Electronic Ensemble Workshop Examples

Computer Music Practice, Research

I have been running electronic ensemble workshops at recent festivals, concerts, and summer camps. At the workshop, participants from any musical background and level gather to make music together with sound-making devices, such as phones, computers, synthesizers, drum machines, and mixing consoles. I find that such a workshop is an effective activity to introduce the genre to audiences and colleagues. It provides benefits that concerts and recordings cannot.

First, an active participation in electronic music-making adds visual and tactile reference to the electronic sounds. People who have played a drum machine will have a better understanding of its sounds and operations than those who have only heard the sounds. They can imagine and admire the intriguing rhythmic patterns that artists create on stage. Active engagement in music-making adds an extra layer of context, appreciation, and understanding. 

Learning becomes a part of entertainment when it occurs at concerts. The linked video of a drum machine trio was shot at Tec-Troit 2025. I set up three synced drum machines and one synthesizer for the festival attendants to play. When a person showed interest, I taught them basic operations of Volca Beats or MicroKORG. Many participants played electronic instruments for the first time. Most stayed more than 15 minutes performing music with friends and strangers. 

The accessible ensemble experience, such as one described above, is another benefit of electronic ensemble workshops. Playing music together is an irreplaceable human-to-human experience. Bands and orchestras provide such moments, but it often takes years of individual and group practice to be at a presentable level. Technology can shorten the time it takes to produce good sounds together, allowing participants more time to experience the ensembleness—a special and personal connection only possible when people create music together. It’s like singing our lungs out together at late-night karaoke, but with synthesizers.

In the drum machine ensemble video, the performers do not need to worry about keeping the tempo, as all drum machines were synced. It eliminated the need to learn to play music in tempo, allowing participants more time to explore patterns and their combinations. In May 2025, I did a laptop ensemble workshop with a group of volunteers in Saginaw, MI. I taught Singaporean Crosswalk and  Save Point By the Lake to local musicians, fans, and students of all ages. The group rehearsed two pieces in 1.5 hours and performed in a concert following the workshop. The participants did not need to learn to play scales or articulations. They had to rehearse some choreography and timings to press keys on the laptops during a short rehearsal. And then enjoy the sound while rehearsing and presenting. 

In addition to drum machines, synthesizers, and laptops, I have conducted electronic workshops featuring ensemble performances. In no-input mixer workshops, I teach students the basics of no-input mixing patching. There are often fewer mixers than the participants, so I ask students to team up. The workshop participants then proceed to perform Benjamin Damann’s The King of Nothing as a group. In a similar spirit, my workshop recently has included Piyawat Louilarpprasert’s Shrimp Raptors in the repertoire, in hopes of introducing DIY instruments and multimedia to the audience. 

The effect of running electronic ensemble workshops has been quite positive so far. I get energized sharing what I love about live electronic music. Participants of the workshop remember my music and concert as more than a sound – it is a great promotional activity. Hopefully, they would try performing as an electronic ensemble after the workshop. If readers are interested in running or attending a workshop,  please do not hesitate to contact me. My workshops require some planning, but they are portable and require minimal equipment from the hosts.

This article is a part of Computer Music Practice – Presenting.

Presets and Compositions

Compositions, Research

A preset is a parameter configuration of a digital electronic instrument. A preset can make one synthesizer sound like a drum, string, or anything else. It also makes one reverb unit imitate the acoustics of a stadium, bathroom, or any other environment. Compared to an analog instrument’s patch, a preset can be saved and loaded. I can accurately recreate and use favorite or project-specific sounds instantly in a digital modular synth.  And there could be thousands of presets for one instrument. The ability to access a large quantity of presets instantly and accurately is, in my opinion, the digital instruments’ most distinguishing advantage over analog or acoustic instruments.

Many electronic music production starts with browsing through presets. A Logic Pro user can choose and play a sound, such as Eerie Strings or Wormhole Lead. These two sound different, but both are made with the same Retro Synth software instrument. In other words, Eerie Strings and Wormhole Lead are presets of Retro Synth. 

A producer could complete a piece with 100 different sounds using a  DAW, but that does not mean there were 100 different instruments. There could have been 10 instruments with 100 saved variations/presets.  Of those 100 presets, some could also be the creator’s original or modification. Some presets could change their parameters within a piece via automation. 

The idea of using multiple configurations of an instrument and then dynamically changing them applies beyond presets. Preset-changing is a uniquely electronic composition technique, as some electroacoustic compositions feature one or two electronic instruments with sequenced presets. For example, in  Armor+2 (2015), I cue digital instruments’ parameter changes according to the score.  I used SuperCollider to achieve this, but any apps with cue features could do the same.

