November 2-4, 2023
Berklee College of Music
SPLICE FESTIVAL V IS NO LONGER ACCEPTING PROPOSALS
SPLICE is excited to announce a call for proposals for its fifth annual SPLICE Festival, taking place at the Berklee College of Music, Thursday-Saturday November 2-4, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. SPLICE welcomes proposals from performers, composers, composer/performer teams, and composer-performers for works that feature human-driven live performance (on traditional or nontraditional instruments) and electronics (fixed or live), one-hour hands-on workshops, and fifteen-minute lectures.
SPLICE Festival will include five concerts, along with presentations and hands-on workshop sessions. Concerts will feature performances selected from submitted works and a curated concert by the SPLICE Ensemble. Presentations and workshops will serve Berklee students and festival attendees.
There is no application fee. Registration to the Festival is $25, and participants are asked to be in attendance for the duration of the Festival.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
SPLICE Festival essentially follows a music conference paradigm, offering 3 days of concerts, lectures, and workshops at a different host institution each year. See below for details!
SPLICE Institute is a week-long intensive summer program that takes place every year at Western Michigan University. In addition to concerts, lectures, and panels, we offer a series of technology classes/workshops. For more details about SPLICE Institute, see our Institute page.
DEADLINE: May 15 at 11:59 PM EDT
Proposals may include (but are not limited to):
Participant performances of works
A new piece composed for SPLICE Ensemble
Hands-on workshops
Lecture presentations
Proposal Guidelines
Concert Work Proposals
• All works must include a live performance component
• All works must include electronics, either fixed or live
• Works less than 20 minutes are preferred
• Due to the collaborative spirit promoted by SPLICE Festival, we strongly prefer that the performers listed on the application be those who will perform at the Festival
SPLICE Ensemble Proposals
• Pieces do not need to have been composed at the time of the proposal
• Proposals may be for arrangements or already composed pieces in addition to new works
• Works less than 20 minutes are preferred
• Any combination of instruments (trumpet, piano, percussion) is welcome, though preference will be given to works including all three performers
• Electronic component will be performed by the Ensemble (i.e., pieces do not require a fourth person running electronics)
• All three members of the SPLICE Ensemble can perform electronics (instead of their instruments)
• Include a written statement proposing the nature of the collaboration
• Pieces should involve only one computer/interface
• Percussion instruments are limited to a drum set consisting of:
• Kick drum
• Snare drum (can substitute Frame drum)
• Rack-mounted Tom toms (2)
• Floor Tom
• High hat
• Crash cymbals (2)
• Ride cymbal
• Trap table of various small percussion objects (prayer bowls, wood blocks, coffee cans, toys, etc.)*
*The Ensemble is open to various small objects, but asks that these be determined in consultation with the Ensemble.
Presentation and Workshop Proposals
We encourage proposals for 15-minute lecture presentations and for one-hour hands-on workshops.
Lecture presentations may, but are not required to, focus on the technical and/or aesthetic features of a submitted work, including performance, creative practices, and/or technology.
One-hour hands-on workshops will take place in Berklee College of Music classrooms. Software workshops are encouraged, but please note that attendees will be required to bring their own laptop with copies of the software as we will not have access to Berklee’s computer lab.
Note that we will have access to a soldering lab if needed for a workshop.
General Submission Guidelines
• There is no application fee
• Submissions must be received by May 15 at 11:59 PM EDT
• Individuals can be involved in no more than two submissions
• The primary submitter of the work must attend the entire festival and remit a $20 registration fee
• Submissions must include a list of tech requirements, including what the presenter is asking SPLICE to provide.
• The SPLICE Festival concert space will be the David Friend Recital Hall at Berklee and will be equipped with a 4-channel sound system.
• Only online submissions will be considered.
• Supporting materials must be provided as links to files; file uploads are not permitted.
• Applicants will be notified by June 1, 2023
• Please direct all questions to festival@splicemusic.org
Required with Submission
• Contact information
• List of performers and instruments
• Links to stream or download a recording of the work; mockups are acceptable
• Links to view or download a score, if applicable
• List of equipment you will provide
• List of equipment you will need SPLICE Festival to provide
• Short Bios (150 word maximum) for all individuals involved
• Program Notes
• A two to four sentence proposal for a fifteen-minute presentation on the submitted work (optional)
• A four sentence proposal for a one-hour hands-on workshop (optional)
• An agreement to attend the entire event