Left to right: Silas Clymer, Kaleb Branner, Robbie Chaplin, Andry Stutzman and Perry Blosser are competitors in 91短视频's first Iron Composer competition on April 28. The "nerve-wracking" competition requires them to compose music incorporating a secret ingredient, which they won't know before the contest begins. At the end of the day, a concert will feature their new works. (Photo by Andrew Strack)

Saturday’s Iron Composer contestants have five hours to create music that includes ‘secret ingredient’

by Christopher Clymer Kurtz

Five student composers. Anticipation. Five hours. Fear. One concert.

And one champion.

But this spring鈥檚 first-ever Iron Composer competition at 91短视频 is less about proving who鈥檚 鈥渂est of the best鈥� than it is a life lesson reflective of the demands a real-world career composer/arranger might face, said Professor Ryan Keebaugh: 鈥淗ey, I need a 30-second cue within an hour,鈥� or 鈥淗ey, can you arrange something for this group really quick? Cause this is a problem.鈥�

The competition for cash prizes begins at 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 28, and will culminate the same day in an evening concert in which professional musicians will perform the five contestants鈥� works before an audience and a panel of judges.

The concert is at 7 p.m. in Lehman Auditorium, and is free and open to the public.

For the contestants, Keebaugh said, the whole event is 鈥渒ind of nerve-wracking, just showing up not knowing what you鈥檙e going to write for.鈥� He knows, because he鈥檚 been a contestant before 鈥� in an international version of what鈥檚 to take place at 91短视频.

The contestants 鈥� and the contest

The five contestants at 91短视频 鈥� Perry Blosser, Kaleb Branner, Robbie Chaplin, Silas Clymer and Andry Stutzman 鈥� were selected from applications submitted by all 14 students in the university鈥檚 composition program.

At the start of the competition, the contestants will receive instructions specifying the ensemble for which they are composing and the secret ingredient 鈥� or ingredients 鈥� they must include. After five hours of composing time, each of the composers will have a brief afternoon rehearsal with the performing ensemble.

Then, in the evening, Keebaugh will emcee the concert, during which the judges 鈥� a nonmusician, two ensemble members and Eric Guinivan, the composer-in-residence at James Madison University 鈥� will provide live feedback.

That prospect is only a little intimidating.

鈥淚n its mystery,鈥� said Blosser, a senior music interdisciplinary studies major with a Bible and religion minor from Harrisonburg, 鈥渕usic composition can be both the most beautiful thing in life and the most taxing. For this reason I both anticipate and fear spending five hours locked in a room with blank manuscript paper.鈥�

鈥淚 am very curious,鈥� Branner said about the secret ingredient and the performing ensemble unknown. But, the sophomore music composition major from Churchville, Virginia, added, 鈥淚鈥檓 mostly just excited.鈥�

The competition is one that Chaplin, a sophomore music education major from Lexington, Virginia, expects will 鈥減ush me and my writing style鈥� 鈥� and he鈥檚 looking forward to hearing the resulting new compositions.

Stutzman has been composing music for as long as he can remember, as a Harrisonburg youngster whistling tunes he鈥檇 thought up and later in advanced music studies at Eastern Mennonite High School. Now a senior music education major, he enjoys the process of composing 鈥渟ometimes as much as the final product,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o even though we only have a few hours to write these pieces, I鈥檓 sure it will be a great time.鈥�

The winner will receive a cash prize and a commission to be premiered and performed by 91短视频鈥檚 Emulate Chamber Ensemble. The second- and third-place winners will also receive cash prizes.

But the real prize, Clymer said, 鈥渋s that we get to have our pieces performed by professionals.鈥� The first-year double major in math and computer science from Meridian, Mississippi, is minoring in Honors and music, and said that while he has composed music and 鈥減layed around with ideas鈥� throughout high school, his composition lessons with Keebaugh this year 鈥渞eally motivated me to compose more intentionally.鈥�

Keebaugh鈥檚 inspiration

The event is modeled on Keebaugh鈥檚 own 2015 experience as one of five finalists from among 3,000 global applicants for an Iron Composer competition in Berea, Ohio. That year, the secret ingredient was an assigned antique board game.

The year before, he said, it was a tree.

鈥淵ou couldn鈥檛 break it or harm it, but you could shake it. They put mics on it,鈥� he said.

Read about Keebaugh鈥檚 participation in the 2015 Iron Composer competition.

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