Soundpainting is the live composing sign language developed by New York composer Walter Thompson for musicians, dancers, actors, poets, and visual artists working in the medium of structured improvisation. In a Soundpainting orchestra, the Soundpainter (director) uses the sign language to indicate what he or she would like the orchestra to do. The orchestra interprets the signs creatively through improvisation. The popularity of Soundpainting as a universal language is growing. Soundpainting ensembles can be found in Europe, South America, South Africa, and the United States.
Soundpainting is an essential method for engaging students of all ages, ability levels, and art forms in the creative process. Unlike learning to create within a single style, Soundpainting develops the creative voices of students through an array of structural parameters allowing individual choice and stylistic parameters drawn from different cultures and historical periods. Using the composer/conductor, or “Soundpainter,” as teacher, the innate creativity of students is drawn out and developed constructively by way of the gestural choices of the Soundpainter, enabling each group to express its own character in an experiential learning format.
The basic 50 gestures, which can be learned in 3-4 sessions, allow for a myriad of combinations that offer participants in the group creative choices within a fully structured experience. Soundpainting engages learners in multiple learning styles (verbal, visual, aural, and kinesthetic) and is accessible to all age levels.
Soundpainting residencies and workshops can be formatted to meet your curriculum needs. Triangle Soundpainting Orchestra is available to engage with your students in a variety of formats, from performance and discussion to interactive workshops.