Composers and performers selected for a concert collaboration are paired with each other or splice faculty and guest artists to collaborate on a new work that will be premiered at SPLICE Institute.
Concert Collaborations
Composers may be paired with SPLICE Ensemble or participant performers to write and premiere a new work at the Institute. Composer-performers can present a work that they write for themselves to perform. Additionally, select participants may take part in our new EA-chamber music program. Participant-performers play a new work with the SPLICE Ensemble written for the quartet by a participant-composer.
Community building and collaboration form the core of SPLICE’s mission and activities. Attendees become part of a community that continues to grow and develop beyond the Institute.
While SPLICE Institute allows participants to find a collaborative process that works for them, composers and performers agree to adhere to the collaboration deadlines indicated below. Communicating and figuring out how to work together is largely the responsibility of the participants; however, each collaborative team will be assigned a faculty member who will provide mentorship during the collaborative process. Additionally, all individuals collaborating on a new work will meet with a faculty member during the first Sunday of the Institute between 10am and 6 pm. We are dedicated to facilitating these collaborative processes and hope that attendees at SPLICE Institute will form relationships that result in future collaborations and projects. We suggest the following regarding the collaborative projects that will premiere at the Institute:
As soon as you are paired with someone, begin communications regarding creating a plan that works for both collaborators, including more specific deadlines, aesthetic considerations, and technical concerns.
Make sure that you are being clear regarding your preferences, while also being responsive and open-minded to the ideas and concerns of your collaborator.
If something is not clear to you, continue to ask questions until it is clear.
We recommend that, given the time restrictions inherent in this type of process, these collaborations and premieres be viewed as works-in-progress; however, a number of collaborations from previous years resulted in final products that went on to be presented at conferences including SEAMUS, NYCEMF, ICMC, EMM, and the Toronto International Electroacoustic Symposium.
The requirements regarding these works are as follows:
Technology required can not exceed the equipment that we have available.*
The program note must include a statement that the work was written to premier at SPLICE Institute.
The work may not exceed 8 minutes in duration, unless special permission is provided and both members of the collaborating team agree to the duration.
Composers must write pieces that the performers can perform in the composer's absence. This requires clear performance materials that facilitate the presentation of the work.
*SPLICE has access to music technology equipment at Western Michigan University during the week. This technology is quite robust and includes numerous microphone options, a 5.1 speaker configuration, software, and all other equipment common in these performance situations. For anything that is exceptional, please inquire about your tech needs early on in the process.
Participant Collaboration Timeline
Late Feb. (exact date TBD): Initial Zoom meeting with all full participants outlining expectations and guidelines.
March 1, 2024: Deadline for composer and performer collaborators to connect and discuss the new work.
NOTE: performer and composer should both plan for the performer to run the electronics from the stage during the final performance.
All skills needed to do so will be covered during the week of SPLICE Institute.
April 3, 2024: Piece proposal due to performer and faculty advisor - check to make sure all proposals follow our guidelines.
April 29, 2024: Deadline for composers writing a new work to send the collaborating performer and the faculty advisor a draft score of the work. This can be provided earlier, but not later than this date.
May 20, 2024: Deadline for composers writing a new work to send the collaborating performer and the faculty mentor a final notated composition including prefatory materials/notation legend and explanation of electronics.
June 3, 2024: Deadline for composers writing a new work to send performer and faculty advisor FINAL ELECTRONIC SUPPORT materials (sound files, Max patch, etc.) and any other materials necessary for rehearsal prior to the meetings that will occur at SPLICE. Composers should only expect minor changes to be possible after the start of SPLICE, since all participants will be busy during the week.
Sunday, June 23, 2024, by 10am: You must arrive at SPLICE Institute by 10am on Sunday for your collaborative meeting.