Saad Haddad

I’m looking for a small group of composers who want to:

1. Find their voice and make writing music easier / more efficient.
2. Get their music performed and commissioned much more often.

What you see below is the progress the composition fellows inside my program are making right now.

These results are just from the last few weeks alone.

Click the link below to learn more:

composersbrain.com/about?community=10.31.25

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4 days ago | [YT] | 9

Saad Haddad

When I was first starting out, I thought I needed more talent to get my music performed.

But what I actually needed was a system - a way to take the chaos of all my musical ideas and turn it into something performers would be excited to play (no matter what aesthetic you write in)

That’s why I created this masterclass.

In it, I walk through:

- How to generate better musical ideas (even when you’re stuck)

- My feedback framework used by over 100 composers in the last 12 months

- The exact writing process I use for commissions

- How to study scores so you actually learn from them

If you’ve ever wondered how composers go from staring at a blank page to hearing their music at Disney Hall or Carnegie Hall…

This is the roadmap.

P.S. To actually benefit from this masterclass, please APPLY what you are watching 1 module at a time to the work you are doing. This is not meant to be binged in 1 sitting!

4 weeks ago | [YT] | 11

Saad Haddad

Ever feel like building a career in composition is a mystery no one explains? Here’s the step-by-step system I wish someone handed me when I started out:

Part 1: Start Where the Trust Already Is

- Make a simple list of performers you already know, even if you only chatted once.
- Why? The warmest connections lead to the fastest “yes.”
- *Pro tip:* Put all your contacts on one page so you can clearly see who to reach out to first.

Do this: List 5 (or more!) musicians you already know. Who’s your warmest connection?

--

Part 2: Show Up Where the Music Is

- Local chamber concerts are goldmines.
- Be a human first: say hi, ask about them, let them get curious about you.
- If they ask what you do, share you’re a composer. If not, don’t force it.
- Follow up within 24 hours and add their name to your list.

Do this: Attend 1 local concert this month, just show up and connect.

---

Part 3: Keep Your Online “Shell” Simple

- One-page site: short bio, photo, works list (with perusal scores), and contact info.
- That’s enough for now, skip social media until you’re ready.
- (if you look at my website... it literally looks like it's from the early 2000's... and it still does the job)

Do this: Review your website. Is it simple and clear?

---

Part 4: Use Contests the Smart Way

- Submit pieces you’ve already written to contests (with live recordings if possible).
- Avoid fee-heavy contests.
- Track your “batting average.” (your "wins" vs. your "losses")
- *Fun fact:* I lose 90% of contests I enter. Rejection is normal and is not a big deal. Embrace the idea that each “no” brings you closer to a “yes.”

Do this: Submit one existing piece to a contest this month.

--

If you’re ready to stop guessing and start building your career with my support, I’d love to help.

I only work with a small group of composers at a time - click the link below to learn more:

composersbrain.com/about?community=09.28.25%20Comm…

1 month ago | [YT] | 24

Saad Haddad

Writer’s block is one of the most misunderstood parts of being a composer.

People think it’s about a lack of inspiration. Or worse, they think it means they’re not talented enough.

But that’s not it at all.

We’ve been sold this idea of the “genius composer” (I see this ALL the time in orchestral marketing material... ) - some "rare" person born with extraordinary mental powers, just waiting for lightning to strike.

That myth is holding a lot of people back.

Mozart wasn’t just touched by the gods. By age six, he’d already clocked 3,500+ hours of focused practice. Beethoven didn’t wait for ideas to arrive, he worked them nearly to death. Draft after draft. We see it in his manuscripts all the time. Thought experiment after thought experiment.

The truth is: writer’s block doesn’t come from a lack of ideas. It comes from a lack of tools, habits, and structure.

So if you feel stuck right now, ask yourself:

→ Am I jumping into notation software too fast?
→ Am I chasing too many half-formed ideas?
→ Am I trying to finish the whole piece before I’ve explored what’s even possible?

Because composing isn’t magic.

It’s a series of very small, achievable steps, stacked over time. It’s learnable. And the better your tools, the more fun the process becomes.

If you want to radically shift how you compose -- and finally get your music commissioned and performed -- this is exactly what I help serious composers do inside my private online program.

I only work with a small group of composers at a time, and 3 spots are now open.

If you'd like to be considered, apply here before applications close this Sunday:

composersbrain.com/about?community=09.27.25%20Comm…

1 month ago | [YT] | 46

Saad Haddad

I’m looking for a small group of composers who want to:

1. Get their music performed and commissioned
2. Find their voice and make writing music easier

What you see below is the progress the composition fellows inside my program are making right now.

These results are just from September, by the way...

Click the link below to learn more:

composersbrain.com/about?community=09.26.25%20Comm…

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1 month ago | [YT] | 14

Saad Haddad

I’ve been commissioned by dozens of professional ensembles, and this is my least favorite question to ask:

“What do you want in your piece?”

Wait, what? Shouldn’t you give the commissioners exactly what they want, since they’re paying you to write for them?

Here’s the problem with that idea: 9 times out of 10, people answer this question by saying “I’m not sure–just do whatever you like!”

If that’s all the information you have, you can only guess at what will actually make them happy.

And three months later, you’ll deliver a piece they don’t connect with.

How do we get out of this trap?

Here’s exactly what I did for an upcoming commission.

I’m working with an orchestral conductor on a new piece. When I emailed to ask for a Zoom call to discuss my ideas, he just wrote back: “No, Saad, just do whatever you like.”

Most composers would take this as permission to write whatever they want.

But I pushed back.

“I really want to talk to you about this commission,” I told him, and set up a phone call.

In just 30 minutes of conversation, we:

- Talked about repertoire he likes that connects to his city
- Discussed what other pieces would be on the program with my new piece
- Worked through his vision for the concert as a whole

Together, we developed ideas for the piece that I would NEVER have thought of on my own.

The idea is simple: ask MORE specific questions to get MORE specific answers.

Instead of asking "what do you want," try these:

- What repertoire are you performing right now?
- What’s your favorite element of a specific piece of mine?
- What context will this piece be performed in?

These questions get them talking about concrete preferences instead of abstract desires.

And here’s the secret payoff: the more involved the commissioners are in the commission process, the more they'll champion your music.

They'll program it again. They'll recommend you to colleagues. They'll think of you for future projects.

But if you just disappear for three months and come back with something they didn't help shape, you've missed a huge opportunity to build a lasting relationship.

And by the way, I'll be back to reviewing your music soon here on YouTube, so if you'd like to be considered for a free review, you can send me your music here: composersbrain.com/score-review?community=09.25.25…

1 month ago | [YT] | 58

Saad Haddad

What if your dream piece is the thing holding you back?

In a recent call with my composition fellows, we touched on something I believe could be incredibly valuable for your current projects: finding the sweet spot between creative ambition and practical execution.

One of our fellows (let's call him Nick... ) shared a choral piece he'd written specifically for his church choir.

What struck me was how he tailored it to their unique abilities (creating parts for two sopranos who excel at descant lines while keeping the main melody accessible for everyone else).

Rather than writing his "dream piece" that might overwhelm the performers, he created something they could actually sing well.

This approach isn't settling for less. It's strategic composing.

As I mentioned in the call, "I think it's important that we do projects like this that are feasible. You're part of the community. It keeps you going. Because if you just keep working on dream projects all the time and they never get done, that's very deflating."

Even after years of composing professionally, I face this reality.

Despite having numerous orchestral works commissioned and performed, I've never written a symphony or opera. Rather than force these larger forms without the right opportunity, I focus on projects with a clear path to performance.

My recommendation is to maintain a balanced portfolio of compositions:

1. Projects you KNOW will be performed (like Nick's choir piece)
2. Pieces that stretch your abilities slightly but still have realistic performance opportunities
3. Only occasionally, more ambitious works when you have specific performers in mind

Remember that your time is a precious resource.

Being strategic about where you invest it isn't compromising your artistic vision (it's ensuring your music actually reaches audiences and keeps your creative momentum going).

