Improvisation is a skill that more and more people want to learn: dealing with the fear of empty space, stylistic issues, and the difficulties of achieving Good Taste while expressing ourselves.
This course in Music Improvisation aims to accompany musicians in their journey of discovery, gradually and personally, focusing on historical elements as well as modern-day psychological aspects, giving a solid foundation for any sort of stylistic studies. The result is not just about being able to add a few notes to an existing score.
The main goals of an improviser are:
- to become aware of the connection between performing and composing.
- to become flexible and prepared for the communicative dynamics within an ensemble.
- to improve the capacity to communicate that which one wishes to express.
The course in Improvisation gives everyone the possibility to express themselves, by understanding and putting into practice the historical expressive codes. The Helicona method is supported by strategies taken from other disciplines including Dancing, Theatre, Fencing and Horse-riding. The broad range of supporting “parallel” arts/subjects aim to facilitate the opening of the mind. This year we have added new courses; architecture, astronomy, Chess, and Archery. Get ready for a new and vivid Renaissance experience! These courses are valuable resources which can be adopted and used in any communication strategies.
LEVEL I
Principal courses:
Improvisation for voice, melodic and harmonic instruments - Davide Monti / Maria Christina Cleary / Antoine Schneider
The course provides tools, step-by-step, which help to understand and experiment with the strategies of improvising music.
Cantare super Librum (Contrappunto alla mente) - Antoine Schneider
The course aims to approach the practice of Renaissance contrapuntal improvisation, in particular consonance and dissonance.
Rhetoric and Gesture - Francesca Gualandri
The course aims to show the relationship between bodily gesture and musical gesture, and to illustrate the symbolic references underlying both.
Music in action:
Horses - Chiara Santi
The 2-hour course is an opportunity to experience an initial contact with a horse and, having established a relationship, we will study a horse's gaits, then with improvised music we will create a basic choreography.
Fencing - Fabrizio Orsini
The 2-hour course is an opportunity to understand and experience how the fencer's mindset and responsiveness can influence musical improvisation.
Improvisation on the Commedia dell'Arte - Matteo Spiazzi
The 2-hour course is an opportunity to see how theatrical aspects and verbal language can affect musical communication.
Dance - Ilaria Sainato
The 2-hour course is an opportunity to understand and experience the connection between dance and compositional forms, working from spheres to geometry and figurative music.
LEVEL II
Principal courses:
Improvisation for voices, melodic and harmonic instruments - Davide Monti / Maria Christina Cleary / Antoine Schneider
The course consists of a step-by-step process in which tools will be provided to understand and experiment with improvisation strategies.
Cantare super Librum (Contrappunto alla mente) - Antoine Schneider
The course aims to help approach the practice of Renaissance contrapuntal improvisation, in particular consonance and dissonance.
Rethorics and Gesture - Francesca Gualandri
The course aims to illustrate the relationship between body gesture and musical gesture, and explicit symbolic references underlying both.
Music in action:
Architecture -
The 2-hour course is an opportunity to observe and experience the connection between music and space, both by its urban physicality and by its own formal appearance, proportions and balance of elements.
Astronomy -
The 2-hour course is an opportunity to understand and experience the relationship between music and the harmony of the spheres, bridging the scientific and mythological worlds.
Chess - Peter Hegarty
The 2-hour course is an opportunity to play and experiment with aspects like politics, psychology, and the relationship between roles and their movements in chess, as at court and in music.
Archery -
The 2-hour course is an opportunity to return to yourself and experience the pursuit of your focus and tension while relating musically to others.
Principles of communication in music & Special topics:
Attunement and Sounding Discourses - Dario Benatti
Music in the dark - Maria Christina Cleary
Music and Memory - Davide Monti / Alberto Fabris
Rhetoric of Gardens - Giardino Giusti, Verona
Opening Concert - San Briccio, Lavagno
Tafelmusik in the City - Restaurants
Organisation:
Helicona Project info@helicona.it
Associazione Italiana Cultura Sport (AICS) verona@aics.it
Documents
- DOWNLOAD THE BROCHURE (IT-EN) 2024 - coming soon
Course Fee: The course consists of approx. 40 hours tuition
- Scholarships may be available for students in finacial difficulties. Kindly write to us.
- Kindly write to us if you need special documentation for accreditation.
- A non-refundable fee of € 50 is required for registration. It covers insurance and the registration with the Helicona Association.
*N.B. Registration will be completed only after verification of payment of the mandatory registration fee
Accommodation:
On your request Helicona can provide accommodation in a partner structure
Food:
We are estabilishing agreements with local restaurants for a convenient service.
The course will be held in English and Italian.
The pitch will be preferably A=415 Hz
Weekly schedule Level I
Weekle schedule Level II
