Join saxophonist, composer, and instrument builder Zack Hann in this interactive workshop all about getting started with MaxMSP. The session will offer an overview of Max’s capabilities across a wide range of artistic media, with examples drawn from music composition, visual art, sound design, instrument building, installation art, and more. Participants will patch along as Hann leads the group in creating a one-of-a-kind software instrument, along the way getting to know Max’s patching environment and developing strategies for continuing to learn Max outside the classroom. Special emphasis will be given to enabling artists to use Max to create personalized tools which they can incorporate into their work.
📅 Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026
🕓 Time: 1:00–3:00 PM
📍 Location: Harvestworks, 596 Broadway #602, New York, NY 10012
📩 RSVP required: studio@harvestworks.org
“I’m aware of how the tools I use structure my thoughts . . . I want to suggest that we call this ‘in-tool cognition.’ In fact, l often joke that my mind is structured like a MaxMSP patch.” –Mark Fell, Anatomy of Practice: Structure and Synthesis
In this workshop, Hann will discuss how Max has pushed his work in new directions and share recent examples that incorporate the software. These include a standalone 8-channel instrument that maps RNBO patches to the instrument’s encoders and custom display interface, generative aural scores, audio-reactive visualizers, and screen prints.
Participants will then work as a group to create a custom software instrument using Max. In doing so they will learn about Max’s patching environment, object-based language, and help files. They will be able to construct their own patches, and, more importantly, understand how to continue learning Max after the workshop concludes. Beyond a technical understanding of the software, the larger goal of the workshop is to understand Max’s potential to create custom tools that can enhance ongoing artistic work.
ABOUT ZACK HANN:
Zack Hann is a saxophonist, composer, and instrument builder who works extensively with MaxMSP. His work explores methods of communication in music, language, and other media. His compositions incorporate traditional and graphic notation, aural scores, improvisation, digital signal processing, custom instruments, and extended just intonation. He is currently a fellow at the Center for Collaborative Arts and Media at Yale University, and holds a B.M. from Juilliard.