Music From Scratch

Music From Scratch is a music creation workshop guided by the members of ContaQt

Music From Scratch is free and open to anyone

Music from Scratch is a free workshop for participants to engage in creative listening, writing, vocal, movement, graphic, and improvisation exercises that facilitate collaborative sound creations. Facilitated by ContaQt, who specializes in improvisation and experimental music, participants exchange knowledge through multi-sensory engagement with natural and urban environments. Rooted in a belief in innate human creativity, the workshop develops skills, confidence, and risk-taking as both listeners and creators. By emphasizing acoustic sound and face-to-face interactions, participants step outside increasingly virtual worlds to gain greater awareness of human impact on natural systems, diverse social structures expressed in musical forms, and openness to new artistic expression.

Drawing on the educational philosophies of composers R Murray Schafer and Pauline Oliveros, as well as educators Lucy Green, Christopher Small, and John Dewey, Music from Scratch integrates techniques from Reggio Emelia and diverse social and teaching approaches ranging from Audre Lorde to Paulo Friere, Gilles Deleuze, and Félix Guattari. More than just a workshop to develop compositional skills, Music from Scratch focuses on enriching participants' engagement with sound through the depth of the experience.

Through inquiry-based and informal learning techniques, participants are introduced to several new creative thinking tools to express their realities. Participants are invited to meet in a rehearsal setting where works are created and developed. The focus of this project is the richness of the experience, participation in the creative process, exploration, and collaboration. While participants are encouraged to join the ensemble as performers, no prior musical training or ability to play an instrument is required to participate in the project.