Course summary

Writing music for the moving image has become an increasingly attractive career option. Refine your composition, arranging and production skills and develop an entrepreneurial approach to working in the film music industry at Leeds Conservatoire. Developed to meet industry demands, this is the first course of its kind in a UK conservatoire. It uniquely combines one-to-one composition tuition, Mac lab production software sessions, and a variety of supporting topics such as harmony, orchestration and historical, cultural and professional studies. Students will have access to a unique library of notated soundtrack scores and cues, and the conservatoire’s well-equipped Apple Mac suites, not to mention established links with the film music industry. The course also benefits from masterclasses delivered by professional film score composers, directors, industry specialists and in-house talent. These are in addition to the weekly lectures and seminars and usually generate between 2-3 hours extra per week. There are monthly ‘Film Night’ events where students showcase their music to film in front of a live audience and a panel of professionals. Visitors have previously included Nicholas Dodd, Harry Escott, Michael Price and David Julyan and may include David Arnold and Harry Gregson Williams in the future. We are also visited regularly by notable alumni successful within film music; in the past these have included ex-students who have worked (or are still working) in Hollywood. At Level 6, students also participate in ‘Student Enhancement’ activities, where various valuable and interesting events take place, such as one-to-one sessions with directors and professional film score composers.