Pre-Composing

Introduce your students to compositional ideas and

techniques free from the pressure of exams, giving
them a unique head start for music GCSE, a fitting farewell to KS3 music, or a
challenging development opportunity before AS or A2 study.
I t was a fun and exciting way of making a composition
Students will work with a professional music educator to explore the life and work of
a leading composer, and the techniques associated with their work, before
developing their own music reflecting this style. Free from the tight rules around
GCSE and A-level composition, students have the space and freedom to enjoy and
appreciate the creative process, the opportunity to gain a range of compositional
skills and resources and an experience which will help to take the fear out of
accredited composition the following year.
The PreComposing model is
designed for students in year 8/9 or
year 11 to use the time after exams
to prepare for the following year.
It can be designed around short
visits over a series of weeks, or led
as an enrichment week project. We
are happy to talk to you about how
the project can fit your timetable
and age group, and to ensure that
it offers the maximum benefit to
your learners.
I cant tell you how much this proj ect and the content covered within it has
helped improve the skills of our GCSE students. They have all commented on how
much confidence it has given them with a part of the course that every GCSE
student fears! Even though it was tough at times for them, they have all learned
and gained so much. Once again a massive THANK YOU!
Through the Pre-Composing structure, we can also support or deliver the full Arts
Award curriculum at Bronze or Silver level, raising your schools performance points
and threshold targets and pupils qualification credits. Older students are welcome to
work alongside practitioners to support younger musicians or to assist with the
planning and coordination of the project. It is also possible to extend the project to
work with visual art and drama leaders, providing a more complete exploration of the
arts and young peoples own creativity.
The project concludes with a unique opportunity for learners to hear their own
compositions performed at The Bridgewater Hall by musicians from the Royal
Northern College of Music. This allows them to gather feedback from a public
audience and to evaluate their own work in comparison to that of peers from their
own and other schools. Students will also receive a superb resource pack of
compositional techniques to help them in developing music independently for future
assessment.
I liked having independence to compose our piece but good help when we
needed it
Case Study: Beethoven 2014
In 2014, acclaimed pianist J ohn Lill performed the full cycle of Beethovens piano
sonatas over eight concerts at The Bridgewater Hall.
Students in years 8 and 9 from two Tameside secondary schools worked with music
composer Sarah Atter to create piano compositions inspired by Beethovens music.
The project was designed to inspire students to pursue music at Key Stage 4, either
in or out of school, and to give a head start to those already planning to take music
GCSE. At the end of the project the pieces were performed in the foyer of The
Bridgewater Hall by students from the Royal Northern College of Music.
Students commitment to continuing the study of music rose by 12 percentage points
between the beginning and end of the 2014 project.
Not many people can say that they composed their own piece of music and then
had it played at The Bridgewater Hall
Practitioners overview
Throughout the project, I aimed to
break down composition and
Beethovens style into small and
manageable sections for students.
We listened to Beethovens music,
thought about the emotions and
feelings the works evoked, and talked
about basic piano techniques and
writing.
During the first session in schools, we
studied extracts of Beethovens works
for piano and worked on melody
writing, ways of extending melodies and the use of modes. Students began
preparing a melody scrapbook.
During the second session in schools, we discussed structure and harmony, and
began to think more about piano writing, techniques and accompaniment. After
making individual composition plans, students structured the melodies from their
scrapbooks and began adding accompaniments.
In the final sessions, students completed their compositions and wrote programme
notes for the performance at The Bridgewater Hall.
The project encompassed the following areas:
Beethovens music and
compositional techniques
How to write a good melody and
the function of the line
Ways of extending a melody
Interesting and unusual scales and
modes
The style, mood, function and
shape of a variety musical lines
and scales
The structure/form of pieces
Ways of composing
accompaniments and using piano
techniques
Notation and chord structure
Interesting harmony
How to compose!
Writing programme notes
Project Options
All prices and formats can be adapted to your school. Prices include session leaders
and resources but not travel to The Bridgewater Hall.
GCSE Preparation
Students who have chosen to study music at GCSE level, or who are considering
their options, are invited to explore composition in the summer of year 8 or 9, after
the examination period. The group will be invited to a classical concert at The
Bridgewater Hall, after which musician Sarah Atter will work with themwithin your
timetable to develop their own compositions responding to a particular classical
composer. These sessions may fit into existing music lessons or sit outside the main
timetable, and can be scheduled to suit your school.
At the end of the project, students will be invited back to The Bridgewater Hall to
perform their own pieces, or have them played by students from higher education.
