For students (grades 4-12) in or near Colorado’s Roaring Fork Valley with at least 1 year of experience on their instrument or in vocal study. No prior composition experience necessary!

We welcome students affiliated with AMFS AfterWorks, Jazz Aspen Snowmass, the Roaring Fork Youth Orchestra, Rock and Roll Academy, Bravo! Vail, in-school music programs in and around Colorado’s Roaring Fork Valley, home school students, and/or those studying with private instructors.

April workshop participation is limited to 50 participants. Please register early to reserve your spot!

Monday-Friday, April 6-10, 2026
3:30-7:00 PM
Basalt Location TBA

Public Performance: Friday, April 10, 2026, 6:00 PM at TACAW (The Arts Campus at Willits). Free, and open to the public.

Late arrival for students traveling longer distances is expected. Difficulty in committing to the full 5-day experience is also expected. Participants are asked to attend at least 4 full days or not to miss more than 2 partial days.

If participating in the April workshop, please mark your calendars for July 30-August 1, 2026, and continue your learning with a summer workshop extension and reprise performance at the Aspen Music Festival and School! The summer extension will include two additional days of rehearsals and community building in Aspen, culminating in a public performance at Harris Concert Hall. Summer participation is encouraged but not required, and tuition is inclusive of both experiences.

Thursday-Saturday, July 30-August 1, 2026
9:00-4:00 PM
Aspen Location TBA

Public Performance: Saturday, August 1, 2026, 4:30 PM at Harris Concert Hall (Aspen). Free, and open to the public.

Workshop tuition: $100

Partial and full tuition scholarships are available for students with financial need.

Daniel Trahey – Collective Composition Founder, Creative Director and Teaching Artist

Daniel Trahey is a musician, educator, innovator, and social entrepreneur. He co-created Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s “OrchKids” program and founded the El Sistema-inspired program “Tuned-In” at the Peabody Institute where he teaches creative composition and community engagement. Dan plays Tuba for the Archipelago Project, and the Austria based RET Brass Band and has performed worldwide for hundreds of thousands of children, specifically targeting impoverished areas with little access to live performance.

Dan is a consultant for programs desiring to use music as a vehicle for social change. He has helped start El Sistema-inspired programs in places such as Charlotte, Chicago, Fort Worth, Innsbruck, Allentown, Waterbury, Alexandria, Kalamazoo, and Miami. Over the past decade, he has developed a vehicle for nurturing youth voice called Collective Composition, facilitating large-scale compositions with organizations around the world. Dan holds a M.M. from Yale University and a B.M.E from the Peabody Institute of Music.

Pete Tashjian – Music Director and Teaching Artist

Percussionist and drummer Pete Tashjian attended the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University where he studied with 7-time Grammy Award winner Paul Wertico, Ed Harrison (Lyric Opera), as well as Reuben Alvarez.

He has been actively involved in El Sistema USA and music education programming for social change—specifically, the Tuned-In Program (Peabody Institute), OrchKids (Baltimore Symphony Orchestra), El Sistema Ravinia, and the YOURS Project (Chicago). He currently leads a bucket band program at SHIFT: Englewood on the south side of Chicago.

Pete is an active member of the Chicago music scene performing with Miss Remember, the Goran Ivanovic Trio, the Localvores, and has been a featured soloist with the Indianapolis, Grand Rapids, and Alexandria Symphonies.

Teaching Artists

• Aja Black - Denver-based Social Activist and Hip-Hop Artist
• Natalie Frakes - Strings, Detroit Public Schools
• Mollie Westbrook - Winds, Baltimore City Public Schools
• Lindsay Bobyak - Aspen Music Festival and School Education and Community Programs
• Veronica Lopez - Aspen Music Festival and School Education and Community Programs
• Heather Stanton - Aspen Music Festival and School Education and Community Programs

Registration information coming soon!

Space is limited. Please register early to ensure your spot! Acceptances will be confirmed on a rolling basis.