Dear Reader,

Hopefully you are still safe and sunny!

Meanwhile there are New Videos to feast on: learn about Beethoven variations on string instruments, sit back and enjoy a wild improvisation on Twinkle Twinkle Little Star or an interview with Saskia Coolen on her new improvisation CD.
This week also our video about Five Formative Failures is coming out: telling you how on hindsight some of our bad moments turned our ensemble around and trying to convince you to fail more. Subscribe to our channel to always get the latest videos upon release.

Finally, in the first week of August Robert will do a Zoom course on improvising with one chord:

Zoom Chord Course

Chords are important in improvisation. Practising chords on your instrument can be challenging and sometimes not that interesting. In this course I explain the very basics about chords and get you to start improvising on a chord immediately. The idea is to focus on ONE chord per improvisation, so we really find all those notes. Using games from improvisation theatre is going to make it a lot of fun too.

Find out More

Beethoven Variations for Strings

Did Beethoven use string instruments in a particular way in his variation pieces for this instrument? James picks out 7 techniques that are idiomatic for the strings and easy to apply. James also recorded an accompaniment, so you can practice on a piece by Handel which Beethoven used for a set of cello variations.
PS: the last 2 techniques can be found on Patreon. Support us there for more videos, exchange with other improvisation students and comments from us.

Interview with Saskia Coolen

I talk to recorder player extraordinaire Saskia Coolen about the amazing feat of recording an entire solo cd of improvisations on the recorder. Saskia also reveals her improvisation practice process and gives some advice how to start learning to improvise. Finally, she talks about her group Camerata Trajectina and their next improvisation cd. Click on the picture to watch the videos.

Listen to our latest performance videos

Enjoy some of our past performances! Here is Twinkle Twinkle little star (click on the picture) from our new Classics programme, in which we take any classic you like and turn it into a new improvisation.
We also made a little trailer for our programme "The Local". Travel with us to 17th century England, hear the songs, meet the pub musicians and the characters from the songs.

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More than 300 subscribers already ! And we can still use any help you can spare :)

Would you like to support us even more? Here are a few easy ways to do that:
1 Watch our videos, like them and subscribe to our channel.
2 Share our material with people who may be interested
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4 Support us by becoming a member on Patreon with extra exercises, background videos and opportunities to get feedback on your own improvisations

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