Creative Strings Workshop & Festival: Europe
March 31st- April 3rd, 2022
Bowed string players and teachers: join us in Lausanne, Switzerland for masterclasses, group lessons, jam sessions, chamber music coaching, and concerts.
The public is welcome to buy tickets for evening concerts separately. (Click here to browse)
Network, jam, and learn with contemporary string players from around the world.
Join masterclasses, group lessons, and chamber-music coaching for performers and teachers on bowed strings seeking professional development.
Teen, adult, professional, amateur, advanced jazz players, beginning jazz players—all welcome.
Why You Don’t Want to Miss This
- Become creatively self-expressed and develop your musical voice.
- Internalize harmony on your instrument.
- Become fluent in contemporary styles so you can jam with musicians outside of classical music.
- Be able to use amplification and effects.
- Get gigs and expand career opportunities.
- Teachers: Gain age-appropriate sequences to share with students.
- Gain comfort in improvisation, composition, and arranging.
DISCOVERING NEW MUSICAL HORIZONS
I had a fantastic time….. I've been discovering new musical horizons, listening to great lessons on improvisation, having inspiring conversations and music with the participants, listening to excellent concerts. Simply feeling good and in the right place, judgement-free.
Many thanks for making this happen and for being caring and supportive.
List of Workshops
List of Workshops
- Improvisation, Arranging, and Composition
- Amplification, Looping, & Effects
- Free Improvisation and Non-Tonal Composition
- Blues-inspired idioms
- Groove and Accompaniment techniques
- Conducted Group Improvisation
- Modal Approach to Improvisation
- Internalizing Harmony
- Music Business Mastermind Seminar
Performing Groups:
Performing Groups:
- Les Ministrings– (large ensemble: directed by Tina Strinnning and Baiju Bhatt)
- Falsetas (duo: Marc Crofts, violin and Yardani Torres, violin)
- Fanny Balestro / Compagnie MUance (duo: Fanny Balestro-Bergeron, cello, performance art, electronics; Félix Bergeron, percussion, electronics)
- Cécile Delzant (solo: Cécile Delzant, violon)
- Odayaka (trio: Victor Darmon, violon; Adam Naylor, guitare; Cyril Billot, contrebasse)
- HOWES / BHATT / BRAUN (trio: Christian Howes, violin; Baiju Bhatt, violin; Stephan Braun, cello)
- Alba Obert (quartet: Alba Obert, violin; Julien Ménagé, piano; Blaise Hommage, bass; François Christe, drumset)
- Simon Heggendorn & Michael Zisman (Simon Heggendorn, violin; Michael Zisman, bandoneon)
- Eva Slongo (quartet: Eva Slongo, violon, singing; Julien Ménagé, piano, Blaise Hommage, bass. François Christe, percussion)
…and nightly Jam Sessions with Julien Ménagé, piano, Blaise Hommage, bass, and François Christe, drumset and our 2022 workshop participants
Featuring:
Christian Howes
Co-host and Teacher
American teacher, performer, and musical entrepreneur. He founded Creative Strings to expand music education to include improvisation, contemporary styles, and related subjects through online curricula, live workshops, and school residencies.
Baiju Bhatt
Co-host and Teacher
Swiss-Indian violin virtuoso, acclaimed teacher, and leader of the award-winning jazz-rock quintet Red Sun. He currently lives between Switzerland and Paris, and teaches at the Lausanne Conservatory.
Stephan Braun
Guest Teacher, Cello
Stephan currently resides in Berlin, Germany where he teaches at the “Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler” and the “Jazzinstitute”. He has played at many famous festivals including the Pori Jazz Festival, Toronto Jazz Festival, New Directions Cello Festival, Cello Akademie Rutesheim, North Sea Jazz Festival, Umbria Jazz Festival, and Montreal Jazz Festival and recorded as leader on two CDS- The Raid (2008) and Façon (2012).
Venue: Théâtre 2.21, Rue de l’Industrie 10, 1005 Lausanne
COVID-19 Safety Note: All Participants (workshop and concert-goers) must show proof of vaccination, testing, or immunity in accordance with Swiss health regulations to enter festival and concert venue.
Accomodations Note: The workshop does not provide lodging, but we can provide recommendations. Please see our FAQ for more details.
Workshops: Become a More Creative, Versatile String Player
Improvisation, Arranging, and Composition
Learn how to create functional melodies over chord progressions through a series of interactive exercises.
Discover how to construct melodies, bass lines, and accompaniment parts.
Participants will improvise over chord progressions in a wide variety of styles.
