Sean Foran
- 6 Jul 2015
What
Musician and composer Sean Foran undertook an international mentorship during 2014. The mentorship saw Sean work with three international artists:
- Saxophonist/composer Julian Arguelles in the United Kingdom (UK).
- Pianist/composer Baptiste Trotignon in France.
- Jazz pianist/composer Franz von Chossy in the Netherlands.
Through the mentorships, Sean gained experience in contemporary ensemble writing techniques, advanced contemporary piano techniques and inventive mergings of jazz piano & electronic processes.
The mentorship culminated in the development of a new work that that fuses elements of contemporary jazz, free improvisation and traditional concepts. This new work will be released in 2015.
When
January 2014 to March 2015
Where
UK, France and Holland
Arts Queensland contribution
$7000 – Individuals Fund
Outcomes
- Sean will release his first album under his name nationally and internationally. The album has generated UK and Australian industry interest in Sean’s work.
- Sean’s experiences expanded his artistic skill set as a composer & performer. The unique instrumentation allowed him to experiment in instrument roles in the music, texture and dynamics. Sean also developed his skills and knowledge by embedding technology-based processes into music, working in live recording scenarios and learning to prepare clear scores that enable recording without extensive rehearsal.
- The mentorship has expanded Sean’s networks and opened up performance opportunities in the UK and Europe. Sean will be pursuing European interest in the album at the Jazzahead Conference in Germany.
Learnings and reflections
Sean had the following reflections on his mentorships and advice for others:
Mentorship experiences that take you out of your normal environment are very worthwhile. The mental space and focus was excellent and through it I was able to get the most of my time with the mentors.
Recording projects under a very tight timeframe and with challenging material can be effective if the preparation is thorough and the musicians chosen work well together.
High quality video assets are worth investing time in.
Working with new musical collaborations involving people from varied musical backgrounds helps produce innovative results.
I will continue to create new collaborations with varied artists as a result of the success of this recording project.
I would like to engage with those mentors again, as their contribution was so valuable.
Contact for further information:
Email: seanforanmusic@gmail.com
Website: http://www.seanforanmusic.info/
A pdf version of this case study (PDF) (242.12 KB) is available.
All images: Dave Collins