Don’t Fret: Conflict Resolution for Musicians
A virtual workshop led by composer Alexandra Gardner and conflict resolution specialist Dr. Nike Carstarphen
Date & Time: Saturday, April 26th, 1:00 pm—3:00 pm EDT
Place: Zoom (details will be provided with ticket purchase confirmation)
Tickets: $25.00 ($15 for students)
A replay will be available for one month after the workshop.
Sign up for Don’t Fret here!
When the situation gets tense, your communication doesn’t have to. Join us for practical tools and strategies to navigate difficult conversations with clarity, care, and confidence.
Everyone faces tough conversations. This workshop gives you the tools to keep your collaborations and projects strong and on track.
You’ll learn how to:
🎻 Understand your conflict style and how it shows up in musical settings.
🎼 Recognize different types of collaboration and what they need to succeed.
🗣️ Build essential communication skills for better conversations.
📝 Give constructive feedback in a way that preserves harmony.
🎶 Follow a step-by-step conflict resolution process to listen deeply, gain clarity, and compose creative solutions.
Walk away ready to handle challenging situations with confidence so your music and relationships stay in tune.
Meet the facilitators
Nike Carstarphen, PhD (pronounced KNEE-kah CAR-star-fen) brings harmony to discord. With over 25 years of experience helping people navigate conflict from boardrooms to international peacebuilding, she knows how to turn tension into transformation. A certified mediator and global trainer, Nike has worked across 50+ countries, facilitating everything from workplace resolutions to dialogues between gang-involved youth and police.
Nike doesn’t just walk the talk—she’s taught it at American University, George Mason University, and in classrooms from Bolivia to Thailand. She co-founded a groundbreaking MA program in conflict resolution, led peacebuilding and cultural exchange initiatives that have brought people together across deep divides for the U.S. government, and helped thousands build the skills to communicate clearly, lead confidently, and resolve conflict respectfully.
Whether you’re navigating creative tensions, personality clashes, or communication breakdowns, Nike brings deep experience, grounded presence, and a sense of possibility to help people move forward—together.
Composer Alexandra Gardner creates music for various instrumentations and often blends acoustic instruments with electronics, drawing inspiration from topics such as mythology, the natural sciences, and her background as a percussionist. Her music is performed widely across the U.S. and Europe. She was a visiting composer for two years at the Phonos Foundation in Barcelona, Spain, and served as composer-in-residence with the Seattle Symphony.
Among Alexandra’s honors and awards are recognitions from the American Composers Forum, ASCAP, The National Endowment for the Arts, The Netherland-America Foundation, and the Smithsonian Institution. She has conducted numerous residencies, including at the Atlantic Center for the Arts, Harvestworks Digital Media Arts Center, and MacDowell. Currently she is an International Composition Fellow in the Lucas Artist Residency Program at Montalvo Arts Center.
Alexandra is an active arts advocate, educator, and digital media specialist. She has worked extensively in audio production for organizations such as National Public Radio and served for several years as the associate editor of NewMusicBox, a program of New Music USA. She helps people of all ages and abilities explore and create music by offering masterclasses and workshops, mentoring composers, and facilitating dialogue and discussion related to artistic career development and the nature of creativity.
Have Questions?
Contact Alexandra at alex [at] alexandragardner [dot] net.