The Arkansas State Society of Composers is a formal student organization at A-State for music composers. It organizes regular concerts and new music events and advocates for composers across a variety of genres, including electronic and experimental music.

The group supports various forms of musical expression, including electronic music, film scoring and experimental music. The chapter is part of a composition area that emphasizes the performance of original works by students and provides opportunities for both acoustic and electronic music.

A-State’s composition studies are led by faculty members who hone students’ craft through private and group lessons. Students in an SCI chapter are eligible for a reduced membership rate for the national organization, which gives them access to benefits such as participation in national and regional conferences, opportunities to have their works performed and access to publications.

Many of these composers use their music as self-expression and a tool to convey feelings.

Jakob Callis, a first-year double major in vocal performance and trumpet performance from Kennett, Missouri, said that he often writes sad music. 

 “A lot of the things that I write are very sad and melancholic, just kind of to reflect on my past and unleash a part of myself that I can’t really express in other ways, because I’m usually a very happy and bubbly person.”

Callis said he draws inspiration from older eras of music and enjoys bending the limits in his work.

“I listen to a lot of Romantic era music, and I’m inspired by that era most. I find that the proper understanding of music rules — and breaking them — can make a piece just so much better,” Callis said.

His motivation stems from the ability to express himself freely, viewing composition as a form of journaling and a commitment to his work.

“I try to understand motifs and things that composers write, and kind of the direction the composer is going in, but then I go to a piano and find what I feel sounds a little bit different,” Callis said.

Balancing originality with influence, he often incorporates elements from the 1800s while adding his own twist.

“I try to have society in mind when I’m writing things, just so that I can be relatable to the audience. Because if no one’s listening to it, then there’s no communication at all,” Callis said.  “If some people are listening to it, then the music I compose achieves something — and that’s communication.”

Parker Long, a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in composition, finds inspiration from the world and from Neo-Romantic philosophical composers.

“I like taking what people know and adding a certain amount of depth to it to make people think a little differently, because that’s how I think,” Long said.

Long prefers large ensembles for their expansive color and freedom, though he has recently explored chamber works.

“Not everything is everyone’s cup of tea. As long as I am doing what I believe needs to be done and writing what I believe needs to be written, then that’s good enough for me,” Long said.

Dr. Nathan Froebe, a composer, conductor and music educator, explained the development of musical ideals and the process of turning them into compositions.

“The way I develop it is I just do some basic techniques to figure out, OK, how much life can I get out of this material? If I transpose it, will that freshen it up? If I flip it on its head, invert it, will that create something?” Froebe said.

He said revisions are typically minor tweaks during the rehearsal process.

“I always try to refer back to whatever that original idea is and see, how can I change one thing in it? Maybe that helps keep it recognizable to the audience while also pushing it forward and giving it some development,” Froebe said.

Froebe said he experiments with miniatures to refine form and structure, applying these lessons to larger works.

“A lot of times, my secondary ideas come from the primary idea as I’ve built it up and fleshed it out. But it’s basically a lot of taking the thing and hammering it from eight different directions to see what I can get out of it,” he said.

He added that he enjoys educating audiences about new music and bridging the gap between composers and listeners, especially when dealing with challenging sociocultural themes.

“I feel like we as musicians need to build community with what we’re doing,” Froebe said.

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