Katarzyna Mycka and IKMMA

I started the International Katarzyna Mycka Marimba Academy (IKMMA) in 2003 after noticing that many teenage students were in need of teachers who were marimbists themselves.
  My aim was to create something that gives students a chance to play with people who are active players in that field.
   At IKMMA, I accept only 32 participants. Thanks to the support of different companies, we had the same number of marimbas made available during the academy.
   Rather than do a master class where you have a group listening to somebody, I set up a schedule so that every single student gets an individual lesson every day.
   The faculty in 2011, besides myself, included Svet Stoyanov (Bulgaria), Peter Sadlo (Germany), Hermann Schwander (Germany), Emmanuel Séjourné(France), Pedro Carneiro (Portugal) and Shoko Sakai (Japan).
   In addition, everyone is scheduled for chamber music performance in marimba ensembles. In nine concerts that we presented during IKMMA, we performed 22 chamber music pieces, many of them world or European premieres.
   This schedule means that you have to come to the academy with some music prepared. Everyone goes on stage for at least two chamber music pieces. There are rehearsals every day, and the students experience the pressure of getting the piece ready in a certain amount of time.
   All the concerts were very well-attended, not only by marimba fans but also by the local community. In fact, the audience overfilled the venue every night. People respond to the friendly sound of the marimba.
   In terms of repertoire, I receive new pieces well in advance of the actual playing at the academy, and I research scores as well. It’s a win-win situation because when piece gets played at IKMMA, if often becomes well-known. That’s the case of Rudiger Pawassar’s ‘Sculpture in Wood’ for example, which was premiered at IKMMA a few years ago.
   I don’t necessarily choose difficult repertoire because that is best learned over a semester (or more) during the school year. At the academy, the aim is to be able to perform in concerts during the 10 days we have together.
   Besides chamber ensembles, I also consider who might be ready to play a solo piece. This depends on the individual preparation of the student.
   The students are international -- from Japan to Thailand to Germany to Spain to the U.S. But by rehearsing together every day, they form genuine connections and lean the process of making ensembles.
   If one of them decides to travel, he or she will likely already know another marimba player in another country and they can plan on playing together (maybe a piece they rehearsed at IKMMA). It becomes possible for them to organise a concert in their area and put on a program of chamber music. This is a very intimate art of making music, where you exchange, accept and respect your chamber music partner, since the “group” is so small.
   My aim is to form musicians in a spirit of acceptance, respect and musical friendship. That’s why IKMMA is not just a ‘fun camp’--it’s a thoughtful attempt to give the students the tools and connections necessary for them to make a living out of making music.
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Katarzyna Mycka who performs with Mandelring String Quarter, plays on marimba one marimbas only. She is touring the West this March with stops in Vancouver; Brookings, OR; Los Angeles and San Jose, CA; and Tucson, AZ. See www.marimbasolo.com.

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