<p>Figured I’d ask here… I’m going to have an open period at school next semester due to dropping AP Chem (I have a good grade, but I can’t stand the teacher). I’m taking music theory during my senior year (2012-2013), but it’s only offered one period and I can’t work my schedule to fit that period next semester.</p>
<p>I’d like to somehow study composition next semester, as I’ve never really learned anything about it - I just mess around with Sibelius. Does anyone know of a good place to learn composition online? Free would be ideal, of course, but I’ll look into anything.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Hi Buranri, I read some of your previous posts. Sounds like you are still unsure of what path you might be taking in college. I would therefore suggest that you think twice about dropping AP Chem. If you do well on the AP exam you can get college credit. And it will improve your chances of getting into a more academic college program especially if you change your mind about music. Not sure how many other AP’s you have taken but if this is the only one, and you are doing well, you might want to stick with it.
I am sorry I don’t know about composition courses. Best of luck.</p>
<p>If you live near universities with music departments, check out local composition profs and see if any would either allow you to dual enroll if introductory courses are available, or give you private “lessons.” You would not need to limit yourself geographically either, because using something simple like dropbox and skype, you could pretty easily have sessions. It will not, however, be cheap, I expect, depending on the pedigree of the instructor.</p>
<p>If you don’t find what you’re looking for that route, perhaps ASCAP would be a good place to start to find a mentor. Best wishes.</p>
<p>I sent you a private message.</p>
<p>I just googled “online music composition class” and some possibilities did come up. I don’t want to post advertisements here, but try googling.</p>
<p>When I first called a composer/teacher in a nearby city, and asked if she would teach my daughter, her response was “I don’t teach composition. Noone can teach composition.” I persisted and told her that my daughter was already writing music, and so the composer relented and provided a name of a professor who taught young people. His role, however, was not to “teach composition,” so the original person was right in a way. The professor inspired, stimulated and guided, but it is true, in a literal sense, that noone can teach composition.</p>
<p>That said, once you find a teacher, you may find that you soar. And skype can work very well if there isn’t anyone close enough to see in person. Or try an online class, which does, apparently, exist…</p>
<p>Hope this all makes sense to you. Good luck!</p>