On the first day, I was greeted by my soon-to-be friends and the members of staff, who were all very friendly. I am in the ‘Composing for Voice’ group, so we did many exciting vocal exercises with our Key tutor and the other singers. On the second day, we had several taster sessions which were extremely interesting and exciting (electronics and advanced instrumental). Something which I found especially fascinating was the session where the tutors showed us examples of graphic scores but also the various ways that the voice can be used such as sprechstimme (spoken melody), overtone singing and throat singing. The following days consisted of composing sessions, and although it was challenging at times, the staff supported me when I needed them. Simone, one of the singers, was very supportive and kind when she convinced me to not scrap my composition material, and now that I have heard the final piece, I am glad that I chose to stick with those jazzy, experimental ideas. From this summer school, I have learnt many skills such as how to communicate with performers as a composer, and different ways of planning a composition such as drawing and sketching. These things that I have learnt will definitely help me in my aspirations as a composer, and how to approach my A-level composition with confidence. 

This week has been such a great experience!