maximum:

  • 10 minutes for 2 publicly presented works
  • 3 minutes for 1 work-in-progress
  • 13 minutes total maximum

For example, you may submit an audio sample from a composition that is 6-minutes along with the score for this sequence; a video of a live performance that is 4-minutes, and a third audio track you are developing of a composition that is 3-minutes.

Submit your works in the order in which you would like them listened to or viewed, starting with your strongest sample. Panelists want to see a range of work demonstrating development over time, dedication to the field, craft and potential.

The applicant(s) must be the composer or primary creator of all submitted samples.

If applying as an ensemble/collective/collaborative, all of the work samples must be the creative work composed by the members of the group who are applying.

Do not submit promotional videos, trailers, reels, or interviews. Panels prefer to experience real-time sequences of work representative of a live experience. The preference is that you submit links to the full-length work and provide a single cue point within the work for the panel to watch.

Jerome staff will assess whether your work samples are eligible for the panel to review.

Ineligible work samples include:

  • work that you arranged or performed but did not compose;
  • commercial or non-commercial work-for-hire that you created at the direction of a client or producer, even if this is commissioned work;
  • scores for film or video projects for which you do not have creative control or for which you do not retain the rights to perform, record and distribute;
  • any work created and presented while in a degree-granting program or with student performers.

For each work sample in the application, you will provide the following required information:

  • Soundcloud or Vimeo/YouTube URL: artists are encouraged to provide links to the full-length works used for work samples. This provides panelists the opportunity to experience more of the work if they so choose.
  • Soundcloud or Vimeo password, if applicable
  • (optional) Work Sample Score Excerpt: upload a PDF file of the score or visual notation for the excerpt you identify above.
  • Work Sample Description, listing:
    • Name of the Work
    • Date Completed
    • When and where the work was documented
    • Where the work has been presented/performed
    • If you are in the concert or performance, identify yourself (e.g., “I am playing the trumpet”)
  • Your Role in the Work Sample
    • If you were solely the composer—in this case, enter “composer”
    • If you are a multi-disciplinary artist or played multiple roles in the creation of the work, list all of the roles you played (e.g., “composer, filmmaker, poet”)
  • Cue point for the Work Sample
    • Indicate your start and stop time for the excerpt (e.g., “Start at 3:30 and end at 8:00”). If no start and stop time is provided, panelists will begin watching at the beginning of the video.
    • Do not submit more than one sequence/cue point per sample (e.g., do not say “Start at 1:00 to 1:30 then jump to 2:45 to 3:45”—panelists want to see a single uninterrupted sequence of work in real time).
    • The total time of your excerpts for all work samples combined is 13 minutes (not 13 minutes per work).
  • Work Sample Excerpt Context
    • Provide up to 150 words (recommended length) to give panelists a precise context for what they are watching. This can include a brief description of the entire piece, any important information about sections of the work occurring either before or after your clip that you want them to know, or your intentions and goals in creating the piece. If your work is challenging to experience in short clips, you can share that here. If you are sharing work that is designed to be experienced in an immersive environment or quadrophonic sound or low-frequency sound that requires subwoofers, share that information and suggest the use of headphones. If you’d like panelists to pay attention to specific elements of your work, this is also where you might instruct them to do so. Given the panelist preference for recent work, if you are submitting work samples that are older than 3 years, please explain why.

Applicants who cannot provide the minimum amount of requested work samples leave the panel without enough information to gauge whether the applicant is truly competitive or not. Applicants who cannot meet the minimum requirement will be eliminated from consideration.

Panels rely on the resume/CV to evaluate how your artistic background demonstrates development over time, dedication to the field, ongoing motivation in the creation of new, original work in your artistic field over a multi-year period and your readiness for a two-year fellowship.

To meet eligibility requirements, you must have at least 1 work on your resume/CV that has been supported by a presenting organization or funder (for a project grant from either a foundation or a federal, state or local arts agency). Work that has been self-presented or work created and presented while in a degree-granting program is not eligible for this requirement.

Staff will assess your resume/CV to make sure you are eligible for the panel to review. Any applicant whose resume does not clearly establish eligibility will be eliminated for further consideration at the prescreening stage.

Resume/CVs should be current and complete. Bios are not acceptable. The Jerome staff and panel will not do research to determine your role(s), running time, etc.

The resume is your chance to present and confirm your status as an early career composer or sound artist with a history of ultimate creative control over projects, artistic development over time, dedication to the field, and ongoing motivation in the creation of new, original work. For that reason, you need to clearly list your composition work separate from other work and opportunities.

A sample individual composer/sound artist resume is available for your reference.

Individual Artist Resumes/CVs should include the following:

  • Completed Publicly Presented Composed Work: listing of publicly presented work, include all presented, recorded (album or CD releases), commissioned and self-produced work.
    • Name of the work and running time
    • Date completed
    • When and where the work was documented or recorded, if applicable
    • Where the work has been presented/performed/toured (please list 3 or 4 representative locations and summarize the number of presentations—see example below).
    • If you played multiple roles beyond composing, list all of the roles you played in the creation of the work. For example, “composer, lyricist.”
    • Provide a short (1–3 sentence) summary of the work.

Example: Churning Oceans, 2019 (87 minutes) self-produced CD and vinyl release of 7 original compositions of jazz-rock fusion; recorded at Studio A and Studio B. The work has been performed at 11 additional venues in NY in 2019 and 2020, including Venue A, Venue B and Venue C. I composed and perform on guitar with a quartet including percussion, sax, trumpet and bass.

