At the beginning, the work with the voice was for me really difficult because I don’t like to use my voice, but also really important because trying to make something with your own body as instrument, and not to hide it with the trumpet or piano… The work with the body was for me also quite rich, I found the way we were working really physical, and it’s really the base, when we want to do good music, but it was the first time for me I really had to work with body and voice, which was a big plus in my own development.

I was also generally surprised in the good way, with the exercises; the one with the “marionette” way of playing was really good for me, and to be conscious that I can play powerful without giving too much pressure, and without hurting my arms. 

Generally also, the conclusions were a bit nihilists, like  you said: “...music is in crisis...”, “...we can’t do anything new yet...”, “...improvisation is just a style with its own clichés...”.  Sometimes I left the class and thought “what I am doing hasn’t any sense! " Sometimes It was for me really difficult to find a way to resolve these questions. The positive part was that we really had to think about all the parameters while music making and composing.

The composition part was for me too short  even if compo and impro are always in a way linked. I would have enjoyed going further in the composition concept.

I enjoyed the group atmosphere.  At the end we were four and I think the fact we were a small group was really good to work.

Making the concert was also interesting, but I have to say it was a big challenge with the audience!

It was really interesting for me to do this workshop because I already had a lot of experience in improvised music, and three different “teachers” for it in Belgium. The way we worked on it here was radically different and thus, gave me another point of view on how to handle with this will of improvising and producing something interesting within the concept of improvising. 

I enjoyed also discovering the way you are personally working, with the “open sources” and what you showed us with the gloves, this random program and so on…  I was also interested in the process you were evolving, and it’s important for me to have interests in what the teacher is doing himself.

So I thank you really much for the time we spent on Mondays together, it was for me one of my best time in Berlin, and I’ll always remember what we did, and always think about it when trying to play my music.  Thanks a lot!  A.T.

Der Kurs hat einige Spuren bei mir hinterlassen.

Nachdem ich nun mal nicht Komponistin sondern Musikerin bin, lag mein ursprüngliches Interesse am Kurs zum einen darin, mit der Improvisation über die Phase des bloßen Klangspektakels und -vergnügens heraus zu wachsen und neue Ordnungs-/Strukturformen und Quellen zu suchen.

Zum anderen wollte ich herausfinden, wie ich die Energie und Präsenz des Improvisierens auf das Interpretieren von aufgeschriebener Musik übertragen kann. Für beides war der Kurs hilfreich, für ersteres konkret und praktisch, für letzteres indirekt in meinem weiteren Üben.

Der Kompositionsaspekt kam letztlich ein bisschen kurz, aber für mich war es ohnehin wichtiger, mehr in die Improvisation einzutauchen.

Es war gut, dass der Kurs sich mit uns Teilnehmern verändern hat, mit uns gewachsen ist und wir immer ganz direkt an unseren Schwierigkeiten und Möglichkeiten gearbeitet haben. Die Aufgaben waren manchmal hart oder ungewohnt, die Atmosphäre arbeitsam, kritisch, offen. Du warst ein starkes Gegenüber mit klaren Ideen, mit denen man umgehen musste/konnte. Das war hilfreich. Für mich haben sich einige neue Perspektiven geöffnet, die jetzt weiter arbeiten werden.

Schön, dass wir zum Schluss noch das Konzert gemacht haben! L.S.