Online Summer Programs

Introduction to Music Composition

Tuition: $375
Application Deadline: June 1

Section I

Faculty: Mauricio Rodriguez, composer
Ages: 13 – 18
When: June 21 - July 9 M,W,F from 10 - 11:30 AM

Section II

Faculty: Mauricio Rodriguez, composer
Ages: 13 – 18
When: June 21 - July 9 M,W,F from 1:30 - 3:00 PM

Section III

Faculty: Daniel Wood, chair of composition
Ages: 9 – 13
When: July 12 - July 30 M,W,F from 10:00-11:30 AM

Requirements:  Ability to read music; understanding of major and minor scales, intervals and chord construction; minimum of two years experience with a musical instrument. No previous composition experience needed. Materials and downloadable sources will be provided by the instructor.

Explore your inner composer in this introductory course. Apply the principles of harmony to create beautiful chord progressions, compose amazing melodies and sticky rhythms to play them in your computer, at the piano, or in your preferred music instrument. This course, offered through a secure supervised Zoom meeting, also includes an introduction to computer notation software to write and share your own composed music.

Faculty Bios

Mauricio Rodriguez earned a Doctor of Musical Arts in Composition by Stanford University, a master’s in Sonology by Royal Conservatory The Hague in The Netherlands, and a bachelor’s in composition, piano, and ethnomusicology by University of Mexico. His music is frequently played in the Americas and Europe. He has been artist in residence at Arteles Center Finland, University of California Santa Cruz, International Centre for Composers Sweden, Xenakis Centre Paris, Royaumont France, and Cuban Institute of Art. He is an artistic fellow of the National Endowment for the Arts of Mexico.

Chair of Musicianship and Composition for the Pre-College Division at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Daniel Wood is an accomplished composer, performer and educator. His compositions favor small groups such as brass, wind and string chamber music, steel drum ensembles and jazz combos and his most recent commissions have come from Ceora Winds, Presidio String Trio, and Avenue Winds. Mr. Wood has written and performed solo shows as an improvisational musician including "Life on an Island" and "Brother, Can you spare a Dime." As a founding member of the Quadre horn quartet, he has toured extensively since 1998, and composed and performed for Quadre's 4 albums with guest horn player James Thatcher, Grammy winning flutist, Molly Barth, and soprano Elizabeth Weigle. Mr. Wood has lectured on the Business of Music for the American Federation of Musicians, San Francisco Conservatory, Eastman School of Music, University of Oregon, and the International Horn conferences. He is also a member of the Avenue Winds and the Teal Crane Trio, both focused on championing new work and runs Solid Wood Publishing. A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, Mr. Wood received his training from the University of California, Los Angeles. dwood@sfcm.edu