graphic score created by Layna with acrylic paint and sumi ink on canvas paper. yes, this is the website background.

Graphic Scores Workshop: Beyond Western Notation

This workshop explores graphic scores—visual representations of sound that move beyond conventional sheet music. By drawing inspiration from diverse sources like knitting patterns, guerrilla warfare diagrams, and organic forms in nature, this project challenges traditional ideas of composition and notation, opening up new possibilities for musical interpretation and expression.

Blurring the boundaries between sound, visual art, and improvisation, this workshop encourages a more intuitive and inclusive approach to music-making. Instead of relying on standardized notation, graphic scores invite performers to engage with sound through imagery, symbols, and abstract forms, fostering deep listening, creative interpretation, and collaboration.

At its core, this project questions who gets to compose music and how we can expand artistic language to be more accessible. By embracing nontraditional notation, Graphic Scores Workshop creates space for experimental storytelling, interdisciplinary exploration, and new ways of thinking about sound as both a visual and auditory experience.

found graphic score samples