HATCH Ostinato Project Connects Renowned Composers & Musicians w/ Big Sky Students
”My kid came home from school last week talking about music every day. He’s never talked about music class before. Not even close.”– a parent in a parent/teacher’s conference two weeks after launching the “HATCH Ostinato Project”
When world-renowned composers Philip Sheppard and Russell Spurlock visited John Zirkle’s music class at a school in rural Big Sky, Montana, their intention was to give an interactive workshop that showed students that they, too, could be composers. During the visit, they were inspired to create the HATCH Ostinato Project – empowering students to realize that they can compose music by removing inhibitive barriers like the belief that composing requires years of formal study.
Since its inception in September, Ostinato has evolved into a global platform for musicians, composers, and music teachers to collaborate, communicate, share, and mentor – no matter where they live or study. The project is designed bring out the composer in every kid by making music accessible and fun, and allowing them to hear what they’re capable of bringing into the world. Ultimately, the HATCH Ostinato Project is poised to level the playing field for our next generation of music-makers by giving students in rural or underserved communities access to mentors and teachers they previously would have had to travel across the country or around the globe to study with.
Ostinato isn’t just inspiring the next generation of musicians and composers – it’s helping fund their education. The collaborative pieces created by music classes through Ostinato result in actual productions that can be licensed and sold, generating funding back to that specific music program.