Welcome to the Sound and Music Summer School Blog. We’ll be running this blog in the run up to, during and after the Sound and Music Summer School Courses!

If you’re looking for the main Summer School webpage you’ve landed close, but by clicking here you’ll find what you are after!

The Sound and Music Summer School is the only UK residential course of its kind for young composers and an inspiring and intensive week full of collaboration, fun, learning and creativity.

The Summer School gives young composers the opportunity to work with composers and musicians from a wide variety of musical traditions, from classical and jazz to world and new media.

From life-changing musical experiences to life-long friendships, there’s so much young people can get out of the course. We always look for young composers* with talent, a commitment to creating their own music and a desire to learn more. Importantly, however, we fundraise for bursaries to ensure admission to the course can be extended to every young person with the talent.

* By composer we mean anyone who creates their own original pieces of music. During the Summer School, participants need to be able to notate their pieces so that performers can play them, but notation can range from traditional western classical to chord charts and graphic scores to text instructions.

The Summer School gives you the chance to:

Meet and work with leading composers and musicians
Meet lots of other young composers
Create your own piece of music
Explore different styles and methods of composing and music-making
Have your music recorded and receive a CD afterwards
Bring your instrument to take part in creative sessions (it doesn’t matter how good a performer you are!)