Tangletown (75 minutes) commissioned by Venue A and premiered in 2019 with support from Funder A. Toured to Venue B (City) and Venue B (City). I composed this body of work that blurs musical styles and am the bandleader and pianist. This work for quartet (piano, voice, drums, and trumpet) is an atmospheric piece that weaves between solitude and chaos in the wake of ongoing environmental catastrophe.

  • Work in Development: provide the work, date, short description

Example: Received a commission from Ensemble A in 2020 for a new music composition.

  • Other Artistic Work: list role, project, composer/sound artist, date

Example: Played tenor sax for premiere in 2018 of new works by DD Ward commissioned by Organization A and premiered at Venue A (City).

Copyist for NYC composer Arden Wyle, including transcriptions and score writing from 2012-2016.

Played violin and synthesizer for performances in August 2017 at Venue A (City) with Ensemble A, curated by Lee Yamamoto.

2018-ongoing: percussionist for experimental music ensemble, Ensemble A.

  • Fellowships & Awards: list name of award, date, amount and the project

Example: [name of fellowship or award], [year], [amount of award or fellowship stipend], [length of fellowship], [name of project, if relevant]

  • Grants: list name of grant, date, amount and the project

Example: [name of grant], [year], [amount of grant], [name of project, if relevant]

  • Residencies: list name of residency, date, length of residency

Example: [name of residency], [year], [length of residency], [name of project, if relevant]

  • Education: list any dates when you were enrolled in degree program/s

Example: University A, MA in Music Composition, 2012-2015

  • Teaching: list name of class, venue, city, year, length of class

Example: [name of class], Venue A (city), [year], [length of class, e.g. “1-week intensive” or “12 weeks”]

  • Additional relevant categories: Please include any additional categories, including curatorial experience, selected critical reviews, artistic training programs, press and publications, etc., that you usually include on your resume.

Ensemble/Collective/Collaborative Resumes/CVs:

Artists applying as an ensemble/collective/collaborative should submit a resume of the collaborative work in addition to individual resumes of the artists applying. The collaborative information is the same format as that requested from individual artist applicants, just specific to the collective creators applying.

A sample collaborative resume is available for your reference.

The collaborative resume should include:

  • Completed Publicly Presented Presented Composed Work: listing of publicly presented work, include all presented, recorded (album or CD releases), commissioned and self-produced work.
    • Name of the work and running time
    • Date completed
    • When and where the work was documented or recorded, if applicable
    • Where the work has been presented/performed/toured (please list the top 3 or 4 and summarize the number of presentations—see example below).
    • List the roles of collective members. If collective members applying play multiple generative roles beyond composer, list all of the roles applicants played in the creation of the work. See example below.
    • Provide a short (1–3 sentence) summary of the work.

Example: Churning Oceans, 2019 (87 minutes) self-produced CD and vinyl release of 7 original compositions of jazz-rock fusion; recorded at Studio A and Studio B. The work has been performed at 11 additional venues in NY in 2019 and 2020, including Venue A, Venue B and Venue C. Roni Stark (guitar) and Rafael Greene (percussion) composed and perform the work with additional musicians on trumpet, sax and bass.

Tangletown (75 minutes) commissioned by Venue A and premiered in 2019 with support from Funder A. Toured to Venue B (City) and Venue C (City). Roni Stark (piano) and Rafael Greene (percussion) of Free Fall Ensemble composed and perform this body of work that blurs musical styles. This atmospheric piece for a quartet (piano, voice, percussion, and trumpet) weaves between solitude and chaos in the wake of ongoing environmental catastrophe.

  • Work in Development: provide the work, date, short description

Example: Received a commission from Ensemble A in 2020 for a new music composition.

    • Other Artistic Work: list role, project, composer/sound artist, date, location

Example: Stark (Synth) and Greene (percussion) of Free Fall perform frequently at Venue A (City) with DJ Fresh 2018-ongoing.

Played violin (Stark) and synthesizer (Greene) for performances in August 2017 at Venue A (City) with Ensemble A, curated by Lee Yamamoto.

  • Fellowships & Awards: list name of award, date, amount and the project

Example: [name of fellowship or award], [year], [amount of award or fellowship stipend], [length of fellowship], [name of project, if relevant]

  • Grants: list name of grant, date, amount and the project

Example: [name of grant], [year], [amount of grant], [name of project, if relevant]

  • Residencies: list name of residency, date, length of residency

Example: [name of residency], [year], [length of residency], [name of project, if relevant]

  • Teaching: list name of class, venue, city, year, length of class

Example: [name of class], Venue A (city), [year], [length of class, e.g. “1-week intensive” or “12 weeks”]

  • Additional relevant categories: Please include any additional categories, including curatorial experience, selected critical reviews, artistic training programs, press and publications, etc., that you usually include on your collective resume.

Note: if the ensemble/collective/collaborative includes members that are not Jerome-eligible or not included in the application, but those artists were involved in the composition of the work included on the collaborative resume, please note this on the collaborative resume.

Example: Push Button (90 minutes), received a work-in-progress showing in 2017 at Venue A (City) and a premiere in 2017 at Venue B (City). Composed and performed by Free Fall members, Roni Stark (trumpet) and Rafael Green (trombone) with Lane Lee (percussion). Lane Lee is not Jerome-eligible but is a regular member of Free Fall Collective.

submit

Preview the application questions before you begin in Submittable.

Application Help Video

back to Fellowship Overview