Spring 2025 Improvisation Workshop
Saturdays March 15 - May 10
At 8EAST
2:00pm - 3:30pm
FREE for up to 15 participants with NOW Membership
Donations gratefully accepted (here).
Workshops are drop-in!
Since 1978, the New Orchestra Workshop Society (NOW) has presented music improvisation workshops, offering space for exploration and participation. Our workshops are for improvisers of all levels of ability and ranges of experience, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, age, race or religion. We protect privacy in our workshops and adopt the We Have Voice Collective Code of Conduct. Read more about NOW workshop policies here. Find out about the facilitator of each workshops below.
March 15 - Matthew Ariaratnam
Matthew Ariaratnam is an interdisciplinary sound artist, composer, guitarist, and listener based in so called Vancouver, BC. He is currently primarily focused on free improvised music and part of the 8EAST Collective curating free improvisation concerts. His current projects include a duo with drummer Adrian Avendaño, Ambr Aria, Sounding the Dusk Meridian, Magic Maze, Gamelan Bike Bike, Gamelan Trike Trike, and a monthly collaborative music series Improv Karaoke. He creates sensory walks, sonic bike rides, writes dumbpop and chamber music, and frequently collaborates with choreographers, visual artists, and theatre-makers.
www.matthewariaratnam.wordpress.com
March 22 - Jen Yakamovich
Jen Yakamovich is a Vancouver-based drummer and improviser who works across disciplines as a performer, researcher, and educator. She sees her relationship with the drum set—a system of interrelating sounds and parts— as a window into relationships with both her own internal system and wider social webs. Her approach to improvisation and spontaneous composition is rooted in the Creative Music Workshop in Halifax, where Yakamovich grew up. She has recently studied with drummer, composer & field recordist Susie Ibarra (Berlin).
March 29 - Mustafa Rafiq
Mustafa Rafiq is a person and self-taught guitarist and saxophonist. Using these instruments with voice, field recordings and sound collage percussion he researches relationships among blackness, nature, divinity, sound and time.
“Mustafa Rafiq is a multidisciplinary artist based in Treaty 6 land in Edmonton, Alberta. Their primary focus recently has been in exploring feelings connected with diaspora, gender expression and alienation through sound art, performing solo under Family Injera.” - what lisa found
April 5 - Deanna Gestrin and Russell Wallace
Deanna Gestrin is a vocalist, choral conductor, clinician, composer, Burnaby music educator, and newly hired faculty associate at Simon Fraser University. Her family comes from the St’at’imc Territory in the interior of British Columbia. Inspired by her many wonderful musical mentors, Deanna decided on a career in music education at the age of thirteen, and holds degrees in professional music, jazz, secondary education, and she will soon complete a Master of Counselling degree. Deanna performs in classical, choral, jazz, contemporary, and Indigenous music settings, and has recently joined the award winning Vancouver-based vocal ensemble, Musica Intima.
Community wellness is integral to Deanna’s work. She has designed a community program that aims to enhance empathy, resilience, connection, and communication through Indigenous teachings, drumming, singing, movement, and personal storytelling. She is also the program lead for an intergenerational Indigenous drumming and singing circle called VYC Kindred, sponsored by the Vancouver Youth Choir. Kindred is a free program that brings together immigrant and Indigenous youth with Indigenous leaders to learn about hand drumming, singing, and Indigenous culture. Through her educational, musical, and cultural work, Deanna’s ultimate goal is to increase community wellness by building cross-cultural, intergenerational bridges between people, families, and communities.
Russell Wallace
Russell Wallace is an award winning composer, producer and traditional singer from the St'at'imc Nation (Salish) in Canada. His music has been part of a number of film and television soundtracks and theatre/dance productions. In 2022, Russell was awarded the Lieutenant Governor's Arts and Music Award in recognition of his music and contributions to arts and culture in British Columbia as well as had his composition “Journey” performed at Biennale Arte 2022 in Venice this past September. Currently, Wallace is the Director of the Indigenous Vocal Ensemble at Vancouver Community College and works with the Vancouver Youth Choir’s Kindred Program alongside Deann Gestrin.
