Community Engagement
Community Performances
PUBLIQuartet offers Community Performances in collaboration with presenting organizations to strengthen connections with local communities and schools through affordable or free concerts in their areas. PUBLIQuartet sees these engagements as an opportunity to share their music with the people who need it most. Performances held at local retirement communities, schools, or other community spaces are opportunities to actively attract larger and more diverse audiences to the main presented series concerts.
Educational Mission
PUBLIQuartet’s educational mission is to share their eclectic pool of knowledge with young aspiring musicians. In addition to their rigorous training and work in the field of Classical music, the members of PUBLIQuartet bring a collective set of experiences from the worlds of Jazz, Electronic, Rock, and Experimental music. PUBLIQuartet aims to reach students of all skill levels and all types of backgrounds to share their Educational Workshops in chamber music techniques, string improvisation of various styles, and techniques for orchestral string section playing.
Improvisation and composition Workshops
PUBLIQuartet's fun, interactive workshops focus on the basics of improvisation and include games, demonstrations, and simple exercises that explore four elements of music: rhythm, harmony, melody, texture, and imagination. Sessions are designed using incremental, achievable steps that enhance a student’s confidence in developing the skills needed for on-the-spot music making. Workshops are meant to increase students’ appetites for active participation in music while building strong musical and instrumental technique. Improvisation sessions can be customized for all ages and skill levels. See below several example programs.
Stylings of the Improvising String Quartet
Interactive concert, demonstration, and Q&A with student participation for classes without instruments
30-60 minutes, ages 5+, beginner to advanced
PUBLIQuartet performs some of their favorite works that incorporate their unique improvisational abilities. The pieces on this program, composed by PQ and friends, highlight the different roles that occupy musical space: rhythm, bass, melody, harmony, and texture. PQ’s unique improvisational background allows for highly interactive workshops, in which students have the opportunity to participate and even perform alongside PQ. Students’ ears and focus will be challenged in a safe setting with directed questions regarding the sounds they hear, how PQ creates them, and what effect the sounds have on the listener.
MIND THE GAP
Advanced improvisation and composition workshop
45-90 minutes, available for multiple sessions, high school or college-level students
PUBLIQuartet presents an in-depth approach to composition and structured improvisation through challenging and comprehensive exercises in rhythm, harmony, melody, bass, and texture. Students will learn about the various roles they might assume within an improvisational setting, and will have the opportunity to use their newly-learned musical skills to improvise on and transform written material.
Condozer (Student Conductor Composer)
Interactive concert, demonstration, Q&A, and structured class improvisation and composition for classes with string instruments.
45 minutes, ages 8-14 beginner to advanced
PUBLIQuartet will teach the students about the four elements of music (rhythm, bass, melody, harmony, and texture) through short performances and demonstrations, which will lead into an interactive composition game for the students called Condozer. In this game, students will compose an improvisational piece by conducting and directing the class with hand gestures that correspond to the various parts of music.
Explore improvisation and composition workshops from a multivisit residency at the Bromxville High School:
Masterclasses and coachings
PUBLIQuartet offers master classes and coachings for string ensembles of any skill level and age range, including duos, trios, quartets, and quintets. PQ coaches fundamental music-making skills including listening, rehearsal technique, instrumental technique, and theoretical knowledge of the music. They approach each coaching based on the individual group’s needs and skill level, incorporating fun, intensive, and thought provoking lessons on standard repertoire. Chamber music is an essential experience for musicians seeking to strengthen their musical intuitions and to find their artistic voices. Our workshops will foster both precision and creativity in the music-making process.
Explore our collaboration with Associated Chamber Music Players and young learning quartets: