To be a Band Composer

This used to be insulting, but now it's far from it (at least in my opinion).

Point of fact:

John Adams, probably today's most performed living composer, had 50 total performances of all of his orchestral works. John Mackey, a fast-rising young composer had 70 performances that same year...for one band piece.

Great wind bands will sound just as good if not better than their orchestral counterparts at the same school.

Average hours spent on a new orchestral work by a professional orchestra: 2 hours (at best). Hours spent on a new band work: 15 or more. (These are just estimates, but the point is a wind ensemble will actually carefully rehearse a work by a contemporary composer).

The wind band repertoire is starving for new music.

The wind band is not the snob orchestras can be about music. Or at least the expectations for a wind ensemble work is not nearly as snobby as it is for orchestral music.

Bottom line, I don't think we should stop writing orchestral music, but I do think the wind ensemble is still highly underrated. And can sound GREAT.