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Composer's Colloquium
A gathering of the minds for those who compose music for the church, or those interested in the topic, or who desire to interact with those who compose for the church. Activities include:
small group colloquia – bring compositions for constructive round/table response;
hear propositions from speakers who perhaps spark new ideas;
attend skill-shop sessions on topics such as advanced Finale, counterpoint, harmony/voice leading issues, understanding text and poetry;
interact with a publisher – what should you send in, how, and what you can expect in response.
engage in conversations with colleagues about struggles, writer's block, ideas, etc. "after and before hours" at the hotel.
This gathering is a new approach. There is no registration fee. Participants are responsible for paying their own transportation, housing and meals. All presenters are donating their gifts in the spirit of the “gathering of professionals” rather than formalized expert/student model.
Housing near O’Hare Airport is available at the ELCA reduced rate. To arrange for housing, call Best Travel at 800-543-8016 or 773-380-2440, let them know you are attending an ELCA conference and receive the ELCA rate. Best Travel will make the reservation for you at the hotel of your choice. To facilitate informal meetings before and after the days' sessions, we are recommending that conference attendees stay at the O'Hare Marriott. If you prefer, the ELCA also has arrangements with the Springhill Suites. Remember: to receive the ELCA reduced rate, contact Best Travel; do not contact either hotel directly. Both hotels provide shuttle service between O'Hare Airport and the hotel.
There is no registration fee for the conference, but we do need to know if you plan to attend. To register, send an email to office@alcm.org and let us know:
1:00-1:45 pm Hymn Sing: Hymns by ALCM Composers & Others
Anne Krentz Organ
2:00-3:00 Plenary: Pairings. Experiencing music of other cultures as a path to
understanding music in new ways, sparking new ideas
Mark Bangert
3:15-4:45 Small group colloquia. Split into small groups of 3 to 4. Bring a manuscript
to show and tell, get constructive feedback/inspiration from
colleagues.
Sign up sheets upon arrival, or pre-arrange on your own in advance
5:00-7:00 Dinner on your own
7:00-8:30 Publisher presentation. What to send in? How? What to expect in
response? What NOT to send in?
Mark Lawson
8:30-9:00 Meet the editors tables including representatives:
Robert Buckley Farlee, Augsburg Fortress Publishers
David Johnson, Concordia Publishing House
Mark Lawson, MorningStar Music Publishers
9:00 Morning Prayer
9:30-10:30 Skill Shop sessions
1. Advanced Finale (bring laptops!) - Bob Buckley Farlee
2. "The Matrix: running a composition through a matrix for
improvement before going public" - voice leading, voicing,
harmonization - a matrix to point out weaknesses as much
as possible before a piece goes public - David Cherwien
3. Understanding texts and poetry - Presenter TBA
11:00-12:00 Closing Address: What does the Church need?