In Armor+2, the computer randomizes parameters of a digital instrument where a boxed word is notated in the score (FM, AM, Stutter, Ticks). I think of this process as a random preset change that yields expected but different effects at every performance. For example, one can hear a stuttering effect in different rhythmic patterns in measures 12 (0:30 in the recording) and 20 (0:50 in the recording). The same randomization happens with FM and AM effects throughout the piece. The dynamically changing, yet well-timed change makes the computer part function like a jazz accompanist. A jazz pianist plays the notated chord progression but improvises how those chords are presented. Similarly, the computer part of Armor+2 changes the clarinetist’s sound as notated, but the resulting sounds are varied at every performance. 

Another example is in Save Point By The Lake (2024) for a laptop ensemble. Every performer in this piece plays piano samples according to the score. For example, performers press keys A, F, and J on the computer keyboard in measures 2,3, and 4 with notated rhythm.

But unlike an acoustic piano, the laptop will not always play a F major chord. I designed the instrument so that at every stroke of a key, SuperCollider randomizes pitch, dynamics, and detuning amount. Pressing an F key at measure 1 and doing the same action in measure 2 yields a different note. This way,  the ensemble can play the piece in notated rhythm with computer-assisted interpretations.

A preset is a recordable and recollectable variation of a digital instrument. It is an equivalent of a save or a snapshot of an app, and it is a powerful tool to express originality and creativity. Anyone can use Logic Pro’s Retro Synth or SuperCollider, but a customized preset can sound unique. If those original sounds are put together in order or layered with other sounds, the result could be a composition. Lastly, if we expand the definition of an instrument, other creative processes could be thought of as a preset change. If a recording studio is an instrument, what are its presets? If an orchestra is an instrument, what are its preset changes and randomization? These wonderings are delightful and provocative.

This article is a part of Computer Music Practice – Learning.

Slump Recovery Project

Compositions, Computer Music Practice, ,

I was unable to complete a single composition over the summer despite multiple attempts. Such unproductivity led to a chain of negative thoughts on the impact and relevance of my work and effort. I lost the will to create by July. The slump phase is not new for me or any creatives, but getting over it is never easy. To recover, I tried methods that worked in the past, but also did something new.

The usual remedy for a slump for me is working on related projects in small bites. My main project is music composition, and related projects are any other music activities. I focused on relearning and appreciating fundamental musicianship. 

  • I reread books that inspired me. When reading became tiring, I listened to audiobooks. 
  • I wrote blogs on the electronic music practice. It helped me to organize and reflect. 
  • I listened to all and any music. Summer is a great time to catch up on listening. I heard new things in old songs, and rediscovered time-tested techniques in new music. 
  • I practiced bass guitar, an instrument I wanted to play but did not have time to learn. You know, every other electroacoustic musician plays bass.

Engaging in musical activities kept me from completely letting go of being a musician. Unfortunately, this was not enough for me to get back to composing. I had to make a specific plan and task to get back to a creative routine.  

  • Write a 1-2-minute piece with the most familiar tool. In my case, it would be SuperCollider.
  • Start and finish a piece in one sitting. The goal is to remind myself of the joy and necessity of completing a piece.
  • Quality does not matter. Do not evaluate or self-critize the piece. 
  • Pieces do not have to have a new idea. An old idea presented in a different context is good enough.

This attempt worked, kind of. I finished a piece on July 22, but was not able to produce another piece until July 28. But from that day, I completed a 1-1.5-minute piece every day until July 31. It was a small win with an impact. Now, I am comfortable sitting on a computer for a few hours per day,  enduring the tedious or negative side of the creative process. 

As a record of this summer’s slump and post-slump, I share Slump Recovery Project, a 6-minute piece in 5 sections.

Lastly, here’s the log of my composition failures and successes in May-July 2025.

