Studio Lessons: Individual instruction with a faculty mentor is the cornerstone of conservatory education at Longy. Esteemed faculty members address the aesthetic and professional goals of each student composer while enlarging the scope of each student’s technique and artistic insight.
Master Classes and Seminars: Weekly seminars with Longy faculty and distinguished guests offer insight and professional guidance by combining analytical workshops, discussions, faculty and student presentations, group composition lessons, and consideration of career issues.
Collaborative Environment: Creative projects designed in partnership with Longy’s performance departments are an integral component of the program. Common projects include art song composition with the voice department, improvisation-based projects with the Jazz and Contemporary Music department, and solo/chamber pieces composed for our instrumental departments. Workshops and reading sessions foster the close collaboration between composer and performer.
Teaching Artist Program: Explore and strengthen the skills required to engage and communicate with audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Be challenged to think more deeply and broadly about music, its role in society, and how you as an artist can create social change.
Computer Music Studio: Composers have the opportunity to create and perform electroacoustic and computer music in the school’s studio. Related coursework includes instruction in composition using digital synthesis, hard-disk recording and editing, signal processing, MIDI, and real-time interactive techniques. The studio equipment is centered around an Apple Mac Pro computer, Logic Studio Pro, multiple MIDI controllers, and 5.1 surround sound capabilities. Composers also work heavily with computer music programming languages such as Max, SuperCollider, and Csound.
Portfolio project: At the heart of being an artist in society is self awareness and identity and determining what you have and wish to say to the world. While technology has made human interaction instant and quick, it also presents the potential for social and professional connections to be easily dismissed. The power of the individual, and his or her voice, remains irreplaceable and strong. Portfolio Project enables students to develop and sound their individual voice; they will create a resume, biography, website, and artist statement, along with other important supportive collateral (head shot, video and audio samples). In addition, they will be trained in public presentation, stage presence, and interview techniques.