Tidriks Distance Learning
tidriks, noun.: tea drinks; group activities; meet-ups. (Boontling)
“As a conservatory student in the 90s, even as I appreciated the dive into a European past, I had to go outside my department and largely self-fund my rather haphazard but ultimately life-changing journey exploring and personalizing the music of my own Peruvian heritage. Decades later, as I guest at classical music schools, I feel like I’m stepping into a time machine. I still hear the same kinds of repertoire as I walk the practice room hallways, and, with few exceptions, see the same course catalogue offerings. The training is still for the 1800s, yet we are well into the 21st century in a very different world. And my god, the debt saddling our musicians for an education verging on the wrong side of history? Training institutions need to do better to address the needs of today’s communities.”
— Gabriela Lena Frank
An important component of the Academy’s Climate Commitment, the Tidriks Distance Learning program is an exclusively virtual offering of our teachings. While serving as an ideal supplement for composers accepted through competitive application to the core Bahlest Eeble Readings residency program, courses offered through the Tidriks Distance Learning program can stand alone. They are available to all interested composers from the comfort of their home, do not require a formal application, and are priced on a generously broad sliding scale to allow for all income levels and multiple enrollments.
Through the Zoom platform, courses on a diverse array of subjects are led by renowned, dynamic, and forward-thinking intergenerational practitioners of the art under discussion. Students are strongly encouraged to study the syllabus provided for each class and to complete the manageable homework of online videos/audios, articles, and study scores. Tidriks courses have included the following three categories:
Instrumental/Vocal Practicum for Composers: The Performer’s Perspective: Ranging from one to four masterclasses of 90-120 minutes each, instrumentalists and singers break down pivotal works they consider essential for all composers to know. Sharing their own marked-up scores and performing/demonstrating the music, these performer-instructors will draw on their concert experiences to illuminate their specific instrumental/vocal cultures, inspiring composers as to where these cultures might go in the future. Furthermore, a masterclass component is included where observing students can witness the instructor critique a short original excerpt by a profiled participant (scores also provided). Courses offered have included harp, bass, oboe, bassoon, countertenor voice, and flute practicums.
Music Literature (Four classes plus Happy Hour): Over four successive Sundays in classes 90-120 minutes long, composers take an introductory dive into a specific genre including its culture and values. On the final Sunday, a culminating “happy hour” is scheduled with special guest artists, current practitioners of the art form, invited to join us in a discussion. With opportunities to ask questions and resources provided for further study, students can expect to be well-positioned to gain a meaningful grasp of a musical culture new to them. Courses offered include Hip-Hop, Electric Guitar, DIY Punk, Karnatik Indian, and Latin American String Quartet repertories.
Special Topics: We are excited to offer curriculum on the climate crisis and how creatives, through their art and citizenship, can participate in protecting our environmental and human futures.
Special note: Students and masterclass participants enrolled in the Tidriks Distance Learning program are considered distinct from Fellows who have come through the Bahlest Eeble Readings program, and are not eligible for the benefits enjoyed by the Alumni Support Initiative.