Welcome to the Composition Workshop:
This class introduces the young composition student into the world of instrumentation and orchestration. The class is organized in several units: each of them corresponding to one section of the orchestra, winds, brasses, strings and percussion.
Every unit is complemented with composition exercises oriented to familiarize the students with the writing for the different families of the orchestra. In addition, two separate projects will be developed in this class. The first one, scheduled at the end of the third unit, is a short duo piece for solo and cello. The second project of the course is called “the collective.” This project, as its name specifies, is a common product, developed through the course by all the students. The Collective, considered the climax of the course, is a short orchestral piece. Musical materials, counterpoint lines and all elements of the work will be contributed through the class by all the students creating a final product that must stand formally and musically as a unit while containing all the diversity of the individual contributions to the work. In one word: a “Collective”
This piece, will be performed at the orchestral concert of the FLAMINGO International New Music Festival, as a sample of the students’ contribution to the Festival, under the umbrella of the FLAMINGO International NewArt-Music Festival: Summer Art-Music Institute
In order to participate in this course, students must have a working version of Finale, a music-writing software. In addition, students need a continuous accessible email account and access to PDF file. Specific guidelines for the work and the portability of the collective file are set to work in the website and via email. All homework must be sent to the course instructor who then distributes the newest version of the collective files as it developed until its final completion.
This is a very fast pace course. The project and all units are scheduled for completion in a six days timeframe. The objective of the class is to develop musical abilities, composition and organization skills, group work and fast music writing. All of the above, are important qualities that a good musician must have.
Please make sure that you are ready to start your work and develop and make sure to distribute your schedule to work in several small portions of time throughout the day.