There are a bunch of useful (not required, but useful) skills and personality traits that an artist might benefit from. I have probably less than half of them. At the top of the list of my shortcomings is an inability to be an advocate for my own art, and presence in the art world. If public attention to (and, of course, compensation for) your art reaches a certain level, you can outsource that — higher an agent, a publicist, a manager, an event organizer — and that shortcoming is no longer a problem. Of course, the artists who benefit from such luxuries are very small in number.

So, today I’m going to list my accomplishments. This is NOT a screed about the quality of my art. There are lots of people in the “artist” category whose presence there wasn’t won by quality of work. (I’m hoping I’m not one, I’ve had a few people tell me I do OK. More importantly, from my perspective and personal goals, I enjoy listening to my own compositions at least as much as the works of others, so I’m satisfied.)

No, this will be about milestone accomplishments as a composer.

I have been pursuing my art fairly consistently for five and a half years. I began writing my first composition, “String Quartet #1,” in the fall of 2020, completing it in February 2021. UK faculty members Ben and Margie Karp, with two graduate students in tow, spent a Thanksgiving weekend reading and recording it, the first time I’d ever heard a musician perform a “classical” composition of mine. (They gave me the recordings only under the condition I not post them publicly, a wish I’ve honored. I was quite happy and flattered they were willing to do it at all!)

By that time, I’d only had a few courses one could say were aimed at making me a composer, mostly under the instruction of Joe Baber, the resident composer and composition professor in the UK School of Music at that time. I was hoping to directly study composition under him in the fall of 2021, but he passed that summer. I’ve studied since then with his replacements — Patrick Valentino (an interim for 2 years), and Juan Trigos (3 years — he leaves UK Monday for Italy). A new composition professor has been hired for this fall. UK hasn’t announced who since the ink isn’t dry, but I’ll be studying with her (I know that much) next semester.

So here’s the list. In 5 1/2 years I will have….

• Studied with 4 composers.
• Learned the technologies which support traditional music scoring.
• Completed 13 compositions: two piano works, five pieces for small ensembles, three choral pieces, and three works for full orchestra. Along the way I learned how to successfully write for an incredible range of instruments I have never played.
• Had 4 concert premieres (one was a commission) and 3 “reads” of works.
• Had a presence in two online publications (featured in one), and two television appearances (featured in one) — see that under “Media”,
• Published it all, including four recorded live performances, freely on a website of my own design and maintenance. There I’ve included notes on compositional technique, theory, and artistic and personal goals.

I, of course, would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the costs of my studies were donated to me by a state-wide program and UK office specifically charged with supporting life-long learning — the Donovan Scholar Program.

There, I’ve done it, I’ve tooted my own horn. As I negotiate yet another change this fall, I thought I should at least list, and celebrate, the journey so far.