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Where can music take you? Exploring emerging careers in music, gaming and digital
The games industry is now worth more than cinema, music and sport combined - and it keeps growing. The College's Composition course prepares students for a future career in the creative industries, including gaming and digital.
A growing games industry for music
Studying Composition and Creative Music Technology at the College goes beyond writing for orchestras and choirs. While students still study traditional, notated music, they’ll also explore the exciting and constantly evolving new worlds of digital sound and music for games – giving them the tools to create across a wide spectrum of styles and industries.
Student Jacob Owen has just spent a year studying abroad at Osaka College in Japan, supported by the Turing Fund. Drawn there by a lifelong love of video game music, he said, ‘Gaming music has always influenced my writing, so I wanted to go where it was born.’
While in Japan he immersed himself in the language, culture, and new styles of teaching:
‘It’s really made clear the different ways of teaching. The act of travelling to the other side of the world has given me a new approach. I can see the value of them both and am finding what I like in the spaces in between, and following my own dreams.’
'At RWCMD I was surprised with music and ways of thinking I had never previously encountered, which allowed me to explore all avenues as an artist. In Japan I found the teaching very structured, covering all the basics, and streamlined to include all the skills for a certain industry or line of work.
Having said this, being an exchange student at Osaka College, I was grateful to have a truly colourful mix of musical experiences, from writing music for video games and plays to learning the Koto.
Exploring music in such different ways has been transformative, giving me not just different musical skills, but the confidence and clarity to work out what kind of artist I want to be.
If I hadn’t come out here, I might not have done any of this. I plan to spend my final year focused on building this vision, with new inspiration and direction, back at RWCMD.’Jacob OwenComposition student
Creative exploration is at the heart of the College’s training
Whether working with immersive digital performance or the interactive worlds of gaming, this kind of creative exploration lies at the heart of the College’s approach to training,
‘We prepare our students by encouraging them to question, experiment, and push boundaries. The games world is always changing—and changing fast—so we train our students to think flexibly, to be ready for whatever comes next.
We teach a wide range of musical techniques, and work across the disciplines, so that no matter what the industry throws at you, you know how to adapt.’John HardyHead of Composition
Preparing artists for the industries of tomorrow
Our graduates are the best examples of what happens when students are empowered to explore, collaborate, and specialise:
Beth Lewis became a specialist in VR while still a student, composing for live headset performances. During her training she created the scores for the Richard Burton Company’s Shakespeare plays, 'Macbeth' and 'Dream', co-directed by Director of Drama Performance Jonathan Munby, and the Matsena Brothers, and went on to be the composer and producer on ‘Shades of Blue,' the Matsena’s powerful co-production with Sadler’s Wells, which showcased at the College.
Graduating in 2023 Beth is now a composer, sound artist and creative technologist, composing immersive scores for dance and live performance, as well as design interactive sound installations, using virtual reality and other immersive technology.
She works with artists and organisations including Sky Arts, and the Korean National Contemporary Dance Company.
Joanna Higginbottom, originally from North Wales, set off to Los Angeles to collaborate with American composer Tyler Bates as soon as she graduated. She now works in LA as a composer and music producer working on big budget projects for film, TV and games.
Bafta-winning Lead Music Designer at Creative Assembly, a multi-million selling European games developer, Jack Melham is now in charge of all the in-game music across its Total War franchise, coming back to the College to talk to students and pass on his experiences.
‘The size of the classes meant that there was always someone available to have face to face time with for help or for feedback.
The recording suite is a brilliant, state-of-the-art facility, and it was amazing that there was always someone there, happy to help.
My advice to students is, while you’re at the College, spend all the time you can writing music and taking the chance to be brave in a safe space.’Jack MelhamComposition graduate
The first project Jack worked on at Creative Assembly was 'Total War: Attila,' and it was the first time he worked on game music professionally. As it celebrates its 25th anniversary, here he is talking about how he created the dynamic music to represent the different action on the battlefield.
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Sound designer Kina Miyamoto, who visited Jacob when he was at Osaka College, works for Capcom, one of the world’s biggest game producers in Japan.
She’s specialized in creating enemy sound for 'Resident Evil 4', which was released in March 2023, and has currently sold over four million units worldwide. Most recently, she’s been leading on projects, working as an audio director.
‘The College gives you the opportunities to open and expand your talents, even those you didn’t realise you had.
To potential students I would say, RWCMD is the right place to give you the skills to work in the sound industry.
And for recent graduates, don't underestimate your potential because what you’ve learned throughout your time here is really precious. Just don't be afraid of taking a risk, because people will be there to help guide you in the right direction.'Kina MiyamotoComposition graduate
Finding your musical voice
Coming back from Japan for his final year here in Cardiff, Jacob began his musical journey studying jazz piano.
Moving over to composition, in his second year he worked on puppetry: ‘Spawn’ was based on a 1980s/90s computer game in a teenagers bedroom and accompanied by live composer-musicians working as he worked as part of a collaborative creative team, which gave him crucial professional experience and opened him up to new experiences.
‘College helped me find my own musical voice. Now I wake up literally shaking with excitement to be making music.’Jacob Owen
