Music composition has always had one ultimate goal: to hear music performed by real musicians. There's nothing that compares to the subtlety, emotion, and unpredictability a live orchestra or ensemble can bring to your work. But for many composers, especially those just starting out or not yet established, opportunities to hear their compositions performed live are few and far between. This has created a bit of snobbery around the use of VSTs (virtual instruments) and MIDI playback, often seen as a poor substitute for the “real thing.” This snobbery is often unhelpfully further reinforced by the divide between the small percentage of composers regularly commissioned or selected for composer schemes and the vast majority of composers who are not.
While it's true that no virtual instrument can fully