Author Archives: Dennis Tobenski

About Dennis Tobenski

Dennis Tobenski (b. 1982) has been hailed by the New York Times as a "dynamic vocalist" and a composer whose music is "distinctive and engaging". He has studied with composers David Del Tredici, Chester Biscardi, Daron Hagen, and Stephen Andrew Taylor, and has received fellowships from the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, the Prairie Center of the Arts, and the Ucross Foundation. Dennis is the co-founder of the Tobenski-Algera Concert Series, whose mission is to present and promote new music by young and emerging composers, and the founder of NewMusicShelf.com, an online digital distributor of scores by self-published composers. (http://www.dennistobenski.com)

The Composer’s Guide to Doing Business

Yesterday, I launched a new blog series titled The Composer’s Guide to Doing Business at DennisTobenski.com. The new series is aimed at composers looking to become more entrepreneurial, and who want to learn more about the business aspects of the … Continue reading

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Doing Business: DRM and Piracy

Every couple of months, the topic of Digital Rights Management (DRM) rears its ugly head when I’m talking to a composer or new music enthusiast about the NewMusicShelf. How does NMS ensure the security of the composer’s scores once someone … Continue reading

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300 scores

A new mile marker for NewMusicShelf – there are now 300 scores and sets of parts available!

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Joe Wiedemann joins NMS

Everybody say hello to Joe Wiedemann of Orchestronics! With a degree in broadcasting from the University of Evansville, and a double major in music, Wiedemann has been active in creating works for documentaries and news programs since 1981. His music … Continue reading

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Doing Business: Virtual Shelf Space

Virtual shelf space is a wonderful thing. In a brick-and-mortar music store, of which there are sadly becoming less and less, shelf space is at a premium – a physical store can only hold so much physical sheet music. Of … Continue reading

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Peter A. Michalove joins NewMusicShelf

I’m excited to welcome Peter A. Michalove to the NewMusicShelf! Peter Michalove has written for a wide range of musical media, including orchestra, concert band, and chorus, as well as a variety of vocal and instrumental chamber ensembles. His music … Continue reading

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Rebekah Driscoll joins NewMusicShelf

Please give a warm welcome to composer Rebekah Driscoll! Rebekah Driscoll was born in Lebanon, New Hampshire in 1980. As a child she taught herself to play several musical instruments, and as a teenager she began composing music without formal … Continue reading

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Pricing: A Practical Approach

In an effort to make pricing my scores easier and less subjective, I’ve been tinkering with a series of formulas to tell me what I should charge, and I think I’ve come up with some good stuff. However, before I … Continue reading

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Caveat Compositor redux

My post Caveat Compositor seems to be the most popular post here, so in keeping with the spirit of caveats and keeping an eye on shady practices: I got an email today about the International Music Prize™ for Excellence in … Continue reading

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Douglas Lausten joins NMS

Welcome to composer Douglas Lausten and his Suite for Tuba and Drum Set! Douglas Laustsen is a composer and trombonist as well as an occasional radio host and music blogger. In 2011 he co-founded the music ensemble Beta Test which … Continue reading

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