Teenagers – have you ever wanted to learn how to write music? Have you ever wondered how music is organized? Have you ever wanted to have in-person feedback from musicians who will perform your music? Then this summer’s Introduction to Music Composition program is for you!
In this week-long half-day program (July 17-21), Teaching Artist Dr. Andrew Cote will walk students through how to generate, create, and organize their musical sketches into compositions. As a composer of acoustic and electronic music, Mr. Cote’s compositions have been performed and recorded across three continents. His latest album, Ulterior Motives: The Saxophone Music of Andrew Cote, was released in December 2016 and is available on Itunes, Amazon, and most other online retailers. As a rock and popular music artist, Mr. Cote has recorded with several groups and is an active studio drummer, recording on several albums each year. He currently teaches orchestration, aural skills, and popular music history at George Mason University.
www.andrewcotemusic.com
“You will be writing music in class starting the very first day, and you will have several opportunities throughout the week to hear your music performed by fellow students and guest musicians,” explained Mr. Cote. “Whether you have been writing music for a while or you are just starting to put your pencil to paper, you are guaranteed to walk away from this class with a better understanding of how to organize your musical thoughts in a clear and exciting way!” Note: participants should have a basic understanding of treble and bass clef, experience playing an instrument, and basic understanding of music theory (scales, key signatures, time signatures)
Mr. Cote earned a Doctorate in Music Composition from George Mason University, a Master’s degree in Music Composition from Central Michigan University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the University of New Hampshire. He has taught the Introduction to Music Composition program for several summers and continually inspires young students to think creatively while giving them tools to realize their ideas.