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日本語
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A Workshop to
Create Music
from Scratch

Invent Music is a workshop to create music regardless of knowledge or skills in existing music. Since I do not use any existing musical instruments and are not based on existing music theory, there is no knowledge or experience on music needed.

Can be applied for team building education art therapy etc.

There are several approaches of creating music. A workshop can be organised with each approach or you can also combine several approaches into one workshop.

Approach A : Unplugged (Acoustic)

In this unit, you design your own musical instruments, your own notation system, and finally create a song or do improvisation.

Approach B : With Sequencer

In this unit, you make music using Miohata, a physical step sequencer (system that recognises objects placed on the table). By recording a sound of any object around you and placing an object on a cell of a table, Miohata recognises the object and starts making sound as a light belt comes along with the sound you have just recorded. Miohata has several tracks that can deal with different sounds at different times.

For Adult Education

I can organise Invent Music for schools or education institutes. The contents can be flexibly modified according to the type of education.

It is intended for adults and the aim is to improve creativity of the participants (students) through an attempt at creating songs and improvisation.

What We Do

Part One
30 min
Forget All & Think Again
  • Think What is "music"?
  • Think What is to "perform"?
  • Think What are "musical instruments"?
  • Think What are "songs"?
  • Think What do you need for "song" at a minimum?
  • Do Make a "sound" / Make a sound "musically"
  • Think Do you think this is "sound" or "music"?
  • Think Your tool to cross the border between "sound" and "music"
Part Two
30 min
Approach A Design & Make Your Own Musical Instrument
  • Learn how to make sounds from the physical perspective
  • Do Design & make your own musical instrument — cut & paste, put them together, whatever you want
  • Do Name the musical instrument
Approach B Introduction & Recording
  • Do How to use the system
  • Do Recording
Part Three
30 min+
Approach A Improvisation & Make a Song
  • Do Make some sounds (improvisation)
  • Do Discuss and invent your own notation system (music sheet)
  • Do Make a song together with your own notation system and musical instrument
  • Do Concert with your own musical instrument
Approach B Create a Song & Do Live Performance
  • Do Create a song using the system
  • Do Live performance with the system
Part Four
15 min+
Sharing
  • Hear the recording
  • Share what you think

For Team Building

As an expert of music from Japan, I offer a team building workshop to help your team discover how to perform teamwork in a Japanese way through music.

In Japan, teamwork is very important and Japanese people are very good at it. We will form an orchestra just like large companies from Japan such as Sony, Hitachi and Toshiba - but there is no knowledge or experience of music needed.

It is possible to reflect actual team roles or process in the workshop. Each one in your team will be able to listen and interact better with each other, discover the qualities of others, and be aware that everyone is contributing to and being responsible for the result (have a feeling of cooperation), as some people mentioned in their feedbacks.

Part One
30 min
Forget All & Think Again
  • Think What is "music"?
  • Think What do you need for "song" at a minimum?
  • Do Make a "sound" / Make a sound "musically"
  • Think Do you think this is "sound" or "music"?
  • Think Your tool to cross the border between "sound" and "music"
Part Two
30 min
Design & Make Your Own Musical Instrument
  • Learn how to make sounds from the physical perspective
  • Do Design & make your own musical instrument — cut & paste, put them together, whatever you want
  • Do Name the musical instrument
  • Do Make some sounds (improvisation)
Part Three
30 min+
Improvisation
  • Learn how Japanese communication works
  • Do Try improvisation in a Japanese way
    • Pushing
    • Concern / imagine / suppose
    • Balanced communication
    • Hiding confidence
    • Controling yourself
    • Personality / individuality / originality
Part Four
15 min+
Sharing
  • Hear the recording
  • Share what you think

For Child Education

I can organise Invent Music for schools or education institutes. The contents can be flexibly modified according to the age group or the type of education.

It is intended for a wide range of ages from 3 years old to adults and also suitable for families. The aim is to improve creativity of the participants (students) through an attempt at creating songs and improvisation.

There are several "units" that contains different approach of creating music. A workshop can be organised with each unit or you can also combine several units into one workshop.

Part One
5 min
How to Create "Rhythm"
  • With some examples, learn how to organise sound to be heard as "rhythm"
Part Two
20 min
Approach A Design & Make Your Own Musical Instrument
  • Learn how to make sounds from the physical perspective
  • Do Design & make your own musical instrument — cut & paste, put them together, whatever you want
  • Do Name the musical instrument
Approach B Introduction & Recording
  • Do How to use the system
  • Do Recording
Part Three
30 min+
Approach A Improvisation & Make a Song
  • Do Discuss and invent your own notation system (music sheet)
  • Do Make a song together with your own notation system and musical instrument
  • Do Concert with your own musical instrument
Approach B Create a Song & Do Live Performance
  • Do Create a song using the system
  • Do Live performance with the system
Part Four
10 min+
Sharing
  • Hear the recording
  • Share what you think

What People Say

楽しかったです。音楽をかたく思っていたのを、はずしてもらった感じで、自由なんだーと思いニッコリしました。毎日の生活で楽しみが増えました。

Translated It was fun. I can't help smiling since I found out that music is freer than I had thought. I have found something to entertain myself with in my daily life.

