Application Process

VIDEO AUDITION REQUIRED

MAX PARTICIPANTS ACCEPTED: 10

PLEASE APPLY BY MAKING A VIDEO AUDITION
For acceptance into the program, please take a few minutes to makes some short videos to demonstrate your general performing skills, and your proficiency with Ableton Live (version 9 or 10).
These do not need to be professional videos!
Simply use your smartphone, relax and be casual. The video quality is not the focus, nor is the background, or what you are wearing :) I am simply looking to assess your current skill level in order to place participants with similar abilities. (this is not an Ableton 101 workshop)

Please note: This program has limited capacity. Submission of audition materials alone does not guarantee participation in this retreat. You will secure your spot by paying deposit and balance by the required deadline dates. When the program capacity has been reached, registrants who have not paid in full will be asked to do so and placed on a waitlist. 

WHY MUST I MAKE VIDEOS? To honor every participant’s time, energy, and money, I am asking you to provide a basic video audition so that I see your ability and ensure that everyone’s level is congruent, which ultimately creates an optimal learning environment for all participants. Performing using technology is a somewhat advanced concept. The focus of this retreat is not to teach you Ableton basics, nor is it to teach you performing/improvisation skills on your given instrument (although it will improve all of those things!) The focus of Ableton Live Retreat 20/20 is to show you exactly how to use this powerful technology in your own way so that you can create better emotion, beauty and sound live onstage. In order to do this effectively and efficiently, you must already possess a basic working knowledge of performance skills and the technology tools with which we will develop here in Colorado.

STEP 1 - PERSONAL INFO Form

a. Fill Out This Short Form (1 min)

STEP 2 - MUSIC Performance SKILLS VIDEO

a. Speak (1-2 min) - Use your smartphone to video yourself stating your name, your age, what city/state/country you live in, and why you feel this retreat will change your life. Moreover, what instrument(s) do you play? Do you sing? What styles of music do you love? Can you read music? Did you attend music school? Do you play part-time or get paid for professional gigs? etc

b. Play (2-5min)- Video yourself playing or singing along acoustically with a music of your choice. (no mic or effects) I simply want to enjoy and evaluate the level of your music performance ability.

STEP 3 - Ableton SKILLS VIDEO

Download the written music and the play along recording to your computer
Application TREBLE CLEF PDF
Application BASS CLEF PDF
Application MP3

a. Speak (1-2 min) - Make a video explaining what version of Live you are using, how long have you been using Live, what computer you use, and what controllers/keyboards/pedals you use (if any). Important! What features do you most love about Live and what specifically are you expecting to learn at Ableton Live Retreat 20/20?

b. Import/Warp MP3 (1-2 min) - Video yourself opening a “New” Ableton Set on your laptop. Set the tempo to “108”, import the MP3 from your desktop into a “Clip Slot” in Session View and turn on the clip’s “Warping” and “Loop” functions. Control/Click to “Set 1.1.1” at the first transient you see. Control/Click again and select “Warp From Here” to ensure the song is adjusted to the grid. Move the loop brace to bars 41-49 (the last 8 bars of the recording - the solo section).

c. Play (2 min) - Now, continue to video yourself as you start playback this entire clip from the beginning and proceed to play or sing along with the MP3 while reading the provided PDF. 8 Bar Intro, 8 Bar Melody, 8 Bar Breakdown Interlude, 8 Bar Solo Section Looped. Once the looped section begins, simply improvise for a few rounds.

*If you can’t read music, just improvise throughout the length of the recording. Feel free to use a MIDI controller to advance scenes, trigger audio effects or do live looping if you wish. Total length of this music performance video (part c) should not exceed 2 min.

STEP 4 - UPLOAD VIDEOS

*PREFERRED METHOD - Upload all videos to your own YouTube or Vimeo account and provide me a link so I can watch them.
Be sure to make your videos “public”, or provide me a password if they are kept private so I can access your files!

ALTERNATIVE METHOD - Upload all videos to WeTransfer or Dropbox and provide me a link to download and view them.

STEP 5 - EMAIL Links

Darren@ElectricTrombone.com

Then please text me a simple message letting me know you have completed your application. (just in case your email doesn’t come thru:)
303.478.5302