Young Musicians' Summer School course content

There is nothing quite like playing in an orchestra. So many people, so many parts, all playing together to create one beautiful sound with soaring melodies and beautiful harmonies. You’ll meet new friends and work together with them to develop your listening and ensemble playing skills. Perform music from a variety of genres, including premiering a new piece specially written by a Trinity Laban graduate composer! 

Discover different approaches to writing music and improvisation to create your own music from scratch in a hands-on way. This year, you’ll be part of a group creating new music for dance.   You don’t need to be able to read music to join in: you just need to be able to play any instrument (including voice and music tech), be open to collaborating and performing as part of a group, and have an adventurous spirit!

Explore what it’s like to play in a band, working with other like-minded musicians to create something new. Together you will write and rehearse a shared piece of music, each person bringing their own individual spice into the mix. Guided by expert tutors from Trinity Laban, this workshop is aimed at singers, instrumentalists and song-writers keen to expand their horizons as performers, and create the hit tracks of tomorrow.

Be part of a summer school first, crafting a unique performance of a well-known pop song as part of a small group of singers. In this workshop you will explore the beauty of the voice, and its connection to the body, using movement and staging to create something magical, guided by a leading vocal tutor. Build your confidence, and set your voice free!

Guided by one of the UK’s leading figures of jazz, in these hands-on sessions, you will explore the rhythmic, harmonic and melodic foundations of jazz to help find your own voice while jamming as part of a group. Develop your improvisation skills and experience the rush of making music in the moment. Whether you’ve played lots of jazz, or are curious about developing your interest, this workshop is suitable for all adventurous musicians.

Get your creative ideas flowing for writing for the big screen with expert hints and tips to bring your music to life. You will learn how to use Logic Pro to create your score using samples, record instruments in the studio, and synchronise your music to film clips. So whether you’re an experienced composer, or just starting to write your own music and keen to have a go at creating your own film score, this option is for you.

Explore loop stations using your instrument, voice — or anything that makes a noise! Looping is the art of recording and layering short sections of music to build complete arrangements in real time. This technique is brilliant for creating repetitive music but it can also be used to make full songs and arrangements with different sections, dynamics and transitions – that’s what we’ll explore in these sessions. Whether you’re interested in songwriting, beat-making, live performance or experimental sound, this workshop will teach you how to improvise, arrange and perform your own music using loop stations.

What is music? Who gets to decide what a musical instrument is or what constitutes performance? In these sessions you will take a hands-on approach to electronic sound, uniting music, craft and science. Working with one of the UK’s top sound artists and music educators, you will get to use electronics, coding and lots of musical imagination to create your own sound art and push the boundaries of musical expression.

What are the ingredients of a brilliant song? Over a series of sessions, you will get to understand the different components of what makes a good song gel, and then apply this practically to develop your own songwriting ideas. Aimed at anyone already writing their own songs, as well as those keen to explore their creative urge! 

Build your confidence and creative curiosity to make great music digitally. In these sessions collaborate and share ideas as you explore a range of approaches for getting the sounds you want out of the technology at hand. Create your own loops and beats, mess around with sounds from existing tracks, and have your results featured in the final show. Aimed at anyone who enjoys making music digitally or is curious to find out more.

Want to focus more on building your performance skills as part of a small ensemble? Develop your existing reading and listening skills, and get involved in shaping and adapting existing music for the instruments in your group. As well as suggesting some of your own favourite composers to focus on, you will also get the chance to discover new pieces, and make new friends along the way.

Get hands-on with rhythm, build performance skills, deepen your understanding of rhythmic fundamentals, and have lots of fun along the way! Through collaborative play, guided exercises and engaging games you’ll build upon your own musicianship skills no matter which instrument/s you play. Discover new techniques on percussion from around the world, and in particular Brasilian Samba, and explore the connections between movement and rhythm. Whether you’re a drummer or simply curious about rhythm, this workshop is for anyone excited about experimenting, connecting, and expressing yourself through the language of percussion.