The Center for New Music, in association with the Manhattan Producers’ Alliance, will host a series of free MAX workshops every Friday afternoon in August, from 2:30-5:30 PM.
Composers and performers who apply this juggernaut of a software to their artistic practice are welcomed to stop by to hear lectures from experts, troubleshoot patches, and participate in critical discussions. Present your own piece and get feedback from the lecturer or group, or just sit back and take in some inspiration.
These workshops are free and open to the public. Wifi access and coffee will be provided, so bring your laptop along with ideas and questions.
August 2 — (open work session)
Come work alongside your colleagues, share your latest patches, and get a little feedback.
August 9 — Max and the Musical Mind with Richard Warp
Composition is as much about self-discovery as about writing music. It is about finding our own voice and our own way of doing things. Nowhere is this more powerfully illustrated than inthe world of Max/MSP, where an algorithm built from the ground up can be as expressive of your musical intentions as the output itself.
This high-level workshop will explore the fundamental principles of Max/MSP, how it stacks up against the multitude of other compositional tools out there, and how we as composers can harness its power effectively to express our own individual musical ideas.
August 16 — (n) ways to skin a cat or how to avoid the Max Hole with Richard Warp
The open-ended nature of Max/MSP is endlessly fascinating, and presents a universe of possibilities. However, it is also very easy for us creative-minded souls to get sucked into an unfortunate swirling vortex of boxes, connectors and Boolean arguments that bear no resemblance to our original master plan.
This workshop is all about adopting strategies for stepping back, seeing the big picture and getting comfortable with the “raze and rebuild” ethos of Max development
August 23 — Proof of Context — making your ideas come to life with Richard Warp
Coming up with problems to solve (sometimes known as composing!) is no mean feat. So why do all the hard work yourself? There are plenty of creative artists of all disciplines out there with their own problems that need solving, and this is often where the best collaborations – and the most valuable learning – can take place.
In this workshop we will look at strategies for bringing your Max wisdom to the wider world – of dance, film, the sciences, the visual arts – in short, any context that allows you to expand your practice by collaborating with other creative humans with a view toward a shared goal.
August 30 — special guest TBA!
RSVP appreciated but not required