WORKSHOPS IN COMPOSITION
AND ELECTRONIC MUSIC
WORKSHOPS AVAILABLE THIS SUMMER (see details below):
ELECTRONIC MUSIC COMPOSITION (BEGINNER)
Introductory course in electronic music composition
BEYOND THE BASICS, INTERMEDIATE ELECTRONIC MUSIC
Intermediate course in electronic music and sound design
Learn how to compose music for video games
Learn to compose music for film and media
1-week boot camp to learn how to record, edit, mix and share audio
Nicolas Scherzinger has taught courses and lessons in composition and electronic music for over 20 years, working at such institutions as Syracuse University, Mannes School of Music Preparatory Division, SUNY Purchase and the Kinhaven Music School. He now makes his extensive knowledge and experience available through these online courses.
On this page you will find a number of workshops available this summer. Each workshop will meet for 2 hours per day, 5 days a week, for a total of 2 weeks (10 classes in total, 20 hours of instruction).
During each workshop, students will learn new concepts, then apply those concepts as they complete creative assignments.
Here is how an average 2-hour workshop breaks down:
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Workshop starts with some listening and discussion about a specific concept or technique.
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The teacher will give various demonstrations and examples of how the concept or technique works and how students can apply the technique.
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Students may break off into small groups for additional listening and discussion, or a small assignment.
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Students are then given a creative assignment where they apply the concept or technique in a composition exercise. During this time, the teacher will periodically check in with each student to check on progress and see if the student has any questions about how to complete the assignment.
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After a period of work, students come together to share and discuss each other’s work for the day.
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Depending on time, the class may move ahead with a related or new topic.
For all completed work, students will get feedback from the teacher. At the end of each workshop, students keep all their work.
REQUIREMENTS
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Unless otherwise stated, ALL COURSES are open to students of any age and level.
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You will need to own or have access to a computer (Mac or PC) and have one of the suggested applications installed on the computer (see below).
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You will need to have internet access. Workshops will be taught using Zoom.
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It is recommended that you have headphones or earbuds so you can work quietly at home (and it will also be easier to hear the online content)
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You DO NOT need to own any additional recording equipment (microphones, audio interface, etc.)
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You DO NOT need to own an electronic or MIDI keyboard. You can do all work on a simple computer.
SUGGESTED AUDIO APPLICATIONS
Unless specified by the course, students can use any digital audio production application for Mac or PC.
Here are the audio applications I highly recommend:
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GarageBand (macOS, free)
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Reaper (macOS and Windows, $60 –– 60-day free demo available!!!)
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Logic Pro X (macOS, $199 –– 90-day free demo available!!!)
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Ableton Intro (macOS and Windows, $69-$99 –– 30-day free demo available)
These other applications are also available and are very good:
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Cubase Elements (macOS and Windows, $99 –– 30-day free demo available)
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FL Studio Fruity Edition (Windows, $99 –– 30-day free demo available)
A note on Ableton Live Lite
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If you purchased a MIDI keyboard, it may have come with something called Ableton Live Lite. This is a free version on Ableton Live and is very powerful and will work well enough for any of the courses listed below.