Composing In Place Workshop
Are you missing making music together?
We are too! So, let’s have a workshop!
We’re already experts at distanced communication — Beethoven has been an important companion and he’s 5000 miles and 250 years away. How can we put those skills to work?
This time, it’s going to be about creating, sharing, and interpreting our own music. There are two main components:
1. Solo composition not-so-secret Santa
a) Once you register, you will receive a composer’s starter kit
b) You write one short solo composition, with guidance from guest composer Jonah Gallagher, the Del Sol Quartet, and your small composing pod
c) We will distribute your piece to two of your colleagues who play it, sharing their different interpretations
d) You get two pieces to learn, with help from members of the quartet, and then perform at the final Zoom performance!
2. Quartet party piece!
Modeled on the Party Pieces that Lou Harrison, John Cage and Virgil Thompson composed collaboratively by mail.
The Surrealists called this a cadavre exquis - we prefer “party pieces” these days
a) Person A writes up to three measures (or 10 seconds) of music scored for string quartet and submits this to the Del Sol Master of Ceremonies
b) Del Sol engraves this music and sends it on the Person B
c) each Person only sees one measure of the previous music – you can’t look back, only invent forward
d) At the end we get a big collaboratively composed Party Piece!
e) Del Sol will record this once we can all be back together. Each participant receives a professionally engraved copy of score and parts to play!
Party Piece rules:
There’s a 24 hour turn-around limit, otherwise we will send the score to the next participant
You can submit your music in several forms - either in musical notation software or as a photo of your neat handwritten score
Workshop fee: $250, due by May 29, to help Del Sol rise back soon! However, nobody is turned away for lack of funds.
Please send payment through Square or by check (Payable to: DSPAO, 751 47th Ave, SF, CA 94121)
If you are experiencing financial hardship, please indicate on the application.
This money will go to support the Del Sol Quartet (through its non-profit Del Sol PAO) through this pandemic.
“This supportive and collaborative workshop has released the composer in me that I never knew existed” - Marty
Workshop Schedule. (Group Sessions in Bold)
Until Friday May 29: Registration. One you are registered, you’ll receive your composer’s starter kit and you can begin composing!
Sunday May 31: Group Session with Del Sol featuring guest composer Jonah Gallagher
Monday June1: Party piece begins
June 1-6: Small composition workshop with your composing pod (3-4 people)
Sunday June 7: Group check-in; Solo compositions due
June 8-13: 30 minute individual coachings scheduled with members of Del Sol
Sunday June 14: Final performances
June 28: Party Piece is finished
by July 15: You receive professionally engraved score & parts in the mail.
Q&A
What technology will I need or need to know how to use?
You won’t need to know how to use any notation software as handwritten scores are completely acceptable for this workshop. We will do group workshops and performances through the Zoom Conference Platform. We can aid you if you have problems setting that up.
I have no previous composition experience - is that okay?
That is definitely O.K.! You will need to know how to notate music, but that’s it.
I’m scared about writing a piece - what do you mean by “short” piece?
We are saying, no more than 5 minutes. But it can be as short as you like! 1 minute of music can still be a lot. We’re also giving you a composer’s “starter kit” with different ways to experiment with composition.
How big is this workshop?
We are limiting it to 12 people per group. We are intending this to be for string players, so please contact us if you are interested but not a string player.
Do I need to audition? What do I need to do after filling out the application?
All you need to do is fill out the application form and submit the payment, and you are officially part of the workshop. We’ll be contacting with you additional information once we hit the registration deadline on May 29. Make sure to write down the various dates in your calendar (if you are still looking at one these days!)
Still have questions? Email Sam at sam@delsolquartet.com!
This workshop for socially-distanced chamber music is intended for string players.
If you aren’t a string player but are interested in this workshop, please contact us.
Read a press release about Session 1.
guest composer Jonah Gallagher