  • 5/19 Stopped working on a duet for plastic tube sqeakers and computer after two weeks. A simulation of the performance was disappointing, so I stopped.
  • 7/10 Attempted to write a new laptop ensemble piece. Again, a simulation of the performance sounded too much like a piece I wrote a few weeks ago.
  • 7/13 Jotted an idea for a no-input mixer duet. I thought writing for my favorite instrument would motivate me. It didn’t. I got more discouraged. 
  • 7/16-21 I could not do anything
  • 7/22 (check date): Made a 1.5-minute piece on SuperCollider titled I-IV-V-vi
  • 7/28 Made a 1.5-minute piece on SuperCollider and Logic Pro titled A Note of Happy
  • 7/29 Made a 1.5-minute piece on SuperCollider titled Decrescendo Revisited
  • 7/30 Made a 1-minute piece on SuperCollider and Logic Pro titled Riff
  • 7/31 Made a 50-second piece on SuperCollider and Logic Pro titled Elastic Drum

Computer Music Practice – Learning

Computer Music Practice, Research, Teaching, ,

The articles in the Learning section of CMP cover computer musicianship. They are examples of a music technologist’s work and efforts that the audience does not see. But they are essential steps for artistic improvement. Every musician has routines to refine themselves, and the Learning section shares my version of thoughts, actions, and reflections on computer music practice.

There are four subsections, and the first three are listen, think, and act. The first and most fundamental step in musicianship is learning to listen. Then, a conscious and analytical listening connects to thinking. Thinking means analyzing and imagining sounds and techniques to enhance a piece, organizing and comparing past compositions to identify creative patterns, and articulating those thoughts into words for reference. These thoughts become tangible results through actions. The results could be a composition, a concert, a career move, an idea, or another sound to circle back to the listen-think-act process. 

Listening, thinking, and acting are necessary steps in composing, coding, or improvising, as the repetition of those steps refines one’s skills. The refining process in music technology is essential but often overlooked. There are more instruments and techniques I can learn in music technology. I chose a few that interest me the most and spend time and energy to improve at them, rather than using the newest tools. Performers of non-electronic instruments have resources and historical references on the refinement process, such as etudes and method books for orchestral instruments. Computer music does not seem to (or rather, is not designed to) have a standard practice routine, but I can at least share my practice routine specific to computer musicianship. 

Computer Music Practice (CMP) is an interactive and personal example of computer musicianship. Click each entry in the chart to read and listen to Joo Won Park’s computer music research.

Sans Trou Ni Fin (2025)

Collaborators, Compositions, Performances,

Sans Trou Ni Fin (without hole or end) is a collaborative work with Biba Bell. It was premiered on June 26th, 2025, as a site-specific movement piece. I made the music and designed the playback system. The show was about 45 minutes and had a total of four performances on June 26th and 27th, 2025.   

Form 

The show has six dancers, one reader, and a Detroit house with a remarkable design. Biba’s program notes below describe the experiences of audience members during the show. 

Sound Design and Composition

I visited the site a few months before the premiere, took notes and photos, and composed music. I made three different but correlated 10-minute pieces that will be played simultaneously on three sides of the center garden. I have also added a fourth sound that will be played back from a portable speaker. During the performance, a dancer walked with the portable speaker and visited the three sites. 

Below is a diagram showing a customized playback system for the show. It consists of three portable speakers, one subwoofer, a multi-channel audio interface, and a PC running Ableton Live. 

The tracks in the soundtrack album match the labels in the diagram.

The three places, the Library, Living Room, and Kitchen, each have their own music (tracks 3, 4, and 5), and Traveler intermittently visits them with a fourth sound (track 6, an abbreviated version of the original 30-minute file). The first track, named Sans Trou Ni Fin – Part I, is a simulation of all of the sounds playing together. Sans Trou Ni Fin – Part II is played at the last 10 minutes of the piece, where all dancers gather in the center garden. The windows to the garden are open for the last movement, allowing sound to travel with fewer obstructions. Part II also uses a subwoofer to add a low-frequency thump. During the shows, I was cueing the sound from a storage room, doors closed and hidden from the audience. 

The composition process consists of combining new and old techniques. SuperCollider codes used in End Credits, Save Point By The Lake, Tree Breezes, and Hold Drum became the starting points for the pieces. I edited the codes so that the resulting sounds are in the same key, tempo, and duration. For the ending, I added a slow version of Mellotron 7. During the rehearsal, the team wanted a 60-second-long transition sound to be played while the audience moved to another room. I quickly assembled the transition sound with a drone from Living Room. I did not upload the transition music.  

Remarks

Sans Trou Ni Fin was a second collaboration with Biba (info about the first collaboration is here). Biba brings out the beauty of the immobile space with the mobile human bodies. Her work has the best “here-and-now” experience a live performance can create.  And the performers, Hunter, Ta’Rajee, Matthew, Elizabeth, Aaron, and Chris, delivered it with 200%. I am grateful to work with the crew. 

Update 11/25/2025

One of the artists, Matthew Piper, wrote a beautiful article about the performance. Read about it here!

https://www.matthewjpiper.com/post/haunting-the-house-notes-on-dance-and-space

As for the documentation, the two performances are now available on Vimeo