What is In the Making?

In the Making is our annual trailblazing artist development programme for young people aged 14-18. It is the only programme of its type in the UK that supports young music creators and composers.

It is a 12 month programme, which will support 70 young people to grow their confidence and expand their skills and creative ambition in an open and accessible environment.

In the Making supports anyone interested in working with music and sound through a diverse range of opportunities. These include our annual week-long residential Composition School, online skills sessions, bespoke creative composing tasks and networking opportunities.

In the Making will enable you to develop your artistic portfolio by receiving a recording of your music by professional musicians to support your future career progression. You will also have access to insight and expertise from the composers on our In Motion programme.

Who are we looking for?

Whether you create in a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), with a band, use notation, improvise or are curious about experimenting with new ways of making sound, we want to support you to bring your creative ideas to life with the guidance of industry experts from a range of musical styles.

Do you:

• Love creating or writing your own music and sounds?
• Have ideas that could shape the future of the music industry?
• Want to be part of a growing network of young creators?
• Want to receive advice from some of the UK’s most inspiring composition tutors and musicians?
• Need opportunities to expand your portfolio and hear your music performed, recorded and professionally mixed?

Then In the Making is the perfect opportunity for you!

How does it work?

In the Making is split into two phases:

Activity Phase (August)

During the Activity Phase, you will take part in our Composition School residential with 70 other young composers. You’ll be assigned a tutor and group of expert musicians who will work with you to help bring your ideas to life.

At the end of the course, you’ll have created a new piece that will be performed and professionally recorded. This can then be used for applications, as part of your portfolio, or shared on your social media platforms.

Our team will also offer you their expertise providing guidance on future study, how to get your music heard and make a career as a composer.

Discovery Phase (September to May)

During the Discovery Phase, you will have access to a series of online workshops with composers and industry experts from diverse backgrounds and genres, chosen by you.

These sessions will support you to continue exploring new skills, as you work with your peers and friends you’ve met at the Composition School. There will also be the opportunity for you to respond to regular creative composing tasks and receive feedback from composers on the adult programme, In Motion.

“In the Making is your opportunity to begin building your musical creative self. If you’re curious about what sort of music you would write if you had the time, space and support to do it, there’s no better opportunity than this programme to develop your skills as a young composer. Whatever genre or style of music you love, we can help you bring your own ideas to life. This is the only programme of its kind in the UK – don’t miss your chance to be part of it!” – Beatrice Hubble, Head of Education at Sound and Music

Costs

Our Composition School, which is a core part of In the Making, has a fee of £500. This fee covers all tuition, accommodation and meals for the duration of the residency. In the Making students will also get first access to our online seminars, creative brief challenges, networking and feedback opportunities throughout the year.

However, we believe this programme should be available to anyone, and we will never turn anyone away because of the financial barriers to attending. All applicants are invited to apply to our means tested bursary scheme. This can support up to 100% of the fee for the year and in some cases can also support travel costs.

If you would like to speak to one of our team about the bursary scheme, please contact Grace Bailey.

Sound and Music is a National Youth Music Organisation and In the Making is made possible with the generous support of Arts Council England and the Three Monkies Trust.

Our bursary scheme is supported by many generous donors each year, including Faber Music who will continue to provide financial support for ten places in 2024. 

Who is eligible to apply?

To be eligible you must:

• Be between 14-18 years old by the course dates in August 2024
• Be in full-time education
• Be a UK resident
• Not have attended the Composition School more than twice before

How do I apply?

To apply to join In the Making, simply fill out this form by 23:59 on 30 April 2024.

This application is submitted via an online Airtable form. As it is not possible to save this form, we provide a downloadable word document version which can be accessed here for you to work on your answers.

This form will ask you the following things:

• Personal and contact details of yourself and a parent/guardian who will be contacted regarding your application outcome
• Any support you need with access
• Information for our Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form

You will then be given the choice to either answer the written questions OR schedule a short and informal 15-minute Zoom call with a member of the team, to answer the following:

• Why you want to join In the Making
• Your musical interests and influences
• Some information about how you make music and sound

We collect this information with your permission to help us understand more about those who are interested and whether we’re getting our message out effective to young music creators. It will be treated confidentially and will not be used to inform the later application process. You can find out more about this in our Data, Protection and Privacy Policy.

Inclusion and accessibility

We are proud to host a diverse community of young people and are committed to fostering a welcoming environment that is firmly anti-racist, accessible to those with disabilities, LGBTQ+ supportive, lower socio-economic backgrounds inclusive and gender diverse. This is in line with Sound and Music’s commitment to fairness and equality within the UK music industry. Read our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy here.

During the application stage, we can establish a process that works for you. This could include alternative application methods (such as email) or extensions to the application deadline. We also offer financial support for those who require additional funds for access support, including at interview stage. Please let us know how we can support you by emailing Grace Bailey.

Successful applicants will meet with our team to develop an individual accessibility plan. This is particularly important for the Composition School residential. Please be assured that telling us about your access needs will not negatively affect the success of your application.

How do you select composers?

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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