The aim of the Music Composition course is to provide participants with the basic knowledge and compositional techniques required to work in the style that they wish to explore. Participants will work on a range of composition activities to generate ideas and subsequently shape them into a musical work. Each week students receive feedback and advice going forward from both the tutor and fellow peers.

Different topics will be discussed and explored including:
• Finding inspiration and using it to create music
• Different approaches to melody, harmony and rhythm
• Sketching musical ideas and developing them into a work
• The creative use of a various music software tools
• Writing for different instruments and orchestration

Classes are interactive with time for music to be composed in each lesson. There will be the study of works by a variety of composers and in the final week participants take part in a composition masterclass featuring a guest performer.

*Participants will need:
some means of notating, e.g. manuscript and pencil, Sibelius, Finale, Musescore or Noteflight (free online tool),
Ideally an instrument at home too to try things out

WHAT STUDENTS SAY ABOUT THIS COURSE

Tristan was brilliant in the way he took in everybody’s background – very encouraging to all.

Not only the content, provided by the tutor was great, but it was even more inspiring to see the works students came up with.

This course exceeded my expectations.

Tristan gave an excellent broad overview of composition, but also gave really vital and in depth personal feedback and guidance. I loved this course!