Project Updates:

AUGUST 1st: Due to illness (the dreaded plague has finally descended on our home), this project is being rescheduled. I’m so bummed not be completing these works this year as planned, but want to give each movement the time and attention they need. I’ll be giving some updates in Summer 2025 about the new timeline - thank you to all who have been following so far!

JULY 18th: The first few works from the collection are complete! Check out the blog to read more about the first four recipes.

MAY 1st: After several delays, the project will be relaunching later this spring with an adjusted calendar! Fortunately I have the entire month of June and July to catch up on these wonderful projects and I’m so excited to dive back in earnest soon. Check back here and on the blog for more updates as the month continues!

JANUARY 6th: The New Music Cookbook project is officially launched! I am unbelievably moved and grateful that so many musicians, composers, and food-lovers alike have volunteered this time for the project. You can see more about who is involved by scrolling down to the Project Calendar, but check back soon to read about our special guest composers for the appendix!

DECEMBER 27th: New Music Cookbook submissions are now closed. Thank you so much to everyone who applied to be a part of this project! I can’t wait to read through everyone’s submissions and start planning the project calendar with your recipes. Check back soon for the initial line-up!

NOVEMBER 29th: New Music Cookbook submissions are now open! Please feel free to send me a message on the contact portal if you have any questions. Looking forward to seeing your submission!

Project Calendar:

1 year, 25 recipes and new pieces! Each month I am hoping to dedicate one week to writing 2-3 new short works for solo instrument based on the recipes submitted. Similar to Project 12 and Spring Forward, I hope to update the blog regularly to include details on the recipes, collaborators, and - of course - the music! All collaborators are listed below; recipes and instrumentation will be announced on a monthly basis.

An asterisk (*) indicates projects I am currently working on.

QUARTER ONE:

January

Robert Clayson | Alabama | French Onion Chicken Pasta (for marimba)

JT Rustad | Maryland | Deconstructed Tuscan Bean Soup Casserole (for violin)

February

Monica Chew | California | Mango Salad (for piano)

Shana Norton | Texas | Chocolate Mousse (for lever harp)

*March

Everette Minchew | Alabama

Alex Ostergard | Massachusetts

QUARTER TWO:

April

Joel Denney | Minnesota

Christopher Rodriguez | Texas

May

Lisa Neher | Oregon

Zach Cook | Texas

June

Melinda Massie | Texas

Clara Byom | New Mexico

QUARTER THREE:

July

Benjamin J. Anderson | Minnesota

Nicole Riner | Wyoming

Michael Hall | Illinois

August

Lauren Rudzinskas | Ohio

Paula Van Goes | Georgia

September

Marco Schirripa | Texas

Emily Mehigh | Missouri

QUARTER FOUR:

October

Kincaid Rabb | California

Ashley Killam | Virginia

November

Mary McManus | Wisconsin

Scott Senko | Minnesota

December

Andrew Hosler | Michigan

Max Wolpert | Colorado

Appendix:

In addition to the works I’m writing for New Music Cookbook, I am also excited to announce we will be including additional recipes as an appendix! These recipes will inspire new works by guest composers - to be announced very soon! I can’t wait to introduce you to these fantastic writers and hear what they come up with in the coming year.

Call for Proposals:

The application window for this opportunity is now closed. Thank you to all who submitted! You can still read the initial call for proposals below.

In March of 2020, I put out a call for mini-project proposals. The result was Commissions from Quarantine, a collection of over 30 miniatures for solo and duo instruments, commissioned by music-makers from around the world. The project taught me that even the smallest of pieces can have a big impact, and I was so excited to work with so many wonderful people to provide the sheet music for free in the library. The low cost allowed so many music-makers—including many first-time commissioners!—to participate, and I have been eagerly awaiting the time when I could provide such an opportunity again.

I’m excited to announce that the time has come once more, this time in the form of a New Music Cookbook.

1 year, 25 recipes and new works

The New Music Cookbook will be a collection of 25 new pieces for solo instruments, based on recipes submitted by you! Each accepted submission will result in one entry: a page with the recipe and information about the person who provided it, followed by the sheet music of a short piece by me inspired by the recipe. At the end of 2022, I will compile all of the music and recipes to create a PDF cookbook—24 recipes from submissions, and one from me!

