Creativity
Workshops
Diana
McIntosh
gives stimulating creativity workshops for music/drama/art
students (20 maximum). The students work together on a sound journey,
using the human voice to create their own
improvisations. They will explore the infinite sound
possibilities which everyone possesses. Improvisations may be
based on the student's own sound images, or on a given poem. They
will explore the feelings and emotions of the text, often
choreographing those images.
The
object is to
explore the process of music-making, from the conception of sounds to
their abstract notation, the relationships in a composition, and
methods of performance. They will find themselves being composers,
performers, conductors and critics of their own sound collages.
The
workshop, which can be from 1 1/2 to 3 hours long, will
help students listen more acutely, and to be more confident and
spontaneous in expressing their
own unique individuality and emotions.
Equipment
required:
- A
large open space with a piano
- Blackboard
or large flip chart on easel
- Cassette
tape recorder, microphone on stand, 1
cassette tape
- An assistant, if
possible, to record each piece
the group
creates, and play it back to them
DIANA McINTOSH AT
MURCHISON
November 2nd,
Murchison Music
Technology
Composers and the Murchison Bands experienced the rare and wonderful
genius of
one of Canada’s
foremost composers. Diana McIntosh had
come to Austin to perform
and
present a workshop
at UT Composer’s Forum on the 1st, but
rounded
out her Austin experience
by
spending the day as “Composer in Resi-
dence” with Murchison Band
Director Dr.
Cindy Houston and her students.
The students in Dr. Houston’s 7th
period Music
Technology class were treated to a performance by Ms. McIntosh of some
of her
original works which include instruments, voice, percussion,
electronics and
tape and then were given the opportunity
to create their own musical
composition using only their bodies and the sounds they could make with
them.
“A good piece
of music has mood, structure and shape,” she said. “It should
have a beginning, development, and
an ending that leaves the listener in a different state of mind than
when you
started.”
The Music Technology students have
been working
with
composition all semester, using computers, MIDI
keyboards and
state of the art composing software to create their own
pieces
for a concert in December. Ms. McIntosh
challenged them
to use the rhythms and techniques they had learned,
using their
bodies and voices as their instruments.
Students hummed, stomped feet, made sounds and melodies in six
groups of
two. They were assigned “mysterious,
fear & suspicion, anger, comforting, joy and peace” as the six
moods they
would be trying to convey in a symphony.
Each student came up with his or her
own sound,
and then
they took turns conducting all of the other students in their sound
symphony. Each conductor controlled the
volume, tempo and intensity of the piece and everyone got a feel for
what a
good conductor can do.
Ms. McIntosh completed her visit to Austin
with a performance of some of her works at the Recital Studio of the
University
that evening.
469
Kingston Cr., Winnipeg, Canada
R2M 0V1
Tel: (204) 233-4163 Fax: (204) 237-3773
mcint@mts.net
revised
11-24-03
