Sufjan Stevens, Indie Folk, and the Avant-garde with Alissa Voth

Adult Group Class / Songwriting Program

This interactive workshop explores how minimalist composers Steve Reich, Philip Glass, and Terry Riley shaped the sound of Sufjan Stevens, revealing the surprisingly direct line between avant-garde classical music and alternative indie folk. Participants will learn practical compositional techniques from minimalism and apply them to create their own original song or recording. Ideally students have experience in songwriting, playing an instrument, reading music and/or and recording, but it is ok to just come and learn if you aren’t a musician/composer. Through listening, composing, and playing exercises students will learn about building dense, evolving textures; using arpeggios, scales, and short melodic materials; looping and phasing; creating textural, melodic, and rhythmic variety in simple harmonic structures; looping (pedals, DAWs); niche, arty-person knowledge to impress your friends.