Collective Composition: A Student-Led Work

Join TACAW for the premiere of an original musical composition created entirely by local student musicians. This performance is the culmination of the Aspen Music Festival and School and TACAW’s first Collective Composition Workshop.

About the Program

The Collective Composition Workshop invites students in grades 4-12 to come together for an intensive, week-long creative process. 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 nurture their innate creativity and build confidence as collaborators while composing an original piece of music together.

Supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, this year’s creative process was inspired by the America250 youth essay prompt: “What does America mean to you?” The resulting composition belongs entirely to the students and often reaches beyond what they typically encounter in traditional music lessons. This performance showcases that artists of all ages and abilities can contribute meaningfully to the future of American music.