COMMISSIONING
My primary passion, of course, is dreaming up new work for companies, consortia, and individuals looking to broaden their repertoire. Your mileage may vary due to a number of factors—fear not. I have a large backlog of ideas for projects and collaborations of any duration and scale fighting to get out the front door of my brain at any given moment. Some have begun that journey and are looking for the perfect next step. There are still others I haven’t revealed. Tell me what you’re hoping for, and let’s discover where we match!
TEACHING/WORKSHOPS
Our art form will only continue to evolve and thrive if we cultivate curiosity and eliminate silos between dramatists, performers, and all involved. My professional adventures have brought me to residencies and guest artist activities at such high-profile university and conservatory music programs as Oberlin Conservatory, Vanderbilt University, Brigham Young University, and Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory. At these institutions and others, I have been part of new works pilot initiatives, lending my practical experience in the field to help establish their evolution from the beginning. I am currently a Visiting Lecturer at Princeton University’s Atelier, cooking up a program we could easily offer at your school, too! Contact me to add another dimension to your music theatre curriculum for any length of time.
THE PROJECT PROJECT
I attempted my first musical in the fourth grade thanks to my band teacher, Mr. Davis, who took time after class to help me out. Now I can be the next Mr. Davis to pre-professionals of any age and experience level with a musical, opera, song cycle, or either/or/neither/nor brewing. The Project Project is one-on-one mentoring time and space to ignite the budding creator’s imagination and cultivate an idea to become most like itself. This can happen in collaboration with academic institutions and presenting organizations for capstone projects and independent studies, or privately. I’m happy to take referrals from individuals and educators. Pricing is determined by the scope of the individual’s/project’s needs. Contact me to schedule a brief introductory discussion.
CONSULTING
Face it: we’re living artists (and/or supporters of artists) working to transform a (mainly) dead writers’ medium. While no progression from first spark to opening night is one-size-fits-all, I’ll help you tackle vital conceptual and practical considerations that you probably didn’t cover in school. In multiple capacities, I have worked with organizations from the tiniest and shoestringiest to the biggest cultural behemoths including a major music publisher. I’m well-versed in licensing issues specific to live music for concert and/or staged performance, and I’ve survived plenty of artistic trials by fire.
Whether your expertise is in words, music, or both, I am eager to assist in managing expectations for a satisfying outcome. Don’t just Google—speak to someone who can break down your personal experience from initial discussion to world premiere.
Quick caveat: I am not a lawyer, and I cannot provide those specific services. But I do have plenty of relevant details to share. Ultimately, I want you to advocate for yourself and prioritize creativity. And if you’re not a generative artist, you’ll have tools to start fresh with a common vocabulary to bring your company’s project to life.
SPEAKING
I am available for guest speaking and panels. Past engagments include the OPERA America Conference, Cleveland Opera Theater, Fort Worth Opera, John Duffy Institute, University of Nebraska-Omaha, Vanderbilt University, Lamont School of Music, Centenary College of Louisiana, and numerous podcasts. Past topics have included:
Repertoire Development for Young Singers (writing opera for young voices)
Writing Words for Opera (all levels of experience)
The Wonderful World of Grand Rights: What Your Music is Worth (for composers)
Licensing Music for Live Performance (for performers or composers)
Collaboration: Writing New Opera (any artistically curious folks)
And I’m always game to brainstorm with you about new subjects based on your needs!
SUPERTITLES & TRANSCRIPTION
No time for the tedium of adding supertitles/subtitles to your work sample videos? Sure, AI is tempting…fate! Don’t let embarrassing faux pas happen to you! Call a dependable human who lives and breathes the art of the text. I can design supertitles that reflect the look and feel of your piece and are not intrusive to the video.
Need a transcript of your last podcast interview or panel discussion? Send your recordings right over. In addition to years of practice with my own work, I have transcribed podcasts, reality TV shows, lectures, and more.
If it’s sheet music you need, I can create a score from your audio track, even the scratchiest scratch demo. You can count on me for speed and accuracy. In all cases, fees are based on the duration and complexity of your original recording.
BUT DON’T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT…
“Rachel’s feedback was comprehensive and incredibly helpful. My frame of reference was limited, and Rachel provided much needed insight that I will take with me to future negotiations.”
“Rachel has an immense knowledge of many facets of the industry. When I needed help figuring out where to take a project that didn't fit cleanly into any genre, she immediately honed in on what it is, where it might fit, and how to best position it.”
“She is an invaluable collaborator and human being and wonderful with artists of all skill levels.”