Myrsini Kaitanidou and Leah Mullen

Throughout this immersive week, our days began with Feldenkrais sessions – a somatic learning method developed by Moshe Feldenkrais, which aims to recalibrate the body’s relationship with movement. Guided by Noam we explored this technique to deepen our bodily awareness, an experience many found transformative for voice work. The afternoons were filled with workshops and rehearsals, with our teachers Daniel Glocker, Juliet Fraser and Stefanie Braun leading us through exercises that challenged and expanded our understanding of the voice. They carefully supervised our progress, helping us to refine pieces for our final concert. This focused yet stress-free environment allowed us to delve into new techniques, from deconstructing sounds to exploring unconventional vocal expressions.

The setting in Boswil was as inspiring as the sessions. The academy provided us with stunning accommodations and meals that went beyond expectations. The foggy landscapes, combined with Boswil’s quiet charm, added an almost cinematic quality to the experience, intensifying the creative energy in our group. The week culminated in a concert held in Boswil’s church, followed by a lively karaoke after-party. The final celebration took place the next day at HKB. For many participants, these performances were a powerful reflection of our shared journey and the surprising joy we found in collaborating with fellow artists. Sound explorations became a kind of language for expressing the week’s memories – some likened it to cows mooing, others to birds singing, the resonance of a train, or even rolling bottles on the church floor, with nods to pieces like Jennifer Walshe’s Folksongs Book.

This partnership marked a significant step in broadening the academy’s reach and highlighted the potential of vocal exploration within New Music. Participants left with a renewed appreciation for the expressive possibilities of the voice and the transformative power of shared artistic experiences.

Bits of Boswil: Stand-out moments from each day
Sunday — Feldenkrais: Before coming to Boswil, I had never heard of Feldenkrais. If I were to describe it, I would say it is intense micromovements. My first experience with it completely changed how I felt to stand and sit. It felt like everything was realigned, and a lot of stress and tension had been released. I feel better after Feldenkrais than after a chiropractor appointment – it has been really surprising in the best way.

Monday — New Music Vocalities: Juliet Fraser, who is on the vocal staff for the week, gave a lecture about different trends within contemporary music of writing for the voice. It was helpful to have different groupings to better define some of the possibilities of writing music for singers.

Tuesday — Morning with instrumentalists from Collegium Novum Zürich: This morning, we met with a cellist, violinist, and flutist who are based in Zurich and specialize in new music. They were lovely to chat to about career things and get advice on how to make scores idiomatic for the performers.

Wednesday — Instant Composing: Today we broke off into groups of 2–3 people and in two hours, created a miniature in an outdoor space of our choice. I found each group very different and interesting, and it was nice to see everyone’s unique artistic voices. We heard people screaming at the train station, dropping rocks in someone’s barn, playing cello in a tunnel, and gifting potatoes as a gesture of affection. My group decided to roll empty glass bottles from the evening before on stone. I had a blast, and it felt nice to play around with sounds and spaces with no grade, competition, or audition attached to it.

Thursday — Composer Presentations: Today, myself and the other composers got to end the day by giving 10-minute presentations on our work. It was really exciting to listen to everyone else’s music. There is a lot of diversity in sound and ideas among the group, and it makes me look forward to the new pieces in January!

Friday — Long Group Walk: It has been quite foggy here in Boswil for most of the week, but today the sun came out and we were able to see some beautiful fall colors and have a view of the mountains! After a long, intense week of creating, a walk in the countryside with some crisp November air refreshed my body and brain. It is the perfect place to keep your mind fresh and happy.

We are all looking forward to the next workshop in January! Myrsini Kaitanidou and Leah Mullen