Things are heating up about now, and we’re not just talking about the weather!

Midweek here at the Sound and Music Summer School is when things start to get serious. After a few days of getting to know each other, their tutors, and the impressive arsenal of musical techniques they have at their disposal, Wednesday is the day when the young composers start seriously, you know, composing.

To reflect, this, we decided to catch up with a few of the young composers here this week, for a bitesize explanation of what they’re working on today:

As usual, make sure you check out our Twitter and Instagram to hear from even more of the young composers here this week!

The big event of the day was our Go Compose Inspire Day, run in partnership with Community Music. The day was open to any young composers aged 13-18 interested in composing with samples and digital software, but no prior experience of it. Acting as a more extended version of Community Music’s taster session, this day intended to offer young people in the Hertfordshire area the chance to get creative and try something new – check out our pictures from the day here!

The Inspire Day forms part of Sound and Music’s national Go Compose programme. This project aims to address the lack of opportunities and progression routes for young composers and creators in the UK by providing composition-specific workshops and courses in underserved areas of the country. If you know a young person interested in making their own music, find out more about Go Compose in your area here.

We finished off today with an inspiring pair of lectures and subsequent Q&A from two industry professionals, offering the young creatives here two unique perspectives on modern life as a composer.

First up was the inspiring Caro C, a sound artist and electronic music composer frequently (although unwillingly!) branded as the ‘modern day Delia Derbyshire’. However, Caro quickly debunked that moniker, demonstrating the differences between her digital music and Delia’s tape-based approach. She also walked us through her deeply personal journey to where she is today, telling us how she persevered and overcame debilitating illness to live her dream of creating the unique, electronic soundworlds she shared with us tonight.

Caro C’s insightful lecture was jampacked with insights and entertaining tidbits, including digital techniques, rearranging Doctor Who, and even composing for Dick and Dom. However, Sound and Music’s Head of Education, Judith, perhaps summed up one of the key messages best:

Caro was followed by Royal Academy of Music professor, orchestrator and award-winning conductor Christopher Austin. Christopher walked us through the process he takes when arranging works, including a particularly fascinating analysis of his rearrangement of songs by American rock duo The White Stripes. Of all the insight Christopher offered, one piece of advice clearly resonated with our students: “find out who you are and what you can offer in your musical journey. Then excel at it.”

If you want to see even more behind the scenes, head on over to our Instagram, check out our Day 4 pictures here, or sign up to our newsletter to hear about all of our Education work.

To continue offering a life-changing experience to all young composers, regardless of background or income, the Sound and Music Summer School needs your help.

Give a helping hand to tomorrow’s composers and creators; support our work here.