UPCOMING PROGRAMS
SEASON 2025
CREATIVE
MUSIC
INTENSIVE
08/02–08/17 2025
Arts Letters & Numbers Campus
Averill Park, NY, United States
/ Program description
Creative Music Intensive is a two-week in-person program which will be held from August 2nd – 17th at Arts Letters & Numbers in 2025. The program is open to musicians working in any genre. Participants will be immersed in the creative process of making and performing music, exploring new approaches, and developing individual and collaborative works as creative artists.
This unique program will be directed and led by Michael Harrison, Music Program Director and recurring Visiting Artist of Arts Letters & Numbers, featuring special guest Vijay Iyer (week one) and co-taught by Bergamot Quartet, Elliot Cole, Payton MacDonald, and David Gersten, Arts Letters & Numbers founding director. Each will host weekly classes and offer one-on-one private lessons, and facilitate potential collaborations with co-participants.
Topics to be covered during group and private classes include composition and improvisation; composing for string quartet and percussion; Indian classical ragas, rhythms and techniques; performance, recording and career strategies; and developing interdisciplinary work and collaborations. Please see the program breakdown page for details.
Participants are encouraged to come with creative projects they want to develop. There are spaces to work, and opportunities to collaborate, present, and receive technical and artistic support.
At the conclusion of the program, on August 16th, participants will present a public performance together (live onsite and online), in which they may perform or arrange for other musicians to perform their work. Participants will also have the opportunity to compose a new work for performance by Bergamot Quartet. The Participants’ Concert, BQ’s concert and other events are opportunities to explore new performance practices and material in a safe and welcoming environment. The faculty will also present concerts of their work.
/ Program details
Application Deadline
May 15th, 2025
Duration of Program
August 2nd - 17th, 2025
Program Fee
$1950 (shared room)
$2250 (private room)
Scholarship
There are a limited number of Scholarships available with partial reduction of the program fee. Scholarships are only considered for applicants for whom this is crucial for their participation in the program, and require a separate application. The scholarship application should be submitted once the program application has been submitted.
Selection Process
Results from the application review process will go out on or before May 20th. A non-refundable deposit of $500 is due within two weeks upon acceptance to the program. Payment in full is due on July 1st.
Work samples are required for evaluating applications. The application form asks for a website, but if your works are not on a website, samples in pdf format and any questions regarding the application can be sent directly to: programs@artslettersandnumbers.com
/ Past participants testimonials
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“I have participated in CMI twice, both online. It is such a wonderful programme that has really shaped my career to date, from establishing an ongoing relationship with Del Sol Quartet, to deepening my knowledge of Just Intonation harmony with Michael Harrison, to broadening my understanding of rhythm studying Konnakol with Payton McDonald. The experiences I've had at CMI in private lessons and group sessions have positively impacted my confidence and helped me shape my artistic voice. The community around the programme also makes it such a special programme, bringing together musicians from all over the world and opening up the possibility of international collaboration.”
– Maddie Ashman (London, England)
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“In 2023, I had the great joy of visiting Arts, Letters and Numbers and completing Creative Music Intensive and hope to visit it soon again. Being around the tremendous musicians of the Bergamot Quartet, who did a fantastic job of workshopping a wide variety of curious pieces, and being so open to questions and experimentations was a huge blessing. Being able to learn from Michael, Elliot, Aleksandra and Payton, who are incredibly open to new ideas and I could even spontaneously perform a piece together with Payton. Furthermore, we had so much time together, in the classroom, in concerts, in the studios and also at the lake, at the bbq, at the ping pong table and etc., with the quartet, the fabulous professors and the other participants that a great bond was created between us all and a great artist community could be felt, where everyone was trying to help each other with the wonderful mix of experiences and areas of focus that the group had. Through this I felt the course not only helped me develop as a musician and artist, but also reinforced very strongly why I want to be a musician. Because I want to share experiences and art with others.”
– Golden Henryk (Vienna, Austria)
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“I attended the first Creative Music Online program in 2020, not quite knowing what I was getting into or how it was going to transform me as a composer. I attended every single year after that because this program offered everything I'd been seeking and more. The supportive environment cultivated by everyone there helped to build my confidence as a composer. I finally found a community where I felt like I belonged, and where the things I was interested in were celebrated. Michael Harrison's raga classes in particular became an ongoing beautiful meditative practice for me that have changed how I think about and experience music. Because of the Creative Music Intensive I have now written several string quartets, something I would not have done otherwise, and now my composing practice involves experimenting in just intonation and creating my own tunings.”
– Stacy Fahrion (Centennial, Colorado)
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“Immersing myself in the CMI program during the summer of 2023 was a transformative journey into the world of music composition and innovation. As an amateur cellist venturing into the fusion of my instrument with electronics and synthesizers, the program offered a diverse community ranging from fellow amateurs to skilled composers and students. The privilege of collaborating with accomplished faculty members enriched my learning experience, particularly in the composition classes, the exploration of visual scores, and starting each day learning Indian ragas. The workshop sessions fostered a supportive environment, where constructive feedback encouraged everyone to embrace their creativity, breaking away from conventional notions of what defines exceptional music.”
– Claudia Kulesh (New York, NY)
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“I attended the Creative Music Intensive at Arts Letters and Numbers for the first time during the summer of 2023. The experience was moving and resonated deeply in a number of ways. First, I have spent my entire life involved with interdisciplinary projects, between music, math, engineering and computer science, and also between theater arts and dance choreography. The whole premise of ALN is for artists and workers to collaborate and find new expressions. Second, ALN has been put together on an old industrial site where there is a strong ethos of volunteerism, hands-on and working together to build something special, and I found myself connecting deeply with this, having worked in the trades as a young man. Third, the entire ALN staff, and its director David Gersten share an attitude of encouragement and openness which provide a safe space for taking risks. This in turn encouraged me to share music and thoughts, and keep going with some new ideas. Fourth, ALN is inclusive, welcomes participants of all ages and backgrounds, and it was a privilege to meet many participants who attended from different countries. Finally, I felt welcomed into a family, made some new friends, and even now am collaborating with one of the participants on a new project.”
– Edward Childs (Corinth, Vermont)
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“I decided to attend CMI to experience what it would be like to express myself as a musician/pianist in front of and around gifted creative musicians. I was determined to play as myself and not what someone else thought I should sound like or play like. For many creative musicians this is not a difficult thing to flesh out. I was not fortunate enough as a young man to feel the assurance of having my own unique voice. I was still working on how to play the damn thing! My experience has lead me to pursue my doctorate at the New England Conservatory. Without question I can say that CMI provided all of the nurturing encouragement I could have imagined! Everyone I met was very supportive and inspirational. I look forward to attending again. While attending CMI, I attained the self-assurance I desired!”
– David Warren Harewood (Arlington, Massachusetts)
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"When I got to Creative Music Intensive program, I was a little worried about the new environment, different continent and culture, and range of professional expertise that is maybe expected of me. I was amazed to see that the musicians gathered were coming from very different backgrounds - from music enthusiasts and amateurs, jazz and rock-based musicians to academically trained professionals and many more. What is most important, we all could share our experiences and follow the lectures with our capabilities. And the lectures were exceptionally valuable and diverse. I enjoyed the most the counterpoint lessons named "Adventures in Polyphony" by Elliot Cole where I felt that composing with counterpoint rules can be an adventure whose goal is to make one's music more intricate. Another lesson that broadened my musical experience was the raga class with Michael Harrison. His refined sense of how much can we learn as a group, and not to go too fast to lose the depth of the music that we played resulted in one of the greatest musical experiences at the final "Marathon" 5-hour concert. I could go on about every little detail, but that would take me hours and hours. To sum it up, I recommend this program to every kind of musician. Things that you learn here stay with you for life, and the experience of 2 weeks removed from everything else except music is life-changing."
– Dimitrije Beljanski (Novi Sad, Serbia)
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"CMI was one of the best decisions of my musical career. The collaborations and friendships I made with both participants and faculty during the program really pushed my career forward and hold a very special place in my life. Having attended many festivals virtually and in-person, it was immediately clear to me what CMI's values are through their high-caliber faculty and education for such a modest tuition price. I strongly recommend CMI for both the aspiring professional and the casual enthusiast!"
– Anuj Bhutani (Los Angeles, California)
