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Mômeludies, an independent publishing house founded in 1985 and based in Lyon, France, has set itself the challenge of publishing contemporary scores for children. Mômeludies has made a name for itself and earned the respect of musicians by publishing pieces by today's composers, aimed at beginners.
An independent adventure
It's no coincidence that this publishing house was born in the wake of the Centre de formation des musiciens intervenants (CFMI) in Lyon! These musicians, known as "dumistes", are specialists in musical interventions in schools. " We were sorely lacking in scores for practicing today's music in schools," recounts Gérard Authelain, co-founder of the CFMI and initiator of the Mômeludies adventure. Today, the catalog of this independent, non-profit publisher includes some 260 pieces written especially for children, from kindergarten to secondary school.
A collection dedicated to contemporary music
Among the various collections offered by the publisher, one of the most original is the "Musemporaines" collection, featuring commissioned pieces by male and female composers. " All these commissions have enabled us to create a corpus of pieces suitable for the youngest musicians, with scores that deserve to enter the repertoire," continues Gérard Authelain. Jean-Christophe Rosaz, Michèle Reverdy, Alain Savouret, Alexandros Markeas, Claire Renard, Alain Pistre, Robert Pascal... These are just some of the names of the composers who have written for Mômeludies.
One of the difficulties, and not the least, is to propose pieces adapted to little ones, who are not yet music readers. Most of the scores are intended for teachers to pass on orally, but some pieces are written in a language suitable for little ones: "Several of our composers propose a playful way of writing their music, far removed from traditional music theory, in the form of colored graphics, with lines, arrows..." explains Gérard Authelain.
At Mômeludies, the diversity of repertoires and aesthetics is part of the company's philosophy. " We understand 'contemporary music' in a broad sense, and above all in the plural: music written in the most diverse aesthetics, including music that makes use of electronics and new technologies," insists Gérard Authelain. Young ears need to be exposed to different languages: modal, atonal, spectral, but also world music!
A community of enthusiasts
In its 35 years of existence, Mômeludies has built up a veritable community throughout France: Mômeludies collections are now known to all dumistes, who at one time or another have had the opportunity to perform pieces for the children in their musical education. In Villefranche sur Saône, the dumistes (linked to the conservatoire) have organized Mômeludies for years, filling the municipal theater with parents waiting for this annual event. Today, this scheme still exists, but the emphasis is on creations, which are then included in the Mômeludies catalog.
Some schools host small Mômeludies festivals, lasting two or three days: children from the town's elementary schools and conservatory take part with their teachers. Despite the building of a community proud to defend today's music for children, the difficult economic climate in the publishing world is weighing particularly heavily on a small independent company, whose DNA is to place orders. " Unfortunately, we're placing fewer and fewer orders, because the government's budget is shrinking and we lack support," laments Gérard Authelain. More than ever, the publisher needs the support of musicians.
Interview by Suzanne Gervais