Artistic Growth Incubator

Master the craft of music composition.

Move audiences.

Secure monthly performances.

About the program

Founded and let by Dr. Joseph Sowa, the Artistic Growth Incubator is a comprehensive online training program for emerging composers who want to grow their composing and career skills so that they can secure at least one new commission or performance every month—and do it with confidence.

You'll master the creative tools that harness the psychology of expectation—helping you write music that gives audiences goosebumps, gets stuck in their heads, and brings them back for more.

The Incubator expands on the traditional private composition studio model, combining the personalized attention of private instruction with structured group learning and professional recording opportunities.

Every month, you'll work directly with Dr. Sowa to master and apply specific tools for creative or career-building projects. Whether you're composing your first orchestra piece or seeking a string quartet commission, you'll follow a clear path that takes the anxiety out of composing and replaces it with flow.

The result? A growing portfolio of compelling music and regular opportunities to share it.

The program is designed as a full-year enrollment, with a minimum commitment of 3 months.

Past projects have included:

  • Creating pieces for orchestras, choirs, concert band, chamber groups, musical theatre, EDM, film scores, and other genres

  • Deepening technical skill in harmony, counterpoint, or orchestration

  • Recording new works with professional musicians

  • Sketching ideas for new compositions

  • Crafting the form and development of works in progress

  • Revising pieces to improve artistry and clean up notation

  • Securing a commission or the performance of a new work

  • and more!

Conductor Peter Pejtsik leads the Budapest Art Orchestra in the July 2023 student composition recording session.

What’s Possible in the Wizarding School for Composers

The Artistic Growth Incubator Yields Major Results…

Incubator students get performed and commissioned.

Laurel Christensen

“All Night I Could Not Sleep”
New Jersey All-State Choir

Jessica Margolin

“Dona Nobis Pacem”
First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Francisco, CA

Joseph Jones

Fragments No. 2 for 6 players
Decoda Ensemble at Carnegie Hall

Incubator students get published.

Iain MacDonald, John Bradshaw, Katie Troy, Kevin Kopsco, Matt Hess

All published oboe chamber works with TrevCo Music, the leading publisher of double reed music.

Incubator students get accepted to festivals and grad schools.

Greta Stiegler

Brevard 2023, Mostly Modern 2023,
Sofia Symphonic Summit 2024

Heather Savage

Appalachian State University’s master’s degree program in Music Composition

Beverly Beegle

Hidden Valley Emerging Composers Intensive 2023

Professional Recording Opportunities

Incubator students receive regular access to professional recording opportunities. In 2025, these include:

  • April/May: Saxyderms — Reading session and potential performance with the Boston-based saxophone choir

  • July: Budapest Scoring Orchestra — Full orchestral recording session

  • October: Chamber music opportunity —details TBA

  • January 2026: Brevitas Choir — Professional chamber choir recording session

How Does the Program Work?

Each quarter, you’ll set personalized creative or career-building goals with Dr. Sowa. All students meet with Dr. Sowa live on Zoom, and all sessions are recorded for rewatching later.

Each week, you’ll work toward those goals through tailored assignments, live workshops and masterclasses, pre-recorded trainings, accountability partners, and other learning activities, building your skills step by step.

The Artistic Growth Incubator requires 4–8 hours of work per week, between the workshops and your own composing. With structured learning and personalized guidance, you’ll build reliable creative habits and grow a portfolio of music you’re proud to share.

Group Sessions

Each month, our group sessions explore specific topics like:

  • "Beyond Triads: Analyzing and using the extended tonal palette"

  • "Orchestral Textures: How they make composing easier and your orchestration clearer"

  • “How win performances and secure commissions”

Individual Support

  • Quarterly goal-setting sessions with Dr. Sowa

  • Private lessons (1-2 monthly)

  • Personalized weekly assignments

Special Opportunities

  • Quarterly masterclasses with renowned guests

  • Recording sessions with professional musicians

  • Active composer community

Program Tiers

Choose the level of engagement that's right for you:

✨ Creative Process Tier

For composers ready to unlock their creative flow through expert guidance

  • Quarterly goal setting calls

  • Weekly workshops, score study sessions, and office hours

  • Access to pre-recorded workshop library (200+ hours)

  • Weekly accountability partners and private online community

  • 20% discount on recording intensives

$375/month

$4,500 total, pay-in-full discounts available

🪄 Technical Mastery Tier

For composers committed to mastering their craft through focused mentorship

  • All features of the Creative Process Tier, plus:

  • Up to 2 private lessons per month

  • Audit access to masterclasses

  • Priority access to available recording slots

$500/month

$6,000 total, pay-in-full discounts available

🎼 Portfolio Builder Tier

For composers ready to record their music and accelerate their careers

  • All features of the Technical Mastery Tier, plus:

  • Full masterclass participation

  • Included recording opportunities:

    • Full orchestra (Budapest Scoring Orchestra)

    • A cappella chamber choir (Brevitas)

    • Two chamber music sessions

$900/month

$10,800 total, pay-in-full discounts available

Program Duration & Pay-In-Full Discounts

The program is designed as a full-year enrollment, with a minimum commitment of 3 months. If, after 3 months, you aren’t seeing the results you’re seeking, you may cancel the rest of your enrollment and will be refunded any excess tuition.

Students who pay in full for the year receive a 5% discount.

What Our Alumni Are Saying

  • “I learned a ton from coaching with Dr. Sowa that I did not pick up in college.“

    Karalyn Schubring, BM in composition from Michigan, pianist and improviser

  • “The course was customized for each individual, so we were able to take the tasks and tools we were learning and apply them to our music. . . . I feel like I have more knowledge, critiquing skills, and tools that will help bring my music to the next level.”

    Heather Enke, Composer, pianist

  • "The value of the Wizarding School is flabbergasting — so much material. Even after the course ends, it will take a long time to go through it all."

    Jessica Margolin, composer

  • "If you feel like there is anything at all that is keeping you from writing the music you want to write, inquire about the Wizarding School for Composers. This program will be of great benefit to you."

    Ken Applegate, composer

  • Joining the Wizarding School will add you to a growing community that will fully support your musical journey, no matter where you are on that path!"

    Stephanie Plautz, composer, euphonium

  • “Before I took the Wizarding School course, my compositional process relied only on a combination of intuition and jazz theory. I now feel like I have an approach that removes the anxiety from the process and allows me to be my most creative self.”

    David Ashton, DMA in clarinet performance from Rutgers, NYC-based multi-woodwind performer, improviser, and composer

  • “I always sensed that I had the ability to be a composer and to make beautiful music, but felt that I didn't have the tools to make that happen. Because of the Wizarding School, those dreams of composing became possibilities.”

    Seth Castleton, DMA in cello performance from the University of Maryland

Ready to Take the Next Step?

If you're interested in joining the Artistic Growth Incubator, we'd love to speak with you. Schedule a call with Dr. Joseph Sowa to discuss how our program can help you achieve your composing goals.