To become a Music Composer, an individual must be creative, have a passion and talent for music. A lot of hard work, perseverance, and patience are required to become a successful Music Composer.
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How to become a Music Composer? Students can opt from various courses available to study music composition. There are numerous courses to become a music composer after the 12th, which can act as an aid if students are looking forward to building their career in music composition.
Music composition is a full-fledged career and not just a hobby that can keep an individual occupied. Some varied successful people have aced this career, many have made it big in the field of music composing, and it is worth mentioning how this career prospect is not at all unrealistic, provided people have the required talent and the drive to make it to the top, with every ounce of passion and determination that there is left in them.
Steps to Become a Music Composer
Composing music is a tedious task that often is undermined as well, but the efforts and the thought processing that is to be put in while creating music are commendable and beyond description.
Here are the steps to become a successful Music Composer in India:
- Step 1: Learning Early Music skills
- Step 2: Pursuing an Education in Music
- Step 3: Career Counselling
- Step 4: Music Production
Step 1: Learning Early Music Skills
Musicians must be familiar with music theory and understand how different instruments sound together to produce music. To improve musical competency, aspiring composers should participate in choirs, concerts, bands, solo performances, and musicals during their formative years. They could also wish to learn to play an instrument, such as the piano or violin, to express themselves.
Step 2: Pursuing an Education in Music
Composition, songwriting, and film scoring are some of the specializations available to aspiring musical composers. Music analysis and history, compositional techniques, ear training, and conducting are common subjects in composition schools.
Applicants to most institutions and conservatories must audition and interview with faculty members. Aspiring composers may be required to submit their compositions and scores for review and discuss their works during the audition process.
Note: Some conservatories do not require students to take standardized tests, and many music schools accept students based on their musical abilities and background.
Step 3: Career Counselling
Music composers can write songs for performers or musical productions and compose music for films, television shows, and ads. They may also be in charge of supervising other composers during the recording process or negotiating with musicians. Some composers work as music therapists, marketers, producers, performers, and conductors.
Meeting with a career counsellor can help students establish a strategy for pursuing their professions because there are many alternatives available to them. Some colleges and universities even offer career counselling to assist students in finding work after they graduate.
Step 4: Music Production
Producing other artists' music and doing various kinds of music production client work is another common path to make a living in music.
Here are some examples:
- Music Producer: Mixing & Producing Music
- Recording Engineer: Record in a Studio or the Field
- Mastering Engineer: Mastering Music Productions
Music Courses After 12th in India
People will always need to learn, progress, and improve their abilities and knowledge. As a result, education is another important aspect of music.
Here is the list of courses which can be chosen after completing class 12:
- Bachelor of Arts (Music)
- Bachelor of Performing Arts (Music)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music)
- Diploma in Music
Bachelor of Arts (Music)
Bachelor of Arts (Music) or BA (Music) is an undergraduate Music Composer course in music with a duration of 3 years. The course involves music theory, music interpretation, history of music, music composition, and voice instruction, to name a few. The BA (Music) course aims at building a strong foundation for students in music literature and history.
Candidates who have completed their 10+2 or an equivalent combination in any stream are eligible for this course, provided they had Music as an elective in 10+2. Students who haven't had music as an elective will have to audition or give an aptitude test for qualification to the course. The duration of B.Music is 3 years, and the fee range for the course can vary from INR 2,000 to INR 5 Lakhs.
Here are the highlights of BA in Music course.
| Course Duration | 3 years |
| Examination Type | Semester-wise |
| Eligibility | 10+2 from a recognized University/Board, with Music as an elective subject |
| Approximate Fee Range | INR 2,000 to INR 5 Lakhs |
Bachelor of Performing Arts (Music)
Bachelor of Performing Arts (Music) or BPA (Music) is an undergraduate course in music composition for three years, while some universities may run the course for four years. This music composer course covers the concepts related to music, dance, and various other art forms.
This music composer course aims to enable students to excel in music and its related techniques. The course provides a curriculum related to general education courses as well. It means that the course provides a niche in the entertainment industry along with basic education. So, students who are seeking an overall developed course with a defined curriculum can pursue this course.
Eligible candidates are those who have passed their 10+2 or an equivalent from a recognized board. The student must have also obtained a minimum of 50% marks in their secondary education.
