MUSIC FOR MEDIA

Focusing on creating a short piece, the first module will pivot on melody, harmony, structure.
The teacher will demonstrate to you step by step how to develop a melody on the piano, starting with a simple motif or idea, expanding the motif through repetition, sequence and variation.
Fasce will share with you techniques for creating a memorable melody, using different rhythms to add interest. You will be encouraged to try to create your own melodies and share your ideas.

The teacher will lead you through functional harmony: tonic, dominant, subdominant and provide suggestions for creating harmonic movement that supports the emotion of the melody.
Fasce will emphasise the role of rhythm in shaping the character of a composition and present various rhythmic patterns and their effects on mood and energy to create distinct sections with unique rhythmic and melodic ideas. The teacher will demonstrate to you how to use contrasting rhythms to keep the listener’s attention at all times.

Student exercise: Create a short piano piece.

Introducing you to the importance of orchestration in creating rich and complex compositions, the second module will focus on how orchestration can transform a piece, enriching the melodic, harmonic and rhythmic elements. The teacher will share with you examples of famous orchestral compositions, highlighting the skilful use of instruments in the orchestra.
This module will explore the various families of orchestral instruments, including woodwind, brass, strings and percussion. The timbral characteristics of each family will be analysed and how to combine instruments to achieve unique sonorities.
The teacher will illustrate to you specific writing techniques for each section and how to balance the instruments in an arrangement.
Harmonisation will be resumed, now applying it to orchestral instruments. Fasce will demonstrate to you how to create interesting harmonies through chord placement and distribution techniques.

Student exercise: Orchestrate the short piece created in the previous module.

You will have a chance to present your orchestrated version of the short piece, which will be discussed with the other students, comparing the challenges encountered, discoveries made and future perspectives in orchestration.

The third module will address the importance of music as a key element in media, emphasising how it contributes to enhancing the visual experience.
Exploring the fundamental role of music in films, with examples from famous films, the teacher will emphasise how music contributes to the construction of the plot and characterisation of characters. Fasce will explore with you the need to adapt musical composition to the filmic context.
He will discuss how to consider tempos, transitions and dynamic variations to create an immersive sound experience.
The orchestration techniques learnt in the previous module will be applied to the film context. Fasce will illustrate to you how the choice of instruments and styles can influence the audience perception in a film or video.
The teacher will explore the importance of effective communication with art directors and filmmakers and strategies for translating directors’ visions into musical compositions while maintaining a balance between creativity and respect for the project’s vision.

Student exercise: compose a Music Track for a Media of your choice (film, video, commercial, etc.) using all the knowledge and techniques learnt so far.

You will have a chance to present your work, which will be discussed, compared with the other students, to exchange tips for further developing skills in image composition.