For years, I have enjoyed working with teachers and students as a workshop/masterclass clinician.  Here are just some of the recent topics I have presented:

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Learning to Compose through Improvisation  - In this fast-paced 60-minute session, teachers will learn a brief history of improvisation in various genres.  Methods and concrete examples will be given to help teachers incorporate improvisation from the very first lesson.  Finally, options of refining improvisations into the more formal aspects of composition will be explored.  

 

Is that Fake Book Real?  Unlocking the mystery of lead sheets - An informative 60-minute presentation which examines a brief history of Fake Books and Real Books, and explores their similarities, differences, and how they evolved through time.  We will explore ways to use these lead sheets as an avenue to improvisation and composition, with examples given in many genres.  We will also explore hidden benefits reading lead sheets gives to classical musicians.  

 

Does a Period come after a Sentence?  Well... sometimes!   - In this fun 60-minute session, teachers will learn how to teach composition to younger students, even if they've never composed before, by creating the musical forms known as "Periods" and "Sentences".   A quick-paced summary of these compositional devices from famous composers throughout history will be highlighted as well.  (note:  I've done this presentation both as a lecture and also an interactive workshop, where the teachers compose some examples on the spot)

 

For more information, please contact me at michael@springermusic.com  

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