Media composers are only a part of some greater creative enterprise, be it a film, game, television programme or commercial. As such they need to be able to understand the creative vision of the director or producer and create music which is in line with their expectations. Communicating creative ideas and attempting to describe music in words is notoriously difficult and fraught with potential problems. In this module, we introduce students to the complexity of this issue and offer some strategies for better communication.

Further to this, students will be exposed to more complex and demanding industry sectors such as computer games and library music. Composers are introduced to more difficult projects where the technical requirements are more demanding. Listening to interviews with real-world clients will help students acclimatise to the language and style of communication used in the industry.

Both professional and academic research gathers relevant information from a wide range of sources before analysing and drawing reasonable conclusions. The research will be evaluated on the basis of its originality, depth of insight, and the quality of the supporting argument.

Research can constitute:
- Professional research (i.e. further understanding gained from examining the professional output of other practitioners)
- Academic research (i.e. further understanding gained from theoretical/historical/analytical activities)

We expect students to:

- Analyse, synthesise, critically reflect, and build an argument
- Use academic writing, including referencing and a bibliography
- Contextualise their practical work in light of the research

In the modern world of music technology, it has never been easier to access such a wide pallet of sounds. Why is it then, that so much music sounds so alike and, therefore, lacks the uniqueness that often leads to something greater. Easy access to “presets” is one of the reasons that this occurs. In commercial music, success and longevity can often be attributed to innovation and individuality. Thinking about the use and creation of new sounds and textures will encourage students to embrace a world of possibilities that sets them apart from others.

Students are introduced to the practical skill of writing music in sync with the picture. Having established the powerful and complex relationship between music and the moving image in the previous module, students should be well equipped to begin writing their own original music to a given picture.

In this module, we also look at several different areas of the industry: documentaries, animation, commercials and natural history, each of which presents its own set of specific requirements and challenges.

"Death by preset" is a familiar problem and why so many people’s music sounds the same. This module continues your personal development plan and looks at sounds, textures and arrangements. Learn more about synthesis and sound design, digital audio manipulation, production techniques and arrangement. All the time you will be learning to critically evaluate your own music and that of others.

Writing great music is not the only hurdle that students must face on the path to creating professional quality music. Delivering a polished final mix is an essential partof presenting music at its best. In many genres, particularly electronic music, mixing and production is inextricable from the composition and arrangement itself. This is an incredibly important skill for any professional wishing to compete in commercial music.

On this course, you will have 2 elective modules, which allows you to customise your experience on the course leading up to your Final Major Project or Dissertation.


You can choose from:

• EDM and Remix Masterclass
• Lyric Writing Masterclass
• Hip Hop and RnB Masterclass
• Rock and Metal Masterclass
• Country Music Masterclass
• Adventures in Experimental Music
• Advanced Music Promotion
• Composing for Drama
• Musical Sound Design
• Composition: Telling Stories
• Sampled Orchestration
• Music Editing

On this course, you will have 2 elective modules, which allows you to customise your experience on the course leading up to your Final Major Project or Dissertation.


You can choose from:

• EDM and Remix Masterclass
• Lyric Writing Masterclass
• Hip Hop and RnB Masterclass
• Rock and Metal Masterclass
• Country Music Masterclass
• Adventures in Experimental Music
• Advanced Music Promotion
• Composing for Drama
• Musical Sound Design
• Composition: Telling Stories
• Sampled Orchestration
• Music Editing

Final Major Project

The Final Major Project is a major piece of work that will take 12 weeks to complete. It represents the culmination of creative, technical, and research skills acquired during the rest of the course. This is a substantially longer piece of work than any other so far. It requires both solid technical skills and a much broader and deeper creative insight. Students will be expected to research their chosen genre, developing a critical awareness of creative and technical problems faced by musicians at the forefront of professional practice.

The quality of the creative idea and the insight into the intention of the artist is far more critical with larger scale work. This large-scale project is a great deal more challenging than the sum total of several shorter assignments. This module will encourage students to think of the bigger picture, demonstrate everything they have learnt during the course and accurately represent themselves as an industry professional. Consequently, the original idea and the approach need to be thought out much more thoroughly. Students will be supported by formative assessment from their tutor at points throughout the Final Major Project. The final submission will be graded by at least two tutors.

Dissertation
The dissertation will represent students' research into an area of commercial music. The dissertation is an extended piece of scholarly written work. It will take 12 weeks to complete, and represents the culmination of your academic, analytical and research skills, as well as taking advantage of your practical experience.

You will be asked to write a long essay of 12,000 words (+/- 10%), including footnotes, but excluding bibliography. This is substantially longer than any of your other work so far.

This module will cultivate your intellectual and scholarly independence as a specialist in this area. You will undertake the work as an individual, under the guidance of a supervisor, with whom you will meet regularly in one-to-one sessions.