Creative Music Intensive (CMI) is a two-week in-person program that will be held from August 1–16, 2026, at Arts Letters & Numbers. The program is open to musicians working in any genre. Participants will be immersed in the creative process of making and performing music, exploring new approaches, and developing individual and collaborative works as creative artists.

This unique program will be directed and led by composer Reiko Fueting, Professor of Composition and Dean of Academic Core/Head of Composition and Contemporary Performance Program at Manhattan School of Music (MSM). Additional faculty include composer Jason Eckardt, Professor of Composition at CUNY, composer and saxophonist Erin Rogers, Co-Director of the Contemporary Performance Program at MSM, violinist and composer Ledah Finck, and guest composer and CMI founder Michael Harrison. Participants will have the chance to work with one of the ensembles-in-residence, Bergamot Quartet and Popebema. Activities include private lessons, classes, seminars, workshops, performances, performance projects, as well as potential collaborations with participants in Bill Morrison’s concurrent filmmaking intensive (first week only) and other programs at ALN.

Topics to be covered during group and private classes include composition, improvisation, and performance, as well as developing interdisciplinary work and collaborations. Please see the program breakdown page for details. Participants are encouraged to come with creative projects they want to develop. There are spaces to work, and opportunities to collaborate, present, and receive technical and artistic support.