A dynamic collaboration between teenage students in the InConcert Sierra Composer Program and Community Asian Theater of Sierra (CATS) will culminate in a live concert on Thursday, June 15 at 7 p.m. Instrumental music composed by 11 students inspired by their The learning and reflection will be performed by professional musicians for a live audience at Grass Valley Peace Lutheran Church.
Students learn about California’s Asian American history and the founding of CATS from its director, Jenny Wood, and discuss Japanese internment camps during World War II in depth with Gordon Sakaue. Students also had the opportunity to learn about theater productions as CATS produced an annual play during this collaboration. They enjoyed a presentation by lighting supervisor Les Solomon, watched director Scott Gilbert rehearse with the cast, and attended rehearsals for the CATS play “The Great Leap.”
Students engaged in lively class discussions about the play, exploring several themes including history and politics, culture clashes, family ties, and standing the ground, all through the lens of a very important cross-cultural basketball game. The students developed a strong emotional response and made careful observations of the technical production of the play. The use of music, a fusion of eastern and western music, and how it combines the themes of the drama and highlights the actions of the characters, is particularly interesting.
Students are inspired by different aspects of their learning experience, from the play itself to gaining knowledge about Asian American history. They choose specific themes for their work, such as internment, Tiananmen Square, and how a play develops.
For their compositions, students may choose to compose for ensembles of up to five instruments: piano, violin, cello, flute and clarinet. The audience will thus hear a variety of combinations of performers, from piano trios to piano-clarinet duets to four-hands. An upperclassman is composing a piece using all five instruments.
The Composers Project is an educational initiative of InConcert Sierra. Designed and taught by local composer and musician Mark Vance, this is an intensive nine-month program that includes lessons and individual lessons, as well as masterclasses with world-renowned and regional musicians and composers. During the year, students create two original compositions, one for voice and instruments and the other for solo instrument or ensemble. Both were premiered by professional musicians in front of live audiences.
In group lessons, students are introduced to music theory, the use of notation software and manuscripts, rhythmic exercises, conducting, and the lives and works of famous composers. They also meet individually with the teacher to refine their composition. While rehearsing their newly composed compositions, they sit alongside while professional musicians bring their original scores to life for the first time. They also gain experience in public speaking, as each student presents her or his work and explains the inspiration behind it to a live audience.
The classroom atmosphere is relaxed, harmonious and lively. The quality of the work is amazing. Highlighting their participation in class and submitting videos of performances when applying to college can be of great benefit to students planning to pursue a career in music studies.
