The NowBeat Project is a free mentorship, networking, and performance program for young composers ages 10 to 16. All participants write a short composition (5 minutes or less) for two to three instruments and will be paired with a Composer-Mentor, who will give constructive feedback as they write their short pieces. Participants will attend monthly lectures from guest speakers, discussions about the music world, and other topics over Zoom. Approximately halfway through the cycle (most likely in March 2026), participants will have the opportunity to hear their in-progress pieces read by student musicians at The Juilliard School. In May, Juilliard musicians will rehearse and record the finished pieces, and the participants will receive edited video and audio recordings.

Eligibility

  • Must be  10 and 16 years old at the time of application
  • Have some experience writing music in the past and can notate their compositions on staff paper/sheet music
  • Have had relatively few (if any) opportunities for their music to be performed
  • Applicants can be from anywhere in the world to participate in the 2026 Cycle, as all of the live components of the program will take place on Zoom. We are hoping to include 20 young composers in the 2026 Cycle.

Writing the Music
Once applicants are accepted into the 2026 Cycle, they will be given a choice to write for one of several small chamber ensembles. They will then spend February through April working to write a short piece for the ensemble they select. NOTE: We will try our very best to get each participant their first choice of ensemble, but this is not always possible considering the uneven demand between the choices we provide.

Connecting with Composer-Mentors
2026 Cycle participants will be paired with one of our talented and motivated Composer-Mentors, all of whom are music composition students at The Juilliard School, Columbia University, Mannes School of Music at The New School, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at NYU, and the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. Each participant will meet with their respective Composer-Mentor at least four times between February and April to receive informal, constructive feedback about their composition.

Monthly All-Program Meetings
Approximately once a month, we will host a Zoom meeting for all participants and Composer-Mentors. This will serve as a space to share music, thoughts, and ideas, engage in discussions about the young composer world and the classical music scene in general, learn from guest speakers (to be announced), and much more.

Reading the Music
In March 2026, participants will have the opportunity to submit their in-progress pieces to be read by wonderful young musicians who are currently students at The Juilliard School. The readings will take place on Zoom, allowing participants to tune in in real-time. Each piece will be read for approximately 20 minutes, and the goal is to give participants the opportunity to hear their music played by real people before they have to turn in the completed version.

Recording the Music
In late April 2026, participants will turn in their completed pieces (including scores & parts). Then, each piece will be rehearsed and recorded by student musicians at The Juilliard School in New York City, NY. The NowBeat Project will retain ownership of all recordings, but participants will be given a copy and encouraged to share publicly, submit to future competitions and opportunities, etc.

Presenting the Virtual Showcase Concert
After the recordings have been distributed to the composers, they will be given the opportunity to participate in our 2026 Cycle Virtual Showcase Concert. This recital will be live-streamed on YouTube, and is an excellent way for the participants to hear the works of their colleagues as well as get their music out there.

For any questions regarding the application or anything regarding The NowBeat Project, please reach out to thenowbeatproject@gmail.com.