innova Recordings, the in-house recording label of American Composers Forum, invites applicants to submit projects representing a variety of musical approaches and at various stages of the recording process. We are delighted to celebrate our 40th anniversary with this new open call format.
What you can expect
- There is no fee to apply or be on the label.
- Artists receive distribution, licensing, promotion, and maintain ownership of their music plus 100% of sales profits.
- Artists receive support from innova for both the production and promotion of their music at no cost at every step of the process.
- Artists join as a cohort with facilitated guidance from innova and connection to ACF’s large artist community.
- ACF/innova provides introductions and referrals to a broad affiliate network interested in supporting diverse artists, including mixing/mastering, design, videographers, public relations and marketing, recording studio time, and physical manufacturing.
- Naxos distributes recordings and works with multiple streaming platforms and media partners to ensure visibility.
Learn more about these offerings here.
We are grateful for our partnership with the Elizabeth and Michel Sorel Charitable Organization, whose mission is to expand opportunities and stretch the boundaries for women in music. Their generous funding will help us lift up artists who have been historically marginalized in the recording industry.
There is no fee for artists to apply, and no administrative fee will be required for artists selected for the label. Artists selected will receive support from innova for both the production and promotion of their music at no cost at every step of the process. innova will facilitate a communal support network of selected artists to provide guidance and feedback to each other throughout the process.
For those who have not yet completed the recording project, a small grant from the Sorel Organization is available to work with a recording engineer or space owned/led by someone from an underrepresented gender*.
In addition to the support from ACF’s annual fund, innova Recordings receives endowed support from the McKnight Foundation.
Eligibility
American Composers Forum encourages applicants of all racial and gender identities to apply. We will be holding space for women artists to be funded through the Sorel Organization. We invite artists from a full range of musical approaches and are committed to supporting a diverse pool of artists creating music today. For more information about ACF’s equity commitment, please read ACF’s Statement of Commitment to Equity.
This opportunity is for U.S.-based artists, including composers, creators, and performers (as individuals or groups).
How to apply
Whether you have a fully finished album or even demo tracks, [APPLY HERE] and tell us about your music. The application portal will be open April 25 and will close on May 27, 2022 at midnight.
We welcome applicants to discuss their projects and seek guidance on the application process or their projects in general. In addition, an information session about the application process will be held on May 10th at 2pm CT. You can register for the information session on Zoom here. A recording of the information session will be posted online for those not able to attend.
Panel of Curators
Joy Guidry–Photo by Shala Miller
Joy Guidry
Radical self-love, compassion, laughter, and the drive to amplify Black artmakers and noisemakers comprise the core of NYC-based bassoonist and composer Joy Guidry’s work. Their performances have been hailed by The San Diego Tribune as “lyrical and haunting…hair-raising and unsettling.” A versatile improviser and a composer of experimental, daring new works that embody a deep love of storytelling, Joy’s own music channels their inner child in honor of their ancestors and predecessors. Joy seeks to support, hire, and promote Black artists in every aspect of their practice. To this end, Joy has spearheaded Sounds of the African Diaspora, a competition and commissioning platform for composers from the African diaspora. This new initiative ensures that composers from the diaspora have access to the space, resources, and time necessary to foster new, innovative music.
Sara Constant–Photo by Kalina Leonard
Sara Constant
Sara Constant is a musician and artist working in various forms of contemporary/experimental music and sound. Sara’s practice is grounded in music and listening as forms of research, embodiment, and place/space-making. Trained as a flute player and active as a soloist, improviser, and ensemble musician, Sara has performed at festivals/series in Canada (Music Gallery, Innovations en concert, CMC Presents, Women From Space), Europe (Fylkingen, Lyon Museum of Contemporary Art, Fondation Royaumont, Klangspuren Schwaz), and the United States (Oh My Ears, SPLICE). Current projects include collaborations with composers on new musical works, improvisations with instruments and electronics, installation work with loudspeakers, and curation work aimed at building community spaces for interdisciplinary music-making. Sara is currently based in Tkaronto/Toronto, where they work as an artist, flutist, music writer (Musicworks), curator (Music Gallery), arts administrator (Venus Fest), and community organizer.
Amadeus Julian Regucera–Photo by Francesco Passalacqua
Amadeus Julian Regucera
The work of Amadeus Julian Regucera (b.1984) engages with the embodied and acoustical energy of sound and the erotics of its production through concert music, installation, performance art, and video. He has been commissioned by notable ensembles such as Ensemble Linea, Alarm Will Sound, Ensemble Intercontemporain, EXAUDI, the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, Eco Ensemble, Duo Cortona, Third Sound, and Splinter Reeds who have presented his works in venues and festivals around the world. Amadeus holds degrees in Music from the University of California, San Diego (B.A. 2006) and the University of California, Berkeley (PhD, 2016) where he lectures in the Department of Music.
Shruthi Rajasekar–Photo by Alia Rose Photography
Shruthi Rajasekar
Shruthi Rajasekar is an Indian-American composer and vocalist exploring identity, community, and joy. Described as “lushly beguiling music” by The Times, Rajasekar’s work draws from her unique dual background in the Carnatic (South Indian classical) and Western classical idioms. Her music is performed in venues across the USA, Europe, and Asia, including a recent premiere at the UN Climate Change Conference COP26.
About the Sorel Organization
The Elizabeth and Michel Sorel Charitable Organization Inc., a 501©(3) private foundation, was established in 1996 by pianist Claudette Sorel and named for her parents. The Sorel Organization (www.SorelMusic.org) is committed to expanding opportunities for women in music, amplifying the voices of underrepresented composers, advancing gender and racial equity, and broadening the classical music canon for future generations.
I CARE IF YOU LISTEN is an editorially-independent program of the American Composers Forum, funded with generous donor and institutional support. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author and may not represent the views of ICIYL or ACF.
A gift to ACF helps support the work of ICIYL. For more on ACF, visit the “At ACF” section or composersforum.org.
