I am a clarinetist. I am an improviser. I am a writer. These are things I repeat to myself when I feel scared to be my authentic self. My identity as a clarinetist has come naturally to me; I am a person who plays clarinet, day in and day out. But I didn’t think I …
Growth Through Community: Reflecting On My Time at the Fresh Inc Festival Read More »
When I applied to Fresh Inc, I had absolutely no idea what I had gotten myself into. I’ve had several friends attend the festival in the past, and all of them came out the other side of it raving about an experience that was one of the best times they had ever had. Their testimonies, …
Making Music Alone In My Room and Surrounded by Friends Read More »
It is hard to believe how fast the summer has flown by since the ending of Fresh Inc. After attending daily workshops and nightly concerts as well as some of the impromptu Discord hangs, it has become quite clear that Fresh Inc was a really invaluable experience, even in its digital format. With participants being …
June 21, 2020 After two weeks filled with rehearsals, workshops, social events, and performances, today was the official last day of Fresh Inc 2020. Fresh Inc this year certainly wasn’t the same as it’s been in summers past – all of our workshops were virtual, we made s’mores on our stovetops, and our performer participants …
June 20, 2020 We made it to the weekend! After dress rehearsals in the morning, performer participants had a free day until the second round of world premieres later in the evening. While the performers relaxed, composer participants gathered together via Zoom for two workshops in the afternoon. The first was led by composer Shawn …
June 19, 2020 The third-to-last day of Fresh Inc began with an important conversation with Michael Rohd of the Center for Performance and Civic Practice (CPCP). Michael helped guide us through Tuesday’s RHINO performance and discussion, and today he led a thoughtful conversation about what civic practice in music means. In addition to talking about …
June 18, 2020 How are we more than halfway through the festival already?? Today was the first day of dress rehearsals in preparation for this weekend’s final performances- it’s almost time to premiere the works of our composer participants! This afternoon’s workshop was led by Dan and Herine who showed us how to format a …
Wednesday, June 17, 2020 Did you know that non-profits actually do require…being profitable? Melissa kicked off Day 9 of Fresh Inc 2020 with a crash course in grants and fundraising. In this workshop, we learned about the differences between for-profit and non-profit organizations, the best way to actually ask someone for money, and all about …
Tuesday, June 16, 2020 Have you ever wondered how artists from multiple disciplines come together to collaborate with one another? Today Fresh Inc participants got a behind the scenes look at this process during a special workshop centered around “RHINO,” an upcoming Fifth House Ensemble experimental work produced in collaboration with Michael Rohd, writer, director, …
Monday, June 15, 2020 After a busy first week of workshops, rehearsals, and performances, we started week two of Fresh Inc 2020 by participating in a workshop about personal promotion led by Melissa and Alex. In addition to learning how to put together an amazing electronic press kit (pro tip: the structure of your bio …
