The Hyperscore Challenge Gallery, both visually stunning and musically delightful, premiered on International Make Music Day, June 21, 2024. Fifty-two U.S. and international composers submitted an original composition and/or a soundtrack for a video short prompt that we provided. Participants ranged in age from 6 years old to adults. June Kinoshita, New Harmony Line’s Executive Director, is the visionary behind the many ways we share Hyperscore with the world. Our team could never have imagined the response to June’s 2023-2024 challenge! Enjoy their pieces while you consider participating in HYPERSCORE CHALLENGE 2!
Hyperscore Challenge 2023-2024
Our team had a lot of experience in the music room, and at festivals and workshops. It was clear to us that anyone of any age or ability could participate in exercising their musical imagination through the challenge. We posted the link on our website hoping to get a response from social media and word of mouth. 160 sign-ups later, the team was thrilled with the response to our challenge!
Student Hyperscore Challenge clubs–Secondary
We were able to have three school clubs. The first club met the last period of the day for students in a junior high special education program. One student participated independently while four others worked one-on-one with paraeducator support or Cece. In this club we made good use of the modified materials from our curriculum. This handbook worked especially well for our student who was non-verbal and made his choices from 2 variables only.
All five students were able to create a piece and title it. With great appreciation, the club ended the second to last week of school with an ice cream and “concert” slideshow or their pieces. Staff, the students and their peer buddies enjoyed their final compositions. Video copies were emailed home for Parents and Guardians to enjoy.
The second club was at the same school but met after the school day. A preview of Hyperscore was shared with students from the band, orchestra, choir and Music Tech classes. Fourteen composers chose to attend. Some of them were complete beginners. Other students had music in their head but not the notational skills to write it out. It was fascinating to have a student who was Suzuki trained. He wrote out parts for The Peer Gynt Suite then updated the piece using tone color and rhythmic/melodic variations.
The rival of any secondary after-school club is sports practice. Sadly, when track season started, 12 of our composers left us to excel in other ways. Two 8th grade students came every time and wrote multiple original pieces as beginners. One chose to have her piece included in the Hyperscore Challenge Gallery. We celebrated the end of our club with cookies and a “concert” as well. Video copies were sent to their Parents/Guardians and favorite teachers and friends.
L. R-S. Grade 8 Iowa
Student Hyperscore Challenge clubs–Elementary
Being the music teacher, or a long-term substitute, has its advantages when trying to engage youngsters in a club. During the 2021-2022 school year, Cece taught K-5 music in an elementary while their teacher took maternity leave. Every student got the chance to compose with the brand new demo version of Hyperscore 5. So, when the opportunity arose in 2022-2023 to do an after-school composition club, the response was wonderful!
17 students, ages 6 to 11 attended most, or all, of the sessions from September to May. Several of the students worked on the same piece, perfecting its sound. However, others wrote prodigiously with something new every week. All students made progress in the quality of their work.
M.S. Kindergarten Iowa
This club celebrated the end of the school year with a concert in the school library with Parents/Guardians, teachers and staff from the school, siblings and friends. Each piece was played to great applause. Because students had freedom to choose how to compose, we had a 5th grader choose to compose a piece that she wanted to play on the piano. Since Hyperscore can be readily transcribed into standard notation, Cece has been working with her to learn this duet. This club will meet again starting in March 2025 for Hyperscore Challenge 2!
How to participate in Hyperscore Challenge 2
Every group, team leader, teacher or individual who signs up for the Challenge will receive the Hyperscore Classroom at no cost through International Make Music Day, June 21, 2025. The Hyperscore Classroom will allow you to manage, and create accounts, for all of your students in the classroom, all your clients or employees at your place of work and the community and/or your friends and family. The Hyperscore Classroom includes ALL the bells and whistles (plus a taiko drum too!), unlimited scores and unlimited rhythm, melody and sketch windows. Participants under 13 are allowed to create an account with a Parent/Guardian consent form.
The website page for Hyperscore Challenge 2 went live on March 3, 2025. This page will include flyers for recruiting participants, video prompts and links to activities. If you want your imagination to soar, use the video prompts to “compose a soundtrack”–new video prompts are available each week. Also, the team does a monthly FUN Second Sunday Composition Workshop that everyone is invited to attend at 9 am ET. Sign up here.
We hope we have you convinced–let’s go Hyperscore Challenge 2!!
