Longy School of Music of Bard College
Preparatory Division
Advanced Composition Seminar
Course Outline 2012-13
Meeting time: Saturdays, 9:00 – 9:55
Meeting place: Room 202
Instructor: John Morrison
E-mail: john.morrison@longy.edu
Class web site: http://jhmedu.org/Advanced_Composition_Seminar/
Course Description
The 2012-13 Advanced Composition Seminar will provide the opportunity to pursue extended composition projects for chamber ensemble. In the fall, we will write for the Prep Saxophone Quartet, and in the spring we’ll write for advanced students from the Conservatory Division of Longy.
The outline:
Fall → saxophone quartet (soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones)
completed pieces due November 15
concert on December 15
probable reading date for completed pieces Dec. 1
Spring → string quartet
Scheduled visits: 2/9, 3/2, 4/6, 4/27, and 5/11.
Concert: 5/20/13, 7 pm, Wolfinson Room
Beginning in late fall and continuing in the spring, Conservatory students will read and comment upon student works in progress. Subsequent visits by the whole ensemble will allow students to extend and develop the music, gradually producing a complete piece.
Visits will be every four weeks early in the semester, and then every other week at the end. This will allow us to hear and study a good number of scores, review your work leading up to readings, and then have frequent visits to ensure that all pieces are fully addressed at least once per month.
The class is very much driven by the work produced by students, so it is important to follow through and produce music when a player is scheduled to appear on a Saturday. It is important to have good, legible manuscript for players to read. While computer notation is not required for early stages, it is helpful at any stage in the process.
Being on time to class is likewise very important, since it is best if the time spent for each student's work is roughly equal. When one is late to class, the time available for your music is bound to be reduced.