Musical Director Workshop

Instructor: Alex Engelberg (Seattle)

Are you a Bay Area-based Musical Director looking to learn new skills and approaches and get feedback? 

Don’t miss out on this special MD-focused workshop during the 2025 Bay Area Musical Improv festival, taught by Seattle’s preeminent Musical Director Alex Engelberg!

Alex is a seasoned musician with nearly a decade of experience Musical Directing for improv, ranging from genre-specific shows like improvised opera, 90s boy band, rock opera, and disco to longform Broadway-style narrative musicals.

This workshop will be largely diagnostic, focusing on the skills, genres, approaches and forms that each student would like to work on. Students will get the opportunity to play and get personal feedback from the instructor.

Alex will also focus on some common fundamental skills, such as: How to start songs with unstructured vamping that lets the singer determine when the structure starts; how to signal singers where you’re going next; how to use embellishments to fill in silent moments; how to use the circle of fifths to master chord changes; and more. 

Student Information

This workshop is ONLY for Bay Area-based Musical Directors–meaning musicians who play piano, guitar or another instrument for musical improv shows. This is NOT a workshop for musical improvisers.

Workshop Capacity

This workshop has been capped at a maximum of 10 Musical Directors, to ensure that those taking part will get the most out of this experience. We are able to limit the size and offer discounted registration thanks to a subsidy from Bay Area Musical Improv.

About the Instructor

Alex Engelberg is a Seattle-based musician, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He has nine years of experience as an improv accompanist, but has been playing music his whole life. Alex is an expert in performing many styles, including classical piano, musical theater, rock concerts, and a cappella singing.

Alex plays regularly with Unexpected Productions and Jet City Improv, and has performed in dozens of venues across seven states. He can also be seen on TikTok making viral parody songs and harmonizing with strangers. As a comedy songwriter, his work has been featured by Playbill, the official @TikTok account, and Disney Channel.

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