Our taster workshops are an extension to our Virtual Open Days.

During the 1h online sessions we will explore some of the basic and more advanced music production skills that we cover more extensively in our Electronic Music Production and Performance courses.

Philippa McIntyre has been a staple artist of the New Zealand electronic music scene for over twenty years, and a practicing producer and DJ in Berlin since 2013, as well as a core member of the Catalyst music tutor team since its inception.

**Upcoming workshops**
1. Arpeggiator technique workshop - Thursday, 18 November from 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
2. Sampling: Beat-chopping / loop shifting - Tuesday, 11 January from 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
3. Klangfarbenmelodie workshop - Wednesday, 13 April from 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM


--- About the workshops ---

1. Arpeggiator technique workshop
/// In this workshop we'll be creating an arpeggiator that “falls apart”.
Using the magic of midi we can manipulate arpeggiator notes to create our own unique patterns. A favourite technique of minimal house and techno producers, the inspiration originally comes from twentieth century minimalist classical composers such as Philip Glass.

2. Sampling
/// The beatific world of beat-chopping & loop shifting /// In this workshop we'll be chopping and manipulating beat loops to create unique syncopation and polyrhythms; we’ll then juxtapose these complicated beats with something simple and melodic. It’s a throwback / 90s technique - used extensively in genres such as drum n bass and instrumental hip hop, employed by artists such as Aphex Twin and DJ Shadow. Example:  DJ Shadow’s “Endtroducing” from 1996: https://youtu.be/15hyAaFYOCQ

3. Klangfarbenmelodie
/// German for “sound colour melody”, in this workshop we'll be using arpeggiator patterns again, but this time we'll be distributing individual notes to various synths over time to create something colourful and beautiful. This technique is a great way to explore the different synths and presets in Live. It’s a technique that comes from German classical music of the early twentieth century and sounds amazing with the timbral qualities of modern synthesizers.

/// What you need
- Nothing. If you'd like to try out the technique out, you can download a free trial version of Ableton. We'll share the project files with you after the workshop.

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After each session we'll have a short Q&A where you ask us any questions about joining our Electronic Music Production courses next summer or fall.

Looking forward to meeting you online soon,
your Catalyst Music team

For more information about our music production programmes, visit us at https://catalyst-berlin.com/music