The Vancouver Youth Choir, founded in 2013 by Artistic Director Carrie Tennant, has rapidly grown from 30 to nearly 600 singers across 7 ensembles. The award-winning organization provides a supportive environment for young singers aged 5-24 from the lower mainland to develop their musical artistry.
April 12 - Feven Kidane
Feven Kidane is a trumpeter, bassist and composer on Squamish/Tsleil-Waututh/Musqueam territory. Eager to write and play for celebration, contemplation, and collaboration, Feven is passionate in her creativity and a skilled executor of musical vision as a bandleader, collaborator, and sideman. She can be found in jazz, spoken word, hip-hop, and free improvisation realms,or taking up traditional music study of her North African ancestors.
April 19 - Clyde Reed
Clyde Reed has performed at major jazz festivals in North America and Europe. His long-term musical partners include such luminaries as Vinny Golia, Rich Halley, George Lewis, Paul Plimley, and Claude Ranger.
“Clyde Reed fashions some of the fattest, funkiest, double bass riffs around ... dynamic, fluid and fun” -- All About Jazz
April 26 - Jarrett Martineau
Jarrett Martineau is nêhiyaw and Denesuline sound artist, electronic musician, and curator based in Vancouver, on the unceded and occupied territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) people. Originally from Frog Lake Cree Nation in Treaty 6, his work draws both from Indigenous cultural knowledge, protocols, and sound worlds, as well as ritual practices, field recordings, and sound samples. Jarrett has worked across disciplines and practices from early hip-hop and spoken word projects through experimental electronics, drone, and harsh noise.
LinkTree
https://jarrettmartineau.com
Workshop description: Noise/Sound/Worlds
Open to all skill levels and instruments. No previous experience required. This workshop will offer a hands-on opportunity for participants to use noise and processed sound, and field recordings in an exploratory practice of worldbuilding and sound. Participants will have access to a range of efx, pedals, contact microphones, and noise-generating devices to incorporate and use to improvise with their instruments (participants can also bring their own pedals/efx if they choose). We will spend the first portion of the workshop gathering sounds -- recording using our phones or digital recorders -- and the second half experimenting with efx and processing, and bringing the recorded sounds into our shared improvisations.
May 3 - Fan-Qi Wu, Hsiao-Feng Lin, Shih-Yang Lee
In this workshop, participants will meet three Taiwanese musicians to share their practice of free improvisation. The influences of diverse cultures of Taiwan on their music expressions, Chinese traditional music, Western classical music, Taiwanese Nanguan and Beiguan and aboriginal music.
Fan-Qi Wu
Award-winning pipa player from Taiwan. Influenced and inspired by minimal music, Scandinavian jazz, and Asian traditional music, she has absorbed different vocabularies and developed her sound in an eclectic, poetic, and spacious way. Holding her master degree at Högskolan för scen och musik in Göteborg, Sweden, Fan-Qi has performed worldwide in many international festivals and concert series, such as Babel Sound Festival (Hungary), IMPRA Jazz Festival (Sweden), Klänge aus Ostasien (Germany), Building Bridges (Switzerland), Arena:Klassik (Norway), Red Light Jazz Festival (Netherlands). Fan-Qi’s honors include OneBeat 12 - selected by U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (2023). Besides her own project, she is also a member of Wooli Duo, Mykorhiza, and PIPA-ensemble.
Hsiao-Feng Lin
Born in Taipei, Taiwan. He is an active Chinese flute virtuoso/soloist/improviser, he plays Chinese traditional music, world music, free improvisation, and experimental avant-garde in the contemporary music world. In recent years, he is committed and a variety of artistic collaboration include poetry, calligraphy, painting, dance, Chinese martial arts, electronic music, experimental music, free improvisation and so on. In addition to performing, he often come and go in all kinds of arts and cultural activities. He has received awards of Best Asian Flute Recording and World Flutist of the Year in World Flute Society Music Awards 2024.
Shih-Yang Lee
Accomplished Taiwanese pianist, composer, and curator Shih-Yang Lee works primarily in improvised music. As a performer, he has toured widely in Europe and Asia in festivals: Météo Festival (France), All Ears Festival (Norway), Jazz Improvise Meeting Festival (China), Freespace Jazz Fest (Hong Kong), KLEX Festival (Malaysia). He has collaborated with dance productions and founded music improvisation ensemble Ka Dao Yin to win prestigious awards, such as the Taishin Art Award, Golden Melody Award, and the Golden Indie Music Award. As a curator, he is known as a leading organizer for the burgeoning improvisation scene in Taiwan.