— 14 Jul 2012 | Nagoya, Japan
音楽には遠い生活をしている中で、こうして様々なモノを使って音をつくりだして、人といっしょに音を楽しむという体験は本当に楽しかったです。いつのまにか自分が笑顔になっていて、とても素敵な気持ちとなりました。

Translated It was a lot of fun creating and enjoying sound with someone else together using a variety of things as music is something distant for me.

— 27 Oct 2013 | Fukuoka, Japan
自分の好きな時に好きな音を出すのがこんなにも楽しいんだなぁと思いました。「音楽」を作ろうとなった2回目の録音の時に、参加者一人一人がお互いの音を聴くことに意識が向かっていて、その感覚が重なった時に、皆で合奏している感じがして、とても楽しかったです。

Translated I didn't know making any sound I want anytime was such a fun. Everyone was focusing on listening to each other in the second recording and I felt I am playing a role as a part of the band.

— 14 Jul 2012 | Nagoya, Japan
森の中にいるみたい。動物の鳴き声。目を閉じていると音の遠近感がより強く感じられた。「リズム」を知って、明らかに「音楽」ができたと思う。「自分も参加したい」という思いが強くなった。

Translated It's like being in a forest, listening to animals. My sense of distance got sharper when closing my eyes. Obviously the sound turned into "music" knowing "rhythm". Felt stronger that I want to be involved.

— 6 May 2012 | Osaka, Japan
5分間の音出しの時、最初は自分が思うようにだらだら音を出していたけど、しだいに周りの音を聞くようになって、それに合わせるように音を出している時があった。大きな音で、リズムのある音があったから、それにひっぱられてる感もあって、そう感じたら、また自分だけのリズムになった。→集団での人とのつきあい方も似てるかも?はじめは自分楽しもう!と場に参加して話をするけど、しだいに色んな人の話をきいて、へーって思って、でもそこで終わるんじゃなくて、自分の感じたこととかをまた話し出す。そんな感覚と似ているような気がした。どこで人の音をきくか、自分の音を出すか、帰るか、そういったタイミングの違いがそれぞれあっておもしろいと思った。

Translated At the beginning, I was just making sound I want and didn't care what others are doing, but gradually I started listening and was making sound reacting to them. When I realised that I was guided by the loud and clear rhythm, my own sense of rhythm came back. It might be similar to how teams and communities work. Trying to have fun at the beginning, and start listening to the others, but it also leads me to speak what I think. When to listen, when to speak, when to leave - very interesting to see the difference in each one.

— 23 Jun 2012 | Tokyo, Japan
Very interesting. I always thought I can't play music even though I've always wanted to.

— 12 Dec 2014 | Wellington, New Zealand

About payment

Fee
Various according to a project
Additional fees
Collaborator
Credit card: 4.6% of the item price
PayPal (credit card): 8.7% of the item price
PayPal (bank transfer): 7.4% of the item price
Shipping: none
Participant
None
Payment methods
Collaborator
Credit card / PayPal / bank transfer
Participant
Credit card / cash
When to pay
The time of workshop
When to get delivered
The time of workshop
Return / refund
Collaborator
If notified before 24 hours prior to the appointment: refundable
After 24 hours prior to the appointment: not refundable
Participant
Upfront: Various according to a project
After the workshop has started: not refundable

I Can Organise It For You

I accept offers from anywhere in the world as far as I can handle my schedule and fee. It is also possible to alter the contents for special occasions such as educational or therapy programs. Check out the following requirement and feel free to ask me.

Language
English / Japanese
Duration
2 hours
(can be shortened or split)
Capacity
4 people - no upper limit
Ages Admitted
4 years old and over
What to Bring
  • Things to make sound (other than "instruments" which are allowed to share with others)
Equipments Needed
  • Quite room
  • Screen (or white wall, white board, etc.)
  • Sockets (consuming approx. 400W)
  • Chairs
  • AC (mid summer or winter, depinding on the weather)
Staffs Needed
  • Assistant (guide)
  • Cameraperson (for photos)
  • Cameraperson (for videos)

* can also be served by the same person.
Organising Fees
For corporation / organisations
From €450,-*
From ¥56,000*
For individuals / non-profits
From €90,-*
From ¥11,500*
* fees will be reduced when the workshop is shortened or split
* expenses for travel and accommodation may be added

Send a Request

Press Kit

Contact me and I will send it to you.

You Can Organise

cc-byAnyone can organise, modify this lecture/workshop as long as you specify that the deviser is Kazune Koyama. Do not hesitate to contact me if you need any further information. This workshop is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0.