Those whose proposals are accepted will receive the cookbook for free and will have the ability to proofread their submission before it is sent out. The cookbook will also be available for free to anyone who provides a donation receipt to their local food bank, soup kitchen, or homeless shelter ($10 or more). It will be available to everyone else for $20. I plan to donate all proceeds from the cookbook to my local food bank on a monthly basis for the entirety of 2023.

To keep the project accessible, there is NO application or commission fee, and I will NOT require a commitment to record the work in order to participate (though, if you would like to record pieces from this project, please get in touch! I hope to post any recordings made as a playlist to accompany the cookbook as they become available). I hope to make a wide range of works, including pieces for beginners and professionals alike.

Anyone can apply! Whether you’re a musician, a composer, or just have a recipe you’d love to see included in the project, I’d love to hear from you!

If you would like to apply for this opportunity, check out the requirements below! You can apply through the submission page, contact email, or by connecting with me on Twitter or Instagram (@kimpositions).

Project Summary:

Submission Requirements:

The deadline to submit is Monday, December 27th (by 11:59pm PT).

Please submit via email to newmusiccookbook@gmail.com.

With your proposal, please submit:

• Basic Information: Your name and what state you’re currently based in. If desired, you can also submit your website (including Soundcloud and/or Bandcamp) and social media information to be included as well!

• Your Recipe (any cuisine, any meal type!): Your recipe (including ingredients, measurements, step-by-step instructions, etc.) and the reason you’re submitting this one in particular (is it a family recipe? one you fell in love with during the pandemic? your go-to for late nights?). Please make sure this is a recipe you are comfortable sharing!

• Instrumentation Preference; for this project, I am only writing for solo instruments (no electronics, please). You can also indicate if you’d like the piece to be for open instrumentation! You can also specify if you’d like the piece to be for a beginning player, or for something more challenging.

• Optional: If you have a picture you’re comfortable sharing (including headshots of yourself or pictures of the completed recipe), feel free to include these as attachments as well!

• Optional: If you are willing to record your piece (or any others!), please indicate this in your message. This will NOT impact whether or not your recipe is included, so if you don’t feel comfortable committing to record the piece, just let me know!

FAQ

I’m not a musician, but I have a great recipe to share!

Please apply! You don’t need to be a musician or composer to submit your recipe.

When will I know if my recipe was chosen?

I plan to finalize the recipes by the first week of January, 2023. All applicants will receive notice if they are included in the official recipe book or appendix.

What happens if my recipe isn’t chosen?

While only 24 recipes will have music written for the official cookbook, I intend to include as many additional recipes as possible as an appendix. All applicants whose recipes are included in the appendix will still receive the full cookbook for free.

What will you do if multiple people submit similar recipes?

If multiple people submit similar recipes, I hope to find a good way to include “variations” within the listing and give equal credit to each applicant. For example, if four people submit similar recipes for cornbread, I may combine them into a single page with notes like Tip from Person A: chill batter overnight! or Ingredients for Person C uses almond milk in place of dairy. All four people would still receive the cookbook for free!

I have…a lot!!…of recipes!

Feel free to submit multiple recipes! While I can only pick one per applicant for the official cookbook, I’m happy to consider additional recipes for the appendix. Please submit NO MORE than 3 for consideration.

I don’t have a recipe, but would like to record one of the miniatures. How does this work?

I welcome support from musicians who are willing to record any/multiple miniatures! As works are completed, I can send out sheet music to individual musicians for recording. As recordings are submitted, I will include them on the project page. Eventually, when these works are moved into The Library, the recordings will also be included. You can submit recordings using Google Drive, Dropbox, etc. or post it to your own YouTube/Soundcloud/Bandcamp page. I only ask that any monetization of the recording be donated to a food bank, soup kitchen, or homeless shelter.

What happens after the pieces are written?

After a year of writing and a year of giving the cookbook out in exchange for donations, I will make all 24 pieces of sheet music available for free. The full cookbook will still be available as a PDF in exchange for a donation of $10 or more to local food banks, soup kitchens, and homeless shelters, but I will no longer accept direct transactions.

Can I pre-order the cookbook now?

For now, I will not be accepting pre-orders. More specific information on payment methods, pre-orders, and release dates will be available later in 2022.

I’m a composer and would like to participate in this project—can I write for one of these recipes too?

Depending on the number of overflow recipe submissions, I may be offering a cooperative composing component to this project that would include new works for recipes in the appendix. If you would like to be considered for this, get in touch through the contact form or project email address (newmusiccookbook@gmail.com) to let me know and I’ll make sure you’re kept in the loop!