education :: workshops for composers
Isabel Ettenauer frequently gives workshops for aspiring young composers who wish to explore the toy piano as an interesting and challenging instrument to compose for.
Workshops of THE JOY OF TOY can vary in duration and extent. Ideally they are in two parts. In the first part Isabel gives a recital of toy piano music, followed by a workshop exploring details of the instruments and the introduced music. In the second part, a few weeks later, the students' new compositions are performed and discussed by Isabel. The second part can culminate in a public performance/ recording of the new works.
The young composers are presented with works in a variety of styles and compositional forms. They will be able to listen to and discuss toy piano solo pieces, works for multiple toy pianos and works using the toy piano in combination with other elements such as voice, other (toy) instruments, the piano or tape. A number of different musical notations is presented to the students, including graphic scores and 'open scores' such as by John Cage.
The aim of this workshop is to show the diversity of contemporary music in general and to encourage young composers to venture into new and unusual areas.
read about: performers