Duration of the course BP. The music is for 3 years, and the fee range for the course may vary from INR 5,000 to INR 50,000 per annum.
Here are the highlights of the BPA in Music course.
| Course Duration | 3 years |
| Examination Type | Semester-wise |
| Eligibility | 10+2 from a recognized university, with a minimum of 50% |
| Approximate Fee Range | INR 5,000 to INR 50,000 |
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music)
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music) or BFA (Music) is a four-year undergraduate music composer course that educates students in the visual and performing arts. The first year of the music composer course is known as the foundation and is common to all Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree disciplines. Hence, the foundation course will last for about two semesters, and the specialization course will last for six semesters.
Eligible are those who have completed their 10+2 or equivalent from a recognized board of the country. The music is for four years, and the approximate fee range is INR 3,000 to INR 2 Lakhs per annum.
Here are the highlights of the BFA in Music course.
| Course Duration | 4 years |
| Examination Type | Semester-wise |
| Eligibility | 10+2 from a recognized university |
| Approximate Fee Range | INR 3,000 to INR 2 Lakhs per annum |
Diploma in Music
Diploma in Music is a yearly or monthly music composer course since the course duration depends on the college/institution. This diploma aims to provide students with the necessary skills for making a career in music, composition, orchestration, and implementation of knowledge.
Practicals include musicological units that broaden knowledge through research and demonstrate the relationship between theory and its practice. The students will gain an interesting overview of music history, harmony, analysis and form, and skills in compositional techniques.
Eligible are those who have passed their 10+2 or an equivalent from a recognized board, with a minimum of 50% marks. The duration of the course is yearly or monthly (depending on the college/institution). The approximate fee range for the course Diploma in Music is between INR 15,000 to INR 2 Lakhs per annum.
Here are the highlights of the Diploma in Music.
| Course Duration | Yearly or Monthly (depending upon the college or institution) |
| Examination Type | Unit-wise |
| Eligibility | 10+2 from a recognized university, with a minimum of 50% marks |
| Approximate Fee Range | INR 15,000 to INR 2 Lakhs |
Skills Required to Become a Music Composer
Music defines people beyond the boundaries that they think it to be, for it is so much more than that one sick beat or that one lyric that people can not get off their minds. There is so much more to music than the world of know-how and the things people stereotype it to be. Like all other professions, an individual needs specific skill sets to become a Music Composer.
Here are the basic skills required to become a music composer:
- An extreme amount of patience as learning the art of music can take time.
- Determination to get your chords right, be it on an instrument or your vocals.
- Passion and perseverance.
- Basic knowledge of music.
- The ability to coordinate and take constructive criticism.
- Teamwork and added dynamics/efforts.
Why Should People Be a Music Composer?
If people possess a growing passion and an undying interest in the field of music, they should consider studying the art of music production and composting, as it yields you glowing job prospects as a label producer, an independent content creator, a budding composer employed by a record label to record songs, a lead vocalist in a band, and so much more.
The music industry is booming now in the country, as the youth and their interests are picking up and surging heights. In such a world, this career prospect is the right choice to make.
Music Colleges in India
Making music is an inborn skill that must be honed via instruction in this field. Composing music could be the appropriate career for an individual if the person is talented in music and is exposed to the right guidance of learning, including teachers, mentors, and colleges.
Here is the list of Best Music Colleges in India:
- Delhi School of Music
- The True School of Music
- Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music
- KM Music Conservatory
- Vibe Music Conservatory, Kochi
- Worldwide Music Institute, Delhi
- Sharda Sangeet Vidyalaya
- Bridge Music Academy
Being a music composer is a valuable profession if people possess a keen interest and passion that keeps them going. For people to consider this job prospect, people need to understand the importance of music and its relevance in the contemporary world as such, on the whole, and the significance it bears on the modern world.
It is important to bear in mind the job prospects available to people in the arena of music composition, which is extensive and varied. People need to understand the integrity of the music world and keep prestige and relevance in mind while studying the art of music composition.
For it teaches people the growing passion and the potential that they have within themselves, tapping the best of your abilities; on the whole, music composing keeps your job opportunities going if you put in all your efforts and commitment that is required to make it to the top of your professional ethics and experience.
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