If you’re on the north side of the bay, pay a visit to the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History. There, you will find CSUMB music instructor Lanier Sammons hosting an open, functioning artist's studio that allows visitors to collaborate on musical compositions.

For Lanier Sammons, audience-interactive music making provides both a chance to share the pleasure of musical creation and a rich set of compositional challenges. Technology plays a key role.

“One of the projects involves asking for visitor feedback about possible versions of a musical piece and showing different directions it might head,” Sammons said. “I use Sibelius, which is notation software, in the process of composing and sharing. Other pieces are composed digitally. One musical piece utilizing a digital process is called ‘Pool’ for which I'm collecting sounds from visitors. I look for the right moment for each sound and then build the piece out of what they’ve collectively contributed.”

Sammons’ works have been featured at SEAMUS, the Spark Festival, the Jubilus Festival and the San Francisco International Art Festival. Ensembles such as the Talujon Percussion Quartet, counter) induction, the Da Capo Chamber Players, Relâche, Post-Haste Reed Duo, and Friction Quartet have premiered his pieces. At CSUMB, Sammons teaches courses on recording technology, composition and a variety of other topics.

Sammons will host the residency through July 24. For more information and exact hours, check his website at www.laniersammons.com