Frequently Asked Questions - Sound and Music

If you have a question about our work and how you can get involved, have a look at some of the frequently asked questions below to see if you can find an answer to your questions.

If you still have questions, then get in touch on info@SoundAndMusic.org and we'll see how we can help you.

At Sound and Music, we support anyone who wants to make music and sound. We enable individuals to challenge expectations and discover their potential, and act as a friendly guide for those who want to listen deeper.

Our work sustains more careers, progresses creativity and achieves greater equity across the UK.

We are guided by our Fair Access Principles, a code of best practice which ensures our work is open and inclusive for all.

Sound and Music is supported by Arts Council England and proud to be a National Youth Music Organisation.

We use the term ‘composer’ to describe any individual who creates new work using sound or music, whether they perform it themselves or write for others — and whether they work with software, with notes on paper, through improvisation, or in other ways.

Whatever your methodology, we know that a professional qualification is not a prerequisite for the role of creating exciting, new and innovative work.

We also know that the word composer conjures many (often unhelpful) images and ideas, and we are working hard daily to change that, to challenge perceptions and to reflect all those composing across the UK today.

In short, we want to support you to own the term composer, and to crack on with the most important thing — creating!

Meet some of the composers we are working with now

You can list any upcoming events, workshops or festivals on our Events page.

You can list any open calls, funding opportunities or artist development programmes on our Opportunities page.

We have limited capacity and prioritise promoting the works and activities of composers currently on our programmes, so we cannot promise any further promotion beyond the above, but as long as your activity appeals to our audiences we will try to help spread the word.

Will Dutta - Chief Executive - Will.Dutta@SoundAndMusic.org

Finn Grant - Head of External Engagement- Finn.Grant@SoundandMusic.org

Laonikos Psimikakis Chalkokondylis - Head of Programmes - Laonikos.PC@SoundandMusic.org

Sonia Stevenson - Head of Music Patron - sonia.stevenson@soundandmusic.org

Nuria Rivero - Finance Manager - Nuria.Rivero@SoundAndMusic.org

Temi Salau - Communications and Insights Manager - Temi.Salau@SoundAndMusic.org

Nathalie Meghriche - Composer Liaison Manager (Music Patron) - Nathalie.Meghriche@SoundAndMusic.org

Nicole Rochman - Creative Programme Leader - Nicole.Rochman@SoundAndMusic.org

Fiona Allison - Creative Programme Leader - Fiona.Allison@SoundAndMusic.org

Grace Bailey - Executive and Programmes Coordinator - Grace.Bailey@SoundAndMusic.org

Chris Lillywhite - Fundraising Co-ordinator - Chris.Lillywhite@SoundAndMusic.org

Our paid digital commissions invite composers, writers and researchers to explore untold stories and address barriers within new music, by responding to themes and topics that impact us all.

We run four opportunities annually that are shaped by our Composer Advisory Group and hosted on the British Music Collection: a living archive of works and stories that celebrates the rich and diverse range of voices working in composition today.

Individuals will receive a national platform for their work, publicity and support from our team. We offer fees of between £500 and £1,500 depending on the scale of the commission.

Well, thank you for asking!

As a charity, we rely on a number of sources to fund the vital work that we do. As budgets tighten and demand for support increases, it’s more important than ever to ensure we can guarantee the long-term future of our work.

You can support the future of new music by making a donation. Your contribution will provide life-changing composition workshops for young composers, help sustain the careers of adult composers across the country and work towards a more inclusive and equitable new music scene for all.

Find out more about what we do and make a donation.

In Motion: Frequently Asked Questions

In Motion is our artist development programme for anybody aged 18 and over working with music and sound. If you have any questions that haven't been answered here, contact us at: info@SoundAndMusic.org

The artist bursary is money we offer to artists who have been selected for In Motion to acknowledge the time composers spend on the programme. For Discovery Phase (the first six months) selected composers receive a bursary of £800, and for Activity Phase (up to 12 months) they receive a bursary of £1,000. We don’t need to know how this money is spent—it’s up to each person to use it as they would like to.

The production grant for In Motion is the pot of money available to composers to create work on the programme. Each selected composer will receive up to £6,000 in total to spend on producing a creative project, £600 of which can be used during the first six months (the Discovery Phase). The money can be used to pay for venues, collaborators, marketing, recording engineers or anything else needed to make the work happen. The money can’t be used to pay yourself a commission fee, but our Creative Programme Leaders will support you to identify other sources of income to supplement the production grant where applicable.

We recognise that some composers may not have been working professionally as a composer for an uninterrupted period of time due to the need for career breaks for caring responsibilities, health or other reasons. As part of Sound and Music’s commitment to our Fair Access Principles, we believe that time needed for career breaks should not be counted when we ask the question ‘how long have you been working as a composer’.

We offer both coaching and mentoring to composers on In Motion, as these offer different approaches to support.

Coaching is a supported space where you can reflect on you, your wider work and where you would like it to go. You can explore what’s working well and potential strategies for overcoming barriers in your way. Your trained coach will listen without judgement, reflect and ask insightful questions to work with you in creating an empowering environment for you to reflect and work things out.

A mentor is usually an expert in their field who can help you develop in your work by sharing their own skills and experiences. Like a coach, they will ask questions and encourage you, and may also signpost to other people or opportunities that may progress your development.

We’re aiming to develop links between the composers on In Motion and on our young composer programme, In the Making.

Working with young composers is a key skill we would like all the composers on In Motion to have the opportunity to develop. We know that composers of all ages have a lot to offer to each other in terms of inspiration, learning and confidence building, and we want to create opportunities as part of these programmes for composers to get together (online and in person) and share ideas. This is a great opportunity to be playful and explore your work in a different context that will bring new perspective and clarity.

There will be different ways in which In Motion composers can take part in this, which might range from setting a mini creative brief for a group of young composers or curating extracts for Minute of Listening (our listening resource for classrooms), to providing a mentoring session or delivering a session at the Residential summer school element of In the Making. You don’t have to have any previous experience, and depending on what you choose to do there will be additional payment for your time.

In the Making: Frequently Asked Questions

In the Making is our annual artist development programme for young people aged 14-18. If you have any questions that haven't been answered here, contact us at: InTheMaking@SoundAndMusic.org

Don't panic! This application is not a measure of your musical or compositional achievements to date. We want to learn more about your musical interests and creative ideas, how we could best support you to explore this, and why you love making music.

Our advice is always for you to be yourself in your application or Zoom interview. Our application process is designed to help you share this with us in the way that feels easiest for you.

Applicants will be selected on a monthly rolling basis throughout the application period of 1 January to 30 April 2024. If we do not accept your application straight away, you may be placed on our waiting list. Waiting list applicants are contacted no later than six weeks before the Composition School residential to confirm whether they have received a place.

Please note that we expect a high number of applications for the programme and early application is advised.

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