FLIEGENDE FUNKEN IMPROFESTIVAL 2026 - AGAINST THE DRIFT

Intermediate Musical Improv: Story and Song

In this two-part, full-day workshop, we’ll root into our own taste, identity, and experience to discover new paths toward authentic stories, lived-in characters, and compelling improvised songs. Open to improvisers of all experience levels, but newer musical improvisers are strongly encouraged to attend Introduction to Musical Improv: Finding Your Voice before joining this session.

Part 1 — SONG A great song has the power to bring you to tears or get you on your feet. In this session, we’ll tap into our own musical tastes to identify what makes a song truly work. We’ll play with dynamics, melody, rhythm, rhyme, and texture in improvised music, to create music that sounds like something we would put on repeat in our headphones.

Part 2 — STORY Everyone has a story to tell, including our improvised characters. We’ll draw from our lived experiences and personal identities to develop characters with histories, philosophies, and honest desires. By pairing truthful storytelling with musical authenticity, we’ll discover how songs