see the forest and the trees
composition lessons
At Canopy Composers’ Studio, we believe that you deserve multiple perspectives. We believe that different people have different artistic visions and that students get the most out of lessons when they experience different viewpoints on their music. That’s why each student of Canopy Composers’ Studio studies with both teachers, bouncing fluidly between the two of us, imitating the professional dynamic we already have with each other as creative partners.
each tree matters to the forest.
Canopy Composers’ Studio provides our composers with a complete program akin to any collegiate composition studio. We teach a variety of skills: brainstorming, rhythm, melody, harmony, orchestration, and more.
We believe that music theory is descriptive, and that one’s creative practice should always come first, no matter what anyone else says. You do not need to be a music theorist to write good music.
At Canopy Composers’ Studio, we teach musical creativity.
We believe that composers tend to be too hard on themselves, and that we have the power to reframe that narrative. Part of our one-on-one lesson program for Canopy Composers’ Studio is teaching empathy and encouraging self-care, and we believe that musical creativity is a pathway to better mental health.
We believe that it’s really hard to make music wrong — and you shouldn’t beat yourself up for not doing it like anyone else.
We compose every day, and we encourage the art of practice.
in the canopy, no composer is alone.
Canopy Composers’ Studio encourages our composition students to remain open to new experiences. We do not enforce a style or aesthetic. We believe that music is richest at its most diverse.
The act of composition can feel isolating and private and shrouded in mystery. We’re not here for that. We want you to be able to contextualize your music through the relationships you build as a Canopy Composer.