* This includes composition, voice leading, arranging, contemporary styles/techniques, and tonal improvisation.
Amplification, Looping, & Effects in the Classroom, Practice Room, & Stage
Learn to use loops and effects for teaching, practice, and performance.
Blues-Inspired Idioms
Learn about the blues as:
- a literary form
- a musical form (harmonically, melodically, and rhythmically- in many iterations)
- combining blues scales
- bass lines and accompaniment patterns
Free Improvisation and Non-Tonal Composition
Participants will compose in small groups using “composition games.”
During this interactive session you will feel empowered to perform your own original, “Free” improvisations and compositions.
Conducted Group Improvisation
Follow cue cards and a system of hand signals in large group improvisations. Engage in call and response, looping, vamps, modal grooves, and push the edges of musical chaos.
Participants will also conduct the ensemble!
Catered to the skill set of classically trained string players.
Modal Approaches to Improvisation
Learn how to apply a modal approach to your improvisation, arrangements, and compositions.
Internalizing Harmony on the Violin, Viola, and Cello
Gain the ability to:
- apply harmony on violin, viola, and cello
- voice-lead arpeggios, scales, and double stops and triple stops.
- Internalize chord progressions via bass line, inner voices, and sequential patterns.
Music Business Mastermind Seminar
Attract more projects, gigs, students, and clients, as detailed in testimonials from graduates HERE.
Register as A Workshop Participant Today
Super Early Bird Full Workshop Participant Package– 350 CHF (compared to full price of 600 CHF)
Full Access to all Workshops and Concerts.
Available only for a limited time and in limited quantities
Super Early Bird Full Workshop Participant Package- DEPOSIT ONLY 150 CHF now, Remaining 200 CHF by January 1st, 2022
Full Access to all Workshops and Concerts.
Available only for a limited time and in limited quantities
Early Bird Full Workshop Participant Package– 400 CHF
Full Access to all Workshops and Concerts.
Available only for a limited time and in limited quantities
Full Workshop Participant Package– 600 CHF
Full Access to all Workshops and Concerts
Weekend Only Workshop Participant Package– 450 CHF
Access to Saturday/Sunday Workshops and Friday/Saturday/Sunday Concerts only
No separate discounts available for weekend-only package. Feel free to buy a super early bird package above and attend only weekend events if it works better for your schedule.
Refund Policy: Workshop Packages are non-refundable except in the event that the event is cancelled due to COVID-19.
FAQ
Is CSW Europe suitable for my age, background, and level?
CSW Europe is designed for ages 14 and up, and open to a wide range of levels including teens, college, seniors, professional players, teachers, and amateurs.
We welcome players of all backgrounds, whether classical, fiddling, or other!
Previous experience with improvisation or contemporary styles of playing and teaching is NOT required.
What if I’m already super-advanced at classical, jazz, or fiddle styles? Will I be challenged?
Yes.
Can you play Giant Steps at 250BPM improvising double stops without repeating yourself?
Can you play Sally Goodin at a fast tempo in any key and any position?
You will be challenged.
What about food and lodging?
**We do not provide lodging or specify where participants need to stay.** We suggest an AirB&B or a local hotel.
Some participants living in Lausanne have agreed to host in their home other participants from abroad. We will be informing participants of as these opportunities arise.
A catering service for food is an option through a partnership with a very good and creative vegan caterer in Lausanne. For 30CHF/day, participants can have 2 delicious meals delivered directly to the venue.
Please contact Baiju directly with further inquiries about food and lodging at baiju@redsunprod.com
Can I receive professional development funding for these events?
Yes. We are recognized and/or have worked in conjunction with many prominent educational associations, including American String Teachers Association, Ohio Music Educators, North Carolina Music Educators, Suzuki Association of Americas.
We are happy to provide documentation for you to help you apply for funding through your school, employer, city/state, or association
Learn more about financial aid here.
Is financial aid available?
We do make scholarships available for some of our events- notably the Columbus adult and youth programs. Early registration helps. In some cases we offer work study. Our scholarship pool varies each year depending on grants, donations, and sponsorships.
You can also apply to join our Ambassador Program. This allows you to earn credit towards your tuition by referring others.
There is also work study options.
Learn more about Financial Aid here.
Reach out to chris@christianhowes.com to discuss scholarships and/or get on the waitlist.
How can I get involved?
Thanks for asking!
Yes, Creative Strings is a 501c3, nonprofit organization with a mission to build community, and lead the field through the improvement of standards and values for our entire community. We very much need help from volunteers, community partners, donors and sponsors.
Sponsored by:
