Beat Making With Your Sounds
AVAILABLE IN PERSON AND ONLINE
Please contact Ian for pricing and logistics of the online version of this program
Destination: Youth Services
PRESENTER NAME: Ian Dobson
Address: 126 SW 148th St., Ste C100--#456
City/State: Seattle, WA. Zip: 98166-1984
Phone: (home/work) 206-919-2328
E-mail: info@iandobson.com
Best time/manner to contact you: Email any time, phone also good.
Website: www.iandobson.com
Program Description:
This program is an introduction to digital music creation. It relies on one or two digital audio workstations (DAWs) - Band Lab and/or Ableton Live, depending on the library's resources and goals. Ian introduces participants to a very user-friendly music tutorial online that teaches basic music concepts while also getting them used to the standard approach to beat creation used on most DAWs. He also uses his drumming expertise to do an analog, live performance (on a real drum kit) of participants’ digital-beat creations. Later, Ian helps participants to create their own acoustic sounds, digitize those sounds (either on Ableton Live or Band Lab), and use those sounds to build their very own completely-unique beats.
The goal of the workshop is to inspire participants to explore and learn more about music on their own generally and, specifically, to explore digital music creation. After the workshop participants will can continue to work (at home or at the library) through the many more units of basic music concepts that the web-based tutorial offers and have ongoing access to the audio production program used for the last exercise (i.e. Ableton Live or Band Lab).
This workshop is also available in Spanish or bilingually in Spanish and English.
Program Length: 90 minutes.
TWO ONLINE STREAMING VARIATIONS
Beat Making With Your Sounds - Hands/On Online Version: Ian strives to help each core team successfully complete their beat-making project by the end of the 90-minute workshop, so the number of computers in this virtual workshop is limited to the same number as in the in-person workshop.
Beat Making - Online Lecture: If your goal is to engage a large number of participants online, involving many more than 6 computers, this may be the workshop for you! In this interactive lecture, Ian presents much of the same material as with the in-person workshop, but there is no core group of participants and no beat created at the end of the 90 minutes. No materials or equipment is required for this program, other than a computer that can run the webinar/meeting software. Instead, Ian offers pre-program suggestions, all optional, for how participants can be prepared to try out the beat-making concepts during the program. These suggestions include what type of computer setup to have ready, headphones, etc. If participants end up with their own original beats to share, Ian attempts to incorporate as many as possible into the lecture. Rather than offer individual tech support, in this program, Ian focuses more on reviewing what free DAWs (digital audio workstations) are available for participants to launch their own digital beat-making journey and demonstrating how peripherals (keyboards, audio interfaces, etc.) can be set up to work with a DAW to create music.
Space Preferred: One long table, big enough for at least 6 people on each side and 3 computers on each side. 10’ X 10’ space at the end of the table with a projection area or large-screen TV on the wall behind said space.
Equipment Needed: projector with HDMI input or large TV screen with HDMI input; at least 1 internet-enabled-computer-with-headphone-jack per two participants; tables suitable for the expected number of participants to sit on both sides facing each other with computers in front of them, chair for each participant, one electrical outlet required but power strip with enough outlets for all computers preferred.
Can your program be successfully offered outside? No
Can your program be successfully offered in a library without a meeting room? Yes
Set-Up/Take-Down Time: Ian prefers at least 90 minutes of setup and 45 minutes of take-down. A 2-hour setup is ideal.
Anticipated arrival time prior to performance: 2 hours unless the schedule is very tight and/or traffic is very bad and/or the Library can’t accommodate setting up 2 hours in advance.
Audience Age Recommendation: Middle School & High School
This program is also suitable for adults and may be suitable for older elementary kids who are computer savvy. However, tweens/teens are the intended target audience.
Preferred audience size? The optimal size is 1 to 12
Limits (age or size)? 12 maximum participants for the in-person and hands-on online Versions. Additional observers are welcome to attend, watch, and try the activities on their own. There is no size limit for the online lecture version.
Program Format: Audience Participation | Lecture/Demonstration | Hand-On Workshop
Location: Under this pricing structure, Ian is able to travel to ANY library within Island, King, Kitsap, Snohomish, and Pierce counties. A different pricing structure may apply outside of these counties.
Availability: Spring | Summer | Fall | Morning | Afternoon | Evening | Weekends
For availability for specific requested dates, individual librarians should contact Ian directly to see if the date is available.
Professional References: Please provide the name and contact information of at least two references who may be contacted regarding your work as performer.
Rebecca Ryan. RRyan@piercecountylibrary.org 253-548-3588
Lisa Cipolla. lcipolla@piercecountylibrary.org 253-548-3303
Deborah Schneider (Public Programming Coordinator KCLS). dschneid@kcls.org 425.369.3319
Relevant Performer or Group Biographical Information: Ian has traveled the world performing and learning about the music of various cultures. His first love is drum set and he studied timpani, marimba, vibraphone, piano, and other instruments starting at a young age and eventually earned a Master’s degree in Percussion. He began performing steel drum music in 1995. Ian can be found performing and teaching steel drum on Holland America Line cruise ships in the Caribbean during the winter months, playing abroad in such places as Mexico and Canada; performing at music festivals such as the Ethnic Heritage Festival in Edmonton, Canada; performing in libraries and schools throughout the Northwest, and so much more! He has performed with many musical luminaries, such as Jackson Berkey of Mannheim Steamroller and Lee Oskar of the band War. He currently lives and works most of the year in the Seattle area and part of the year in Guadalajara, MX.
Ian can provide a Press Kit (publicity package). No Videotape of Performance / Hard copy color photo available.
