Springboard Music Creators
This course is for instrumentalists, singers, composers or song-writers from any musical background with an open attitude to collaboration and inventing music (of all styles) alongside others. The course takes an accessible, practical hands-on approach so there's no requirement to be able to read or notate music.
All participants must be in school years 9 and 10 (ages 14-15) and meet one of the RCM Sparks eligibility criteria found in the 'Free places and tickets' drop down menu.
This FREE course runs from August to April with approximately one workshop or short course per month (Autumn term dates are below).
Each workshop or short course works with different creative stimuli, for example a theme or rhythmic motif from a piece of music being performed at the Royal College of Music. Courses result in original pieces of music, created by the participants as a group, with the support of composers and musicians from the RCM. As the year progresses, participants build their knowledge of how music is created, develop a variety of composition techniques, and conclude with an individual or group composition professionally recorded with supporting live instrumentalists in the RCM Studios in the Easter school holidays.
How to apply
Apply for a place on this course or email sparks@rcm.ac.uk for further information.
Course dates
Autumn term 2024
Relaxed Prom at Royal Albert Hall (free ticket provided) - 5 August 2024, 11.15am
Summer Collaborative Composition Course - 28 - 30 August 2024, 10.30am-4.00pm
Our first session is an exciting trip to the BBC Proms. We will spend time getting to know each other and enjoying the concert before embarking on creating our own piece of music in 3 days, together as a group/ensemble, based on themes from the Prom.
Creative Workshop - 29 September, 10.30am-4.00pm
This workshop will explore jazz and world music rhythms and themes and get everyone playing with some vibrant ideas ahead of attending the RCM Jazz Orchestra Concert on 3 October (7.30pm, free ticket provided).
Half-term Collaborative Composition Course - 28-30 October, 10.30am-4.00pm
This course will include hearing the RCM Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in rehearsal providing inspiration and insight into ways in which composers convey stories and emotion into music before composing our own piece over 3 days.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition & Relaxed Concert, Natural History Museum - 30 November, 6-7pm
Creative Workshop - 1 December, 10.30am-4.00pm
This project will look at how photography can be used as a stimuli for composition. We will meet some RCM composers who have written pieces in response to photography and hear their work performed live at the Natural History Museum. We will choose photographs that inspire us and compose new pieces together.
Spring term 2025