May 10 - Viviane Houle
Viviane Houle is a Canadian vocalist, improviser, composer and psychotherapist. She has performed in international festivals and collaborated within theatre, dance and animation. She was featured as a soloist with Vancouver Opera, the Vancouver Symphony, NOW Orchestra, Ensemble SuperMusique (Montréal) and the Berlin Improvisers Orchestra. Her graphic scores have been performed with improvising orchestras (NOW Orchestra and Ensemble SuperMusique), poets (The Offending Adam), and improvisers in Canada and Europe. In 2023 she released a book/album of graphic scores, the third iteration of her Unsung Songs project. Viviane teaches Vocal Improvisation and Introduction to Performance Awareness at the Conservatory of Music in Victoria, BC.
~ 8EAST ACCESS STATEMENT ~
The 8EAST social space for new culture is a project of the NOW Society, located on the Territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm, Skwxwú7mesh and səlil̓wətaʔɬ Peoples, in Chinatown, in the DTES, in Vancouver.
We are committed to making 8EAST a safe(r), welcoming and more accessible space. We do not tolerate discrimination based on age, gender, neuro a-typicality, disability, place of origin, cultural background, religious beliefs, or sexual orientation. We do not tolerate racism, sexual aggression, assault, or harassment which can include unwanted touch or comments that objectify or sexualize. We adopt and follow the We Have Voice Collective Code of Conduct.
We can accommodate a variety of needs, including assistance dogs, walkers, wheelchairs, scooters, and strollers. To arrange for American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation, please contact now@nowsociety.org.
We recognize that access is an ongoing and evolving discussion, and acknowledge that this statement may be insufficient. Concernts or suggestions can be addressed, discussed or expressed anonymously by emailing safety@nowsociety.org. 8EAST ventilation: Open windows and door, 3 HEPA air purifiers and UV lights on return air in the HVAC system. Mask wearing is recommend and masks will be available. Seating, wooden stackable chairs without armrests, is movable.
Seating is generally arranged in groups of two or threes with space between groups for easy mobility. Wheelchair seating is easily accommodated. The 34 inch wide main entrance to 8EAST has a threshold of approximately 0.5 inches high. There is no door automation. During events, the door is open or can be opened by the Front of House person. There are no ramps or stairs to navigate. Internal floors are smooth concrete. Outdoor plaza events are held on concrete pavers, some are uneven. Paths and hallways are kept free of impediments.
8EAST has a wheelchair accessible, non-gendered toilet on site with a door width of 35 inches. Additional public toilets, not wheel chair accessible, are located in the adjacent hallway. The NOW Society emergency evacuation procedures are in place for all individuals. The Front of House person or a staff member onsite is trained in naloxone administration and will be the contact person in case of emergencies.
GETTING THERE AND PARKING:
8EAST is located within 50 meters of buses 004, 007, 019, 022, 209, and N19 on Pender Street. Stops for buses 003, 008, 014, 016, 020, N8, N20, and N35 are located within 250 metres on Hastings Street. Stadium–Chinatown SkyTrain Station is approximately 400 metres away. General metered street parking is available on surrounding streets. A passenger drop-off zone without a curb is located within 50 metres at 531 Carrall Street. To arrange for HandyDART transportation and accompanying assistants, please contact now@nowsociety.org.
There is a bike rack on the SW corner of Pender and Carrall Street, viewable while inside 8EAST and on the Plaza. Covered bike parking is available at the Main Street – Science World Skytrain Station. From there, one can take the #3 bus, then walk West down Pender to 8EAST (c. 5 mins), walk to 8EAST (c. 15 mins) or ride one skytrain stop to Stadium – Chinatown and walk Northwest to 8EAST (c. 5 mins). The closest Bike Locker to 8EAST is located at VCC Clark. From there, one can take trains to Stadium – Chinatown Skytrain Station and walk NorthWest to 8EAST.
8 East Pender St. Vancouver, BC V6A 1T1