The Marston Composition Collective
Where composers come to collaborate and inspire each other to create, every Monday 6-8 PM!
First session is free for all interested!
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Every Monday 6-8 PM, PSU Songwriting Professor Todd Marston leads a collaborative composing community of great working & learning musicians with the goal to inspire the creation of music.
The Monday sessions are limited to 15 total composers. Given enough interest, another weekly slot may be put together.
Price: $35/2-hour session paid monthly ($150/month), including occasional free open studio time, shows, events, & other benefits. Limited scholarship available for 25-50% off. -
Joining Marston’s Composition Collective will introduce
1. New concepts regarding composition, collaboration, philosophy/wellness & taming the inner critic, and more!2. New people! Be surrounded by a cohort of musicians ranging from new composers to professional gigging musicians. Occasional guest speakers featured who have covered topics such as speed writing, counterpoint, and humor in lyricism.
3. New motivation. Write for a community of diverse instrumentation & musical backgrounds. Look forward to featuring your songs at regular composer shows hosted at Blue Butler Studios, or work towards a recording project to release (extra recording fees may be required). -
In tandem with weekly sessions, occasional 20-Song Games will be hosted open to the music community at large, as well as public shows featuring our amazing composers. To learn more about the 20-song game, check out this wikipedia page.
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Marston’s Composition Community is a testing ground to create a stable community for songwriters at Blue Butler Studios. Our goal is to encourage collaboration and create opportunities to perform & record work in a low stakes, mindful environment.
Hopefully out of your experience, you’ll find musicians that you’ll spend many years writing with, or at least gain some inspiration to continuously write and improve your composition ability.
Testimonials from Songwriters
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It’s been a breath of fresh air to explore the craft of songwriting in a completely non-judgmental space where there are no wrong ideas! Todd tailors his sessions to comprehensively cover the fundamentals of songwriting in an all-inclusive group setting that is supportive of musicians of all levels. Not only is the collective a great place to study composition with a polished and warm teacher, but it’s also a great place to learn through collaboration with an inspiring and eclectic community of fellow musicians!
C. P. – Singer/Guitarist
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"The composition collective for me has been highly motivating to continue developing pieces and consistently write new material. I love Todd's holistic and encouraging approach to guiding the collective with group theory/composing lessons. Group writing sessions challenge me to collaborate effectively while having fun in the process. If you're looking for fresh approaches to song creation, collaborative song-writing challenges, and a supportive community of aspiring composers then you should definitely come check the sessions out!"
I.M. – Pianist
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"As an experienced musician, I have really enjoyed participating in the Marston Composition Collective workshop. The format is engaging and supportive for both experienced musicians and beginners. Todd is a great facilitator and it's a lot of fun talking about music and sharing ideas. Overall, I highly recommend this workshop to anyone interested in songwriting and composition."
J.S. – Composer/Cellist
Interested?
Fill out the form to the right! Sessions are currently happening every week on Mondays 6-8 PM.
After filling out the form, come stop by a session to check it out. First time is free to see if it is a right fit.
