Jay C. Batzner (b. 1974) is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Central Florida where he teaches music composition and technology courses as well as coordinates the composition program. In his first year, Jay received two prestigious grants: one to create collaborative works with visual artist Carla Poindexter and the second to initiate electroacoustic music concerts in Orlando. Prior to this position, Jay was an active adjunct professor at several colleges in the Kansas City area while he completed his D.M.A. in Composition at the University of Missouri – Kansas City Conservatory. While at UMKC, Jay received honors including a Distinguished Dissertation Fellowship and a Dean's Doctoral Scholar Fellowship.
Jay's music ranges from instrumental chamber works to electroacoustic compositions. He has participated in numerous national and international festivals including the Wellesley Composers Conference and the International Young Composers' Meeting in the Netherlands. His music is published by Unsafe Bull Music and has been recorded on the Capstone and Vox Novus labels. Jay is a frequent contributor to the new music website Sequenza21.com and a founding member of the composers organization The Collected.
Jay is a sci-fi geek, an amateur banjoist, a home brewer, and juggler.
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2/01/2008
No.
I've mentioned before that I'm okay with rejection. Yes, it bums me out, but I understand it and don't take it too personally. My latest gripe about rejection, though, is that many opportunities I've sent things to do not send me a rejection letter. WTF? I put a considerable amount of time into printing scores, making a CD, writing a grant proposal, whatever. The least they could do is put together a friggin' mail merge and slap a letter in the mail. Or a bulk email with "thanks, but no thanks."
I crave closure. I sent in a proposal for an opportunity in August. The guidelines say that notification of awards would be on January 31. Well, today is February. No email, no mail, no nothing. I assume that I didn't get selected. Is it so hard for them to tell me themselves? Another opportunity didn't have a hard deadline but I did find out when they wanted things to happen. By now, I should have heard something. I'm pretty sure that means that they are not interested in my work, but again, nothing definite.
When I was applying for jobs, I was amazed at the number of positions that just never contacted me. My applications would fall into a void and, after filling out the AA/EOE form, I would simply never hear from them again. At least 20% of my job applications (10 out of 50) ended with absolutely nothing. That, my friends, is rude and inexcusable. People work hard in creating applications and portfolios. Respect that and tell them "Thank you for applying. We aren't interested at this time."
I think if you are going to offer an opportunity, a performance, or a job, the very least you can do is tell everyone of their status when a decision has been reached. No, we aren't going to perform your music. No, you did not get this commission. No, you did not get this job. It doesn't have to be cutesy, like Anti-Social Music's rejection letters (mine came with a jambalaya recipe) or insightful like my rejection from Frogpeak a few years back. A simple, single sentence rejection letter is fine with me. It shows that you cared about the time and effort that went into my proposal, even if it isn't what you wanted.
posted by Jay C. Batzner
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