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Introduction to Composition (ages 12-17)

Summer School for Children and Young People

Overview

This intensive three day in-person course is for young people who want to build their composition skills. It offers group and individual tuition from a team of the Royal Conservatoire’s composers and gives students an opportunity to work with a group of our musicians to hear a live rendition of their music.

By the end of the course you will have had the opportunity to:

  • Learn a range of compositional techniques and implement these within a new piece of music

  • Be supported by experienced composers

  • Receive 1:1 feedback on the work you develop throughout the week

  • Engage in workshops with musicians

  • Receive a recording of your new work, played by an ensemble of musicians from the RCS

This course will give you an opportunity to develop your skills as a composer, working with experienced and supportive individuals.

 

Each day will consist of a mixture of group discussions, group rehearsals, composer talks and seminars, individual lessons and writing time. Daily rehearsals and workshops will allow you to gradually change your work during the course leading to an informal recording that will be made available to you after the course.

 

If you have any questions in advance of booking, please contact us at summerschools@rcs.ac.uk

 

The important details

Age:
12 - 17

Cost:
£225

Date:
30 June - 2 July 2025

Time:
10am - 4pm

Venue:
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, 100 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, G2 3DB


Course Information

This course is suitable for students aged 12-17, with no or little experience. Students should be keen to learn and plan to attend all classes. This course is for beginners, therefore no previous composing experience or qualification is necessary.

The course is designed so that motivated students will benefit from the training. We expect students to have an interest in composing.

Each day will consist of a mixture of group discussions, group rehearsals, composer talks and seminars, individual lessons and writing time. Daily rehearsals and workshops will allow you to gradually change your work during the course leading to an informal recording that will be made available to you after the course.

Students should listen to a range of music and do a some research on the three instruments you will be writing for.

  • Plan and prepare to attend all classes.
  • Dress comfortably in clothes which are suitable for the activity you are taking part in.
  • Bring a notepad and pen/pencil in case you wish to make notes.
  • Please bring a bottle of water to stay hydrated during your class.

Summer Accommodation

We are pleased to welcome students from across the world to our Summer Schools. Our course fees do not include accommodation or food, and these should be organised by the student. Our campus is located in Glasgow city centre, and you can find the addresses below.

We recommend Base Glasgow, as purpose-built accommodation for Conservatoire students, with Rehearsal Rooms, Practice spaces and Dance Studios. Base Glasgow is perfectly suited for our summer school students; both safe and secure, with 24/7 staff presence and only 3 mins walk from our main Renfrew Street building, keeping travel costs to a minimum.

Classic En-Suite rooms come with a 3/4 bed, en-suite bathroom, ample storage, mirror, study desk and chair. The shared area includes a spacious lounge and kitchen area.

Please note that Short Courses staff are not affiliated with BASE or on site outwith the summer school teaching hours, and therefore cannot take responsibility for students outside of these hours.

For more information about booking accommodation at BASE Glasgow you can contact them directly via website BASE – Student Accommodation in Glasgow or email baseglasgow@herestudents.com.

Alternatively, there are plenty of hotels, hostels, and b’n’b options available. We are located close to transport links should you wish to stay outside the city centre. If you are travelling to Glasgow for a course, we strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance that covers course fees, travel, accommodation, and cancellations due to COVID-19 – as RCS will not refund in this circumstance. You can view the Cancellations and Refund policy for full information.

For students under 18 years old, we strongly advise travelling with a responsible adult should any emergency situations arise during class. Students are only monitored by staff during class times.

Renfrew Street Campus: 100 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, G2 3DB
Wallace Studios Campus: 210 Garscube Road, Glasgow, G4 9RR


Further Information

We want to ensure as many children, young people and adult learners as possible can access the performing and production arts education that is offered through Short Courses at RCS. Financial support options available for Short Courses include:

Agnes Allan Bursary

Agnes Allan was a teacher, passionate about inclusion, and this bursary scheme exists to offer support to students to participate in the performing or production arts.

The Agnes Allan Bursary provides some support to students who may require financial assistance to take part in a short course in dance, drama, music, production or screen.

Anyone who wishes to take part in our Short Courses and faces a financial barrier can apply for bursary support to help meet the cost of tuition fees.

James McAvoy Drama Scholarships

BAFTA-winning and Golden Globe nominated actor James McAvoy is committed to nurturing the creative potential of young Scots who experience barriers to access and participate in drama at RCS Short Courses.

James is a graduate of the BA Acting programme at RCS and Patron of the Junior Conservatoire of Drama. The Glasgow-born actor has funded the new James McAvoy Drama Scholarships to enable young people to experience the world-class drama training at RCS as he did.

The scholarship aims to support applicants who would otherwise find meeting the cost of tuition fees at RCS a barrier to accessing pre-Higher Education drama training at the Royal Conservatoire.

You can find more information about these funds on our Financial Support page.

We run various promotional offers for our Short Courses and Summer Schools. You can view our current offers on our Promotional Offers page.

You should contact us at shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk to request your discount code before booking a course.

Please note, only one promotional offer can be applied per course and should be used at the time of booking as we are unable to apply a discounts retrospectively.

Please see our Short Course FAQs for more information about all aspects of choosing, booking and attending your course.

Please see our Short Courses – Terms and Conditions for more information about your contract with Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and Cancellation and Refund policies.

Sign up to our mailing list to receive the latest updates of courses, offers and news from Short Courses. You can do this by completing this short online form found here.

Short Courses
shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk

Summer Schools
summerschools@rcs.ac.uk

Credit-Rated
credit-rated@rcs.ac.uk

Bursary and Scholarship
bursaryscholarship@rcs.ac.uk