The 2013-2014 Young Composer’s Project

Applications are now available for the 2013-2014 Young Composer’s Project (YCP). Musicians in grades 7-12 who compose or are interested in composition are invited to apply. This after-school program meets once a week from November to May. Applications are due on Friday, October 25, 2013. To download an application, visit hcd.hartford.edu or contact the Hartt Community Division at harttcomm@hartford.edu or (860)768-4451.

The Young Composers Project inspires middle and high school students to express their musical ideas through composition and provides each student with the skills to develop his or her own voice as a composer. Students work in small groups with Hartt faculty composers. They learn to use notation or MIDI sequencing and digital audio software to communicate their musical ideas and study compositional techniques. Classes meet at The Hartt School where students are able to use the most cutting-edge technology and software available to composers today. They also have opportunities to experiment with new techniques for notating their ideas under the guidance of Ken Steen, Professor of Composition and Theory at The Hartt School and an active composer who creates music in a variety genres and styles. Hartt School graduate and Hartford-based composer Daniel Morel is also a YCP instructor. 

YCP classes are offered in beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels and class sizes are kept to small numbers, allowing students to spend a considerable amount of time on individual projects. The program culminates in a live concert featuring new compositions by YCP students performed by HCD faculty and Hartt college students. Having one’s music performed at a professional level is an incredibly important part of the creative process. Young composers enjoy the satisfaction of hearing their ideas come to life on the stage and ultimately sharing their music with an audience. It also provides insight into how performers actually interpret their ideas and they can get valuable feedback to help them communicate more effectively in future works. In 2013-2014 the final YCP concert is generously supported by the Kaiser Fund, which has granted funds to for performance personnel.

While the YCP program is designed for middle and high school students, its young participants benefit from collaborations between the Hartt college division and visiting guest composers from around the country. In 2013-2014 YCP participants will have a unique opportunity to attend a composition masterclass with Frank Ticheli, Professor of Composition at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California. The The masterclass will take place in May of 2014, at The Hartt School, and is held in conjunction with the college division’s Composer-in-Residence program. YCP students will have the opportunity to present some of their recent music for critique and discussion as well as be introduced to Professor Ticheli and learn about his music as well.