As I told Nick, "I would encourage you to do a mix of stuff that's realistic and stuff that's a bit of a slight reach." This approach prevents the bitterness that can develop when we pour months into pieces that never leave our desk.

And if you want to learn exactly how to balance ambition with practicality so that you can complete projects that actually get commissioned and performed... you can find out how down below:

composersbrain.com/about?community=09.12.25%20Comm…

1 month ago | [YT] | 22

Saad Haddad

I took this photo today in front of Columbia University, where I now teach.

Every time I walk through this campus, I feel like I’m passing through old versions of myself.

- The teenager who heard an orchestra for the first time and thought, “Wait… people can actually do that?”

- The student who used to write what he thought were “pieces,” but were really just overgrown exercises.

- The composer who spent hours staring at blank staff paper, convinced that real artists didn’t get stuck like this.

Back then, none of this felt realistic.

To be part of a place like this.
To be taken seriously.
To walk into a classroom and not feel like an imposter in a borrowed suit.

And yet, here I am.

Not because I was some genius. (Far from it. Ask my ear training professors... i was AWFUL)

Not because I had a five-year plan.

But because i kept going.

- Kept writing terrible drafts.
- Kept asking questions that didn’t always have answers.
- Kept believing, even just a little, that the work itself might lead somewhere.

If you’re in the middle of figuring it out, just know you’re not behind.

It’s okay if your early pieces are messy.
It’s okay if you still don’t feel “ready.”

I didn’t either.

The work is still worth it.
And your future self will be glad you stuck with it.

1 month ago | [YT] | 107

Saad Haddad

You can read every theory book in the world and still not know what to write...

Why?

Because theory teaches you rules, not solutions.

Let me explain.

One of my composition students had two contrasting ideas in a piece. One was an octave-based motive. The other was a lyrical folk-like tune.

The question wasn't "what chords can follow what." It was:

How do I get from Idea A to Idea B... in a way that feels earned?

And that's the part no book can teach you.

Creative solutions come from listening to how real composers handled similar problems:

- How did Debussy introduce a contrasting texture without it feeling random?
- How did Bartók transition from one motive to another without stopping the flow?
- What did Beethoven remove from a dense chord to make it land harder?

These aren't theory questions. They're composer questions.

And once you start collecting solutions from scores (not just rules from textbooks) your writing opens up.

Not with guesswork. But with confidence.

If you want to learn more about how you can master this kind of practical compositional problem-solving rather than abstract theory, you can do so by clicking the link here:

composersbrain.com/about?community=09.10.25%20Comm…

P.S. You might worry that studying other composers' solutions will make your music sound derivative, but it actually does the opposite (it gives you a toolkit of techniques to express your unique ideas more effectively).

P.P.S. And just for fun here's an image of what I'm working on right now... and yes that's a vacuum in the far corner behind the piano... gotta make sure the dust doesn't accumulate down here....

1 month ago | [YT] | 34

Saad Haddad

In 2009, I was one of four young composers mentored by the late Dr. Steven Stucky, then composer-in-residence at the LA Philharmonic.

I was just a teenager. I had no idea what I was doing.
(…Now I have slightly more of an idea...)

But Dr. Stucky saw something in me. And everything changed.

That fellowship gave me something I couldn’t have found on my own:

-A mentor who pushed me beyond what I thought I was capable of.
-A tight-knit group of composers who challenged and supported each other.
-And a way of writing that felt personal, urgent, and performable.

We weren’t trying to impress anyone.

We were writing to figure out who we were.

And we were actually getting our music played.

That experience helped me get into USC, Juilliard, and Columbia…

It led to commissions and performances from the LA Phil, JACK Quartet, Imani Winds, and more…

But most importantly, it showed me the power of community, mentorship, and focus.

Dr. Stucky passed away in 2016. I think about him every day.

And I’ve tried to honor his legacy by creating something similar:

-A space where composers are supported.
-A place where their work is taken seriously.
-Where their voice can grow into something real.

If that resonates, you can join the waitlist below to be the first to hear when we reopen.

composersbrain.com/?community=09.06.25

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1 month ago | [YT] | 27