Composition Workshop For Elective Music Students 2020

This workshop will provide an opportunity for senior students to develop composition skills in the context of their HSC and elective music courses. Younger students with an interest in developing their compositional skills are also encouraged to attend. Teachers can build this workshop into their school music programs for 2020. Sample assessment tasks (for Music 1 & Music 2) will provided to participating schools should you wish to incorporate this workshop into your school music program for 2020.

When: Single day workshop on Thursday 20 February (Term 1, Week 4)
Time: 8:45 – 3:15pm (Student + teacher workshop)
Where: New England Conservatorium of Music
Cnr Mossman & Faulkner Streets, Armidale NSW 2350

Cost: $45 per student (teachers accompanying their students are FREE)
Bring: Computer with notation software and/or manuscript paper/ pencil/ rubber/ notebook/your instrument (singers bring your voice/pianists will be catered for)

Catering: Students to bring their own lunch and morning tea.
Lunch and morning tea are provided free to teachers.

Registration: Music teachers are to fill out the attached form and return to NECOM by Friday 7 February.
Schools will be invoiced for the number of students attending.

There are two parallel streams to the workshop:

1. Composition workshop with James Madsen suitable for
• Year 11 & 12 Music 1 students
• Year 11 & 12 Music 2 students wishing to write a song influenced by popular music
• Year 9 & 10 elective students
James will lead students through improvisation activities in different musical styles to find melodies/chord progressions on which to base their compositions. They will learn about musical structure and strategies for arranging their ideas into instrumental parts for a composition.

2. Composition workshop with Holly Harrison suitable for:
• Music 2 core compositions
• Music 2 and Extension elective compositions
• Year 11 Music 2 students
• Year 11 & 12 Music 1 students with well-developed music literacy skills
A variety of focus areas will be covered which students can apply to new or existing works including motivic development, rhythmic and textural devices, idiomatic writing for instruments and creativity and notation software. Sessions will include a combination of short and longer composition activities with plenty of time for the students to experiment with the ideas we explore, as well as seek feedback.

Presenters
James Madsen
James Madsen was born and bred in Sydney, Australia, where he began learning piano from a young age. He went on to study at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney, graduating with an Honours Degree in Music Education, studying classical piano under Stephanie McCallum.

James began his interest in composition when he was young, writing his first pieces for piano and recording his first cassette of original music by the age of 16. Over the years he has continued his interest in composition, producing a range of musical styles from contemporary classical works, pop music, as well as his much-loved songs for children. His music includes instrumental solo and ensemble works, choral and vocal music, sonic logos plus short film scores.

With his background in music education, James has developed creative workshops for preschool, primary and high school students. He has worked in various schools and music institutions throughout Sydney and London. He is also passionate about sharing his skills and knowledge of music education and creative thinking to other educators, presenting regularly at conferences including for ASME, Kodaly Music Education Institute of Australia and the Orff-Schulwerk Association.

Holly Harrison
Holly Harrison is a young Australian composer from Western Sydney. Her music is driven by the nonsense literature of Lewis Carroll, embracing stylistic juxtapositions, the visceral energy of rock, and whimsical humour.
Holly’s music has been performed in Australia, Asia, Europe, and the USA. Recent projects have included works for the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Australian Youth Orchestra, Nu Deco Ensemble, Matthew Kneale and Omega Ensemble, Canberra International Music Festival, Ensemble Offspring, Monash Academy Orchestra, and the set string quartet work, Balderdash, for the 2018 Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition.
Holly’s work Lobster Tales and Turtle Soup featured on Eighth Blackbird’s (USA) Australian tour as part of Musica Viva’s 2017 International Concert Season. Eighth Blackbird’s performance was later awarded Performance of the Year at the 2018 Art Music Awards. Holly was the inaugural winner of the 2017 Sue W Chamber Music Composition Prize, awarded to an Australian female composer, and was a winner of Nu Deco Ensemble’s 2018 Nu Works initiative. In 2014, she was awarded first place at the Young Composers Meeting in Apeldoorn, The Netherlands, chaired by Louis Andriessen.
Holly is composer in residence at MLC School, Burwood, and is a sessional academic at Western Sydney University. She plays drum kit in the improvised rock duo Tabua-Harrison with Joey Tabua (electric guitar). Their debut record Scout is available via Psychopyjama Records.

Composition Workshop Booking Form
Composition Workshop Information Sheet