A New Chapter for the Partimenti Workshop
The most recent iteration of the Partimenti Workshop was a real success. We had a deeply engaged group of musicians working seriously with partimenti tools and techniques, and over fourteen weeks a genuinely supportive musical community formed. Participants listened carefully to one another’s realizations, shared thoughtful feedback, and encouraged each other’s growth. I saw significant musical development across the group in a relatively short time, and several students composed figuration preludes that were professionally recorded by the wonderful Canadian pianist Madeline Hildebrand — more on those recordings soon.
A Period of Reflection and Redevelopment
Since that workshop wrapped up, I’ve been in a period of reflection and redevelopment. I’ve had conversations with composers, performers, teachers, improvisers, and curious amateurs from a wide range of musical backgrounds who are interested in partimenti. Those conversations have been incredibly helpful. They’ve clarified what musicians are looking for and have genuinely shaped where the workshop is heading, so if you’ve been part of those discussions, thank you.
The guiding goal behind this redevelopment is simple: to serve more musicians better. Partimenti isn’t only for specialists in early music or theory enthusiasts. It can support film composers looking for harmonic fluency, teachers seeking creative pedagogical tools, performers wanting deeper structural understanding, improvisers exploring classical traditions, and motivated amateurs who want to engage creatively with music. At its heart, partimenti is about learning how music works from the inside out — hearing patterns, feeling harmonic motion, and developing the confidence to create.
Rethinking the Curriculum
Much of my recent work has focused on rethinking the curriculum itself. I’m considering pacing, structure, and accessibility, as well as how musicians with different goals can find meaningful entry points into creative music-making. I’m particularly interested in strengthening connections between historical improvisation practices and contemporary musical life, and in developing resources that support both emerging students and more advanced musicians. The aim isn’t simply historical reconstruction; it’s practical fluency.
What’s Coming Next
In the coming months, I’ll begin sharing more about new workshop formats, evolving teaching materials, and ongoing thoughts about improvisation, composition, listening, and musical creativity. If you’re interested in developing improvisational skills, understanding repertoire more deeply, or exploring historical approaches to musicianship in a modern context, there’s a lot in the pipeline.