Collective Composition Workshop

Experience creativity and composition with the AMFS!
April 6-10, 2026, at TACAW (The Arts Campus at Willits)

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The Aspen Music Festival and School’s first Collective Composition Workshop, presented in partnership with TACAW (The Arts Campus at Willits), invites student musicians in grades 4–12 to come together for a week-long, after-school workshop to create an original musical composition. Centered on student voice and leadership, the workshop encourages participants to explore themes that matter to them and to express their experiences through sound. Guided by professional musicians who have honed this educational approach with young artists nationwide, students will nurture their innate creativity, grow their individual musicianship, and build confidence as collaborators while composing an original piece of music together.

The finished composition will premiere on the final day of the workshop (April 10, 2026) in a public performance at TACAW and be reprised during the Aspen Music Festival and School summer season (August 1, 2026) at Harris Concert Hall.

Support for this project comes from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Space provided in partnership with TACAW (The Arts Campus at Willits)

Program Information

Participants

For students (grades 4-12) in or near Colorado’s Roaring Fork Valley with at least 1 year of experience on their instrument or in vocal study. No prior composition experience necessary!

We welcome students affiliated with AMFS AfterWorks, TACAW, Jazz Aspen Snowmass, the Roaring Fork Youth Orchestra, Rock and Roll Academy, Bravo! Vail, in-school music programs in and around Colorado’s Roaring Fork Valley, home school students, and/or those studying with private instructors.

April workshop participation is limited to 50 participants. Please register early to reserve your spot!

April Workshop Schedule

Monday-Friday, April 6-10, 2026

3:30-7:00 PM

TACAW (The Arts Campus at Willits)

Public Performance: Friday, April 10, 2026, 6:00 PM at TACAW. Free, and open to the public.

Late arrival for students with later school dismissal times and/or for those traveling longer distances is expected. Difficulty in committing to the full 5-day experience is also expected. Participants are asked to attend at least 4 full days or not to miss more than 2 partial days.

If participating in the April workshop, please mark your calendars for July 30-August 1, 2026, and continue your learning with a summer workshop extension and reprise performance at the Aspen Music Festival and School! The summer extension will include two additional days of rehearsals and community building in Aspen, culminating in a public performance at Harris Concert Hall (August 1, 2026 at 4:30 PM). Summer participation is encouraged but not required.

Tuition and Scholarship Information

Workshop Tuition: $100

Tuition for the April workshop includes access to the summer extension at no additional cost—a 2-for-1 opportunity! Students who do not participate in the April workshop may enroll in the summer extension for an additional tuition fee.

Partial and full scholarships are available for students in financial need.

For more information or with questions, please visit the AMFS Collective Composition Workshop webpage or contact us at education@aspenmusic.org.

Contact Information

Student First Name

Student Middle Name

Student Last Name

Gender

Age of student (as of April 6, 2026)

Racial or Ethnic Group

If other (please specify):

2025-2026 Grade

2025-2026 School

If other, please specify:

Student Email (if applicable)

Student Phone Number (if applicable)

Guardian 1: First Name

Guardian 1: Last Name

Guardian 1: Email Address

Guardian 1: Phone Number

Would you like to submit contact information for a second parent/guardian?

Guardian 2: First Name

Guardian 2: Last Name

Guardian 2: Email Address

Guardian 2: Phone Number

Workshop Details

Do you anticipate being available for all five days of the workshop (April 6-10) and the performance on April 10?

Yes

Difficulty in committing to the full 5-day experience is expected. Since program spots are limited, participants are asked to adjust their schedules to attend at least 4 full days or not to miss more than 2 partial days of the week-long experience.

Are you interested in participating in the optional summer extension of the Collective Composition Workshop at the Aspen Music Festival and School from July 30-August 1, 2026?

Yes

Maybe

We can help students and families connect with other workshop participants to arrange carpools to and from the workshop location, if needed.

Will you require transportation (via carpool) TO the workshop at TACAW (400 Robinson St., Basalt, CO 81621) after school?

Yes

Maybe

From where will you require transportation?

Your Musical Background

Instrument (If your main instrument is voice, please pick voice. If you do not play an instrument nor sing, please pick percussion.)

How long have you been playing this instrument (or singing, if instrument is voice)?

Do you currently take private lessons on this instrument?

Who is your private lesson / classroom music teacher?

Do you currently or have you played other instruments (or sang) in addition to the instrument selected above?

Please describe your musical background and experience. (List 2-3 pieces you are currently working on or have worked on recently, organizations you are affiliated with, etc.)

What's On Your Mind?

What is one thing you wish adults knew about being a kid/teen right now?

What are two words that describe what "home" means to you?

What are three things that remind you of living in the Roaring Fork Valley, in Colorado, or in America?

Aspen Music Festival And School

Collective Composition Workshop - 2026 Registration