Local music students (RNCM, University of Manchester) may also support sessions in
school, and this interaction can inspire pupils own career plans and ambitions for
further study.
This option can support the existing delivery of Bronze or Silver Arts Award within
school.
Standard option: 4 sessions 900
+ Sibelius training: 5 sessions 1100
Prices include:
Project leadership
Planning and evaluation with school staff
Concert tickets
Performance opportunity at The Bridgewater
Hall
Coordination and DBS checking of student
volunteers
Full composition resource pack
Introduction to Sibelius software (option 2
only)
Students realised what they could achieve and actually heard their own
compositions played to an audience. A real sense of achievement for all involved.
Enrichment Week
Students spend a full week working with musician Sarah Atter in a focussed project
exploring composition and the arts through the structure of the Arts Award. The
group will visit The Bridgewater Hall and research artists and arts organisations
related to its work. They will explore the work of one composer and develop their
own compositions responding to their style, which may be performed at The
Bridgewater Hall or in school. Students will also be asked to help plan this final
showcase, working as a team to coordinate spaces, transport, programmes and
invitations in a unique combination of creativity and professional experience. Where
possible, this format may include a concert at The Bridgewater Hall and may be
supported by music students from higher education centres in Manchester.
Enrichment week with Bronze Arts Award & concert tickets 2200
Price includes:
Project leadership
Planning and evaluation with school staff
Concert tickets and venue tour
Performance opportunity at The Bridgewater
Hall
Coordination and DBS checking of student
volunteers
Full resource pack
Introduction to Sibelius software
Arts Award resources including log books,
assessment and moderation (optional)
Option to deliver across large groups or across
curriculum
Option to integrate drama, visual arts or dance
Enjoyed listening to others interpretation of the taska memorable experience
Beyond the Basics
Designed for students continuing their music study to Advanced Level, the focus of
the project shifts from the pure composition which they have already completed at
GCSE and concentrates instead on students personal experiences of the arts and
individual discovery. This provides a welcome break from the rigours of exam years,
whilst helping students develop critical listening skills and understanding of the
context and influences on musical development. We will work with you to develop a
programme to suit your group, which may include individual composition, careers
guidance within the creative sector, critical skills, developing project management
and leadership roles, or connecting music to visual arts and digital media.
Project may include:
Project leadership
Planning and evaluation with school staff
Concert tickets
Venue tour of The Bridgewater Hall
Performance opportunity at The Bridgewater
Hall
Coordination and DBS checking of student
volunteers
Full resource pack
Introduction to Sibelius software
Arts Award resources including log books,
assessment and moderation
Option to integrate drama, visual arts, dance or
digital media
Careers guidance from culture professionals
Development of leadership and teamwork skills
Melody Writing
Things to remember when writing a melody line
A melody is mostly made up of steps (conjunct motion) with a few leaps
(disjunct motion). Generally if the music includes a large jump, the next
note will fill in between the two outer notes.
Debussy uses interesting and unpredictable rhythms dotted, triplets,
duplets, tiesHave a look at the music and try to imitate him!
The line needs to have a shape, with a high point (climax) and low point.
Most melodies have phrases like punctuation in English to give shape
to the music and to help the listener to understand the piece. Think
carefully about the lengths of the phrases there may be two shorter
phrases followed by a longer phrase for example. Remember to use rests
too!
Try to write idiomatically for the instrument.
Compositional Techniques (Manipulation of Line)
Sequence (same thing, but at a higher or lower pitch)
Imitation
Repetition
Extension
Motivic writing (take a motif from the tune and develop it)
Inversion (upside down)
Retrograde (backwards)
Things to vary for interest when writing a melody line
Dynamics
Register
Articulation
Rhythm
Tempo
Special effects e.g. Pedalling
Tonality
Style
Instrumentation
Key
Function of the melody line
Solo line : free time, short, expressive (see start of Girl with the Flaxen
Hair)
Rhythmic figure (Claire de Lune page 2)
Linking passage (see Bar 33 of Girl with the Flaxen Hair)
A longer decorated (arpeggiated) tune (Arabesques)
Countermelody
Example Resources
Example Composition (Debussy 2012)
J ust a message to say how much I enjoyed hearing your compositions on Friday
at the Bridgewater Hall. I t was fascinating to hear the way youd responded to the
challenge and obvious how much youd learned about the structure of music in
general, Debussys style in particular, and above all how to come up with effective
compositions, all of which were very different and personal. None of them were
mere imitations of Debussy and yet they captured his spirit often by the simplest
of means. This takes real skill when Debussys own compositions are often very
complex. I t was fascinating to read the process youd been through on the display
boards. audience member