New Sound Lab
New Sound Lab (NSL) is a community music ensemble that fosters exploration in improvisation and composition within an exciting and supportive environment.
In its first iteration, from January through March 2026, a group of high school musicians met weekly at the Oberlin Community Music School to improvise and rehearse original compositions using a variety of traditional, graphic, and text-based notations.
Made possible by Oberlin Conservatory’s Gletherow-Young-Deppman Project Award, composer and cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum was commissioned to write new work specifically for the inaugural New Sound Lab. Taylor also visited Oberlin in March to lead several workshops with the ensemble.
At the conclusion of the eight-week program, New Sound Lab presented a public concert featuring improvisations and world premieres by both participating students and Taylor Ho Bynum, performed for family, friends, and mentors.
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“New Sound Lab was a great and wholly unique experience compared to other improvisational groups I’ve been a part of. I loved the closer-knit atmosphere of the group, the opportunity to talk to Taylor about his piece, and the opportunity to try out our own compositions.”
“[New Sound Lab] was AWESOME, and I really enjoyed how we were encouraged to try new things that traditionally would not be done on our instruments... Now I feel comfortable that what I was doing on my own can be used in a musical piece.”
“Great class for our son to use his instruments in a non traditional way. Our son loved every minute of it!”