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Mastering Orchestral Composition with BBCSO

A THINKSPACE INTERACTIVE COURSE


Intro offer – Save over 30%

$189 $129

Save over 50% when you buy in The Cinematic Bundle. Limited-time offer.

Introductory Offer: Save 30%, plus get exclusive access to a live harmony webinar and Q&A

Lifetime access. 30-day money-back policy



Unlock your full potential with BBC Symphony Orchestra by Spitfire Audio

Join Emmy-nominated composer Guy Michelmore on an enjoyable, creative journey. Learn to build better templates, achieve greater realism, improve your orchestration, score to picture, mix and master, and more – all with BBC Symphony Orchestra Core or Pro.

  • Learn to become a better composer, whatever your current level.
  • Over 25 hours of in-depth, on-demand tutorials
  • Hands-on activities and projects to help you learn faster
  • Taught in Cubase and Logic Pro but suitable for any DAW
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Create more realistic, expressive, emotive music

Whether you’re a new or experienced BBCSO user, this course will give you the skills and knowledge to take your music to a whole new level.

It isn’t just about learning the features of a sample library, it’s about becoming a better orchestral composer. While you’ll get to know BBC Symphony Orchestra inside and out, the real goal is to help you create more expressive, more emotive music.


Everything you'll learn

module 1

Technology and Workflow

This focuses on the foundational technical knowledge you’ll need to equip yourself with before you dive into the more creative process. We will be exploring how sampling technology works at a foundational level, learning how that works specifically with BBCSO, and helping you set up your templates so you’re ready to hit the ground running.

module 2

Realistic Mockups

The key to a great sounding mockup is understanding how to make it as realistic as possible. We will be looking at all the skills needed to achieve this, from using a range of articulations, utilising MIDI controllers to shape your samples, and blending a variety of instruments.

module 3

Creative Orchestration
Understanding the orchestra and how best to use it is important when it comes to using the sample library. In this module, we will be looking at how to write for each orchestral section in a way that matches the playing styles of real musicians - an often overlooked skill from DAW-based composers.

module 4

Telling Stories with Music

From melody to sound palette, we will be looking at what we can use to convey emotions and tell stories. This is more an open discussion and demonstration of storytelling through music, which is a great precursor for the next module.

module 5

Scoring Movies

Leading on from the Telling Stories module, we now put this into practice. This module covers what you need to know to score to picture in your DAW, from importing the video file, spotting the cue, and writing your music.

module 6

Mixing, Mastering, and Distribution

To conclude your journey with BBCSO, we will look at how to mix and master your music. We will then give a quick demonstration on how to release and promote your music.

Learn from pro composers, orchestrators and engineers

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Guy Michelmore
EMMY and ANNIE nominated composer for Marvel, Disney, Lionsgate and DreamWorks.
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Emily Hawkins
Composer and European Talent Award finalist at Soundtrack Cologne 2023.
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Peter Bateman

Composer and orchestrator for Avengers: Age Of Ultron, The Grinch, 50 Shades of Grey.

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Bradley Jordan
Composer and music editor for DreamWorks, Netflix and BBC projects.
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Paul Thomson
Spitfire Audio co-founder and media composer for BBC, Discovery, Sony, Channel 4.
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Lauren Finch
Composer and Rising Star Award finalist at Music+Sound Awards 2024.
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Tim Johnson

Orchestral mixing engineer, as heard on BBC, Netflix, Amazon, PBS, Sky, Channel 4.

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Arhynn Descy
Composer (Blank, Patriot: A National At War) and Ivor Novello Awards jury member.

Tutorials + hands-on learning

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Interactive video & quizzes

Our exclusive interactive video technology allows you to have a virtual conversation with Guy and the team: answer questions, make choices, and then get feedback on your decisions. Plus, there are plenty of fun quizzes along the way.

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MINUSONES, 

One of the best ways to learn is by doing. MinusONEs are short exercises with a missing element that you need to complete, making them a great starting point after the video tutorials. They help you focus on one concept at a time, and get you composing without the 'fear of the blank page'.

INTERACTIVE VIDEO

A COURSE THAT’S PERSONALISED TO YOU

DAW School is packed with interactive videos, personalising the course to the level you are starting at, and where you want to get to.

They are also a great way to check what you’ve learned from a module, and suggesting any areas you might want to revisit before you move on.

ThinkSpace Interactive Video

Widgets

Flex your new-found skills and knowledge with fun, interactive widgets – mini-apps that have been especially created for this course.

Why not give one a try right here and see the range of tones you can achieve by blending different instruments in BBCSO.

Flex your new-found skills and knowledge with fun, interactive widgets – mini-apps that have been especially created for this course.

Violin 1
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Violin 2
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Celli
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Flute
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Oboe
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Clarinet
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Trumpet
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French Horn
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Accomp
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Join our supportive community on Discord

This ThinkSpace Interactive course includes lifetime access to our ever-growing community of music makers on Discord. You can chat to other people taking the course, pick up and share tips, and grow your network. You can also share your MinusONEs and other projects from the course to gain useful feedback and pointers from your peers. 

Don’t worry if you’ve never used Discord before, it’s simple to get set up, and totally free.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"An absolutely brilliant resource for composers of any level. The interactive videos are unique – these help the course to be tailored to an individual's specific needs."

– Toby, TrustPilot review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“I am thoroughly enjoying this musical adventure! What I like is that I can start and stop at any time, and go back and repeat the more challenging parts.”

– Michael, TrustPilot review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Informative and enjoyable. A really comprehensive course presented well, and full of interesting and applicable content."

– Tracy, TrustPilot review

Exclusive Live Webinar

tuesday, april 8th
7pm london • 2pm ny • 11am la

FIVE tips to spice up your chord progressions

Do you sometimes get stuck in a rut relying on the same old chord progressions? Join course instructors Lucy and Tom for a live session revealing five effective methods to elevate your music. After the presentation, Lucy and Tom will open the floor for your harmony questions during an interactive Q&A segment.

To gain exclusive access to this webinar, pick up Practical Harmony 1 during the introductory offer period. You will receive joining instructions by email closer to the event.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Anyone who owns the Core or Professional edition of BBCSO – or plans to. Whether you are a total beginner or experienced user, there is plenty in this course to help you improve as a composer. 

Buy today, start and revisit anytime

Lucy Hackett playing keyboard
Guy Michelmore Teaching Music Theory
Illustrated course text
  • Unlock your full potential with BBCSO Core or Pro
  • Learn from over 25 hours of in-depth tutorial videos
  • Lifelong access to the ultimate BBCSO reference
  • Hands-on activities, widgets, interactive video, and more
BUY NOW — $189 $129

Lifetime access. Start, finish and revisit anytime.
30-day money-back policy

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have a question? contact us

contact@thinkspace.ac.uk

+44 (0)1243 256049