Composition and Creative Music Technology
Develop a confident and distinctive personal voice through specialist training covering the full range of compositional techniques and approaches, while immersing yourself in opportunities to perform, record, gain hands-on industry experience and collaborate across the disciplines.
Why study composition and creative music technology at RWCMD?
- Our small, supportive department means your training can be tailored to your individual needs, supporting and inspiring you to find your personal creative identity.
- At the heart of the training is intensive one-to-one tuition, which covers creating music through technology, and working with traditional ‘notated’ music.
- You’ll get formal and informal hands-on experience both within the College and in the real world of the creative industries, all with the support of the composition staff.
- You’ll have opportunities to experience some of the most prestigious musical organisations in Wales, including Tŷ Cerdd (Music House Wales), BBC National Orchestra of Wales (whose recording studios are one of the largest dedicated recording facilities outside Abbey Road in London), as well as Welsh National Opera and Sinfonia Cymru.
- Composition with electronics is just as important as instrumental composition. We don’t exclude any compositional technique or approach, and you’ll be encouraged to find your own creative style with the support of your highly specialised team of tutors.
- Students often create work for fully immersive audio-visual installations, live performances for instrumentalists, and electronic and interactive software instruments, as well as the more traditional mediums such as dance and opera.
- Collaborative partnerships are a key element of the course, both within College and across the industry.
- Each member of staff has their own area of expertise, offering individual training and classes in all compositional approaches and techniques, including composing for other media, such as film and TV, dance, theatre and games as well as the more traditional areas like concerts, operas and installations.
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'Our head of composition is a man named John Hardy and he is one of the most generous supporters of young musicians I've ever encountered.'William CoxBMus Composition Student
'Being at RWCMD has been fantastic, both professionally and personally. I’ve been playing instruments for as long as I can remember, but I was never taught traditionally. I had almost no notational skills, little interest in classical music, and was drifting more into electronic music. I’d always assumed there wouldn’t be a place for me at RWCMD, thinking it was only for classical musicians at the very top of their craft.
That changed when I went to an open day and met Odilon Marcenaro. I immediately felt welcomed and applied straight away. Since then, every part of my life has expanded tenfold. I’ve made great friends and professional connections, worked on music for theatre and film, and explored electronic music in ways I didn’t know were possible.
Most importantly, I fell in love with being here because of how supported and encouraged I felt from the start. The college, and tutors such as Odilon Marcenaro, Milad Mardakheh, John Hardy and Ceri Tippetts, have opened so many avenues for me academically, artistically and professionally.
If you’re someone who spends their time making weird electronic music in their bedroom for fun, I couldn’t recommend the composition course enough.'Harry LewisMMus Composition Student
