Improvisation Workshop
Harri Sjöström & Guilherme Rodrigues
September 18th 2022, O’culto da Ajuda, from 14h until 18h
Teaching improvisation is a challenging issue... Can we teach improvisation?
In this unique workshop led by Harri Sjöström (close friend and member of the Cecil Taylor quintet) together with Guilherme Rodrigues, attention will be given to help players open up to listen and to learn to trust their intuitions, particularly in a collective playing situation.
Exchange / dialog through music & verbal dialogue.
Questions such as deeper motivations into music: “why do I and we, want to play music and what’s behind our will in a deeper level? “ is something to be addressed.
What is my / our motivation? This is one question for each one of us to ask.
Is it the joy of playing? Is it to become a virtuoso player? Is it to become famous? What is one’s deeper motivation? Is there a deeper motivation or is the motivation clear? What does one want from music? What moves the others and me?
Playing / communicating through sound, being in a resonance dialog, could be said.
Some "games", exercises, structures, can be useful and are also often helpful for assisting people to sharpen their ability to listen to others and themselves and also to relax and not worry about oneself or the others.
To learn to prepare oneself to jump into “cold water” without being afraid of drowning. To take risks, to "jump over one’s own shadow" so to say. Jump into the unknown.
Of key importance are:
Learning to not think when playing or shortly before starting to play. Preparing oneself for this mentally different way. Thinking about this and that… we can do after or as we sit down and talk about things. Not as we play. The trust in our intuition is key and can be learned. Despite being already ”there”, it must be awaken up within ourselves.
Listen listen listen... To others and to oneself…
These are some of the things we want to share and work together.
Enrolment
There are no prerequisites
Duration: 4 hours, from 14h until 18h, on September 18th 2022 at O’culto da Ajuda
Maximum number of participants: 12
Fee: 30€
Deadline for enrolment: September 16th 2022
In order to enrol participants should make a bank transfer of 30€ to:
Miso Music Portugal Associação Cultural
IBAN: PT50 0018 033600200030060 29
And send the bank transfer statement to the following email:
Acknowledgement and confirmation of enrolment will follow.
Harri Sjöström, born on 29 February 1952 in Turku, Finland, found his voice in music on the soprano and sopranino saxophone.
His music and fine art studies in San Francisco at Lone Mountain College (UCSF) and San Francisco Art Institute in the 1970s led him directly to workshops by John Cage, Bill Dixon, Vinko Globokar, George Russell, and his saxophone teachers Leo Wright and Steve Lacy.
Since 1978 continuous extensive work as a freelance musician, composer and initiator of interdisciplinary ensembles in the field of contemporary improvised music and mixed media projects. Back to Europe 1978 he started to work with Derek Bailey, Teppo Hauta-aho, Paul Lovens, John Russell, Paul Rutherford, Alexander von Schlippenbach a.o.
In 1980 -1985 he lived in Vienna, Austria, which became his doorway to the European contemporary music scene; formed his first groups and organized numerous artist exchange-projects in Finland and elsewhere.
Between 1990 and 2016 an extensive collaboration with the pianist and composer Cecil Taylor developed, including seven live recordings with small ensembles and recordings with larger Cecil Taylor ensembles. Of particular note is the Cecil Taylor Quintet with Cecil Taylor, Harri Sjöström, Teppo Hauta-aho, Tristan Honsinger, Paul Lovens. Energetic and with an appetite for risk he founded and co-founded many ensembles with highly interesting instrumental line-ups including such as Quintet Moderne, Sestetto Internazionale, MOVE - quintet, European Composers Improvisors Orchestra - ECIO, Up And Out, City Of Pyramids, The Player Is, Wait, Motström, The Treasures Are a.o.
Harri has been teaching saxophone since 1980 and is a vital member of the European contemporary improvised music scene; he has composed music for film and is still active today with his photography.
Guilherme Rodrigues is a cellist, improviser, sound explorer and composer from Lisboa, Portugal.
He was born in 1988 and started to study cello and trumpet when he was seven at Orquestra Metropolitana de Lisboa and later in Conservatório Nacional de Música de Lisboa to study classical and music theory until his twenty-three.
With an intuitive approach to improvisation and exploration of the timbres,
using both classical and extensive techniques, his music is exciting, polyrhythmic and full of contrasts. His work probes the physicality of the space in which listening occurs. His music, comprising both acoustic and electro-acoustic works has been described as delicate, intense, focused and physical.
Apart from work in music ensembles ranging for contemporary classical to free improvisation, he often works with dancers. Has created music aswell for theater, radio, television and silent film.
He is part of Creative Sources Recordings record label, music director of Hosek Contemporary Art Gallery and active member of Reanimation Orchestra.
Has been following a professional career in music since 1997 and performs in concerts and workshops around Europe and Asia. Currently living in Berlin.