Composing for Improvisers: Analyses, Creation and Community

Course Description

Summary

This course is for students interested in investigating musical improvisation and composition, and their relation to a musical community. Selected students will form an ensemble and will be guided to compose at their own level: 1) for the ensemble, 2) for a section of the ensemble, e.g., duos, trios, and 3) for solo. Through working together, participants will develop a common vocabulary, observe the emerging community and musical language, and develop skills as ensemble members and leaders. The course also explores multidisciplinary components related to – but not limited to – visual arts, literature and movement practices. For Spring 2025, this class will spend several sessions working with the students of Levi Gonzalez’s The Body Speaking class, jointly exploring the connection of sound to movement practices and spatial elements. Performance is crucial to the learning process and for bringing the musical works to life. Performances will be scheduled at the end of each seven weeks, upon discussion with the ensemble. There is no right or wrong approach. The process is just as important as the outcome, if not more so. Basic ability to follow scores is encouraged, but not mandatory.