Undergraduate composition

Composition at undergraduate level is built into every level (year) and broadly divides itself into two complementary units (creative and technical). Whether you intend to write for instruments or work in the studio, you will need to learn techniques that will enable you to be creative. At the same time you will listen and analyse work that will inspire your creativity and push you perhaps in the direction of new techniques. Thus composition becomes a never ending spiral upwards towards a solid and confident personal voice.

Staff are on hand to direct your creative work and we understand that writing your music is a highly personal craft. We are however charged to show you what else is out there so a number of our modules 'push the envelope' of aesthetic, forcing you to ask tough questions about how you want to want to engage performers and the public.

At level 1, MUS109 (Composition) introduces you to and assesses you on a number of elementary compositional techniques and one free composition. MUS119 (Introduction to Studio) prepares you technically for working in the studio across a broad range of study areas (sound recording, score notation, computer music programming). At level 2 composers can take their studies to the next level in both instrumental music and computer music, again fusing training with analysis and free composition. At level III students can take a single (20 credit) or double (40 credit) module in composition. Now the emphasis is on your personal creative development and this is reflected in the teaching style (fewer seminars, more one-to-one tutorials). The Collaboratory project (20 credits) also enables students to work with instruments and computers in live performance. It is now possible to make half of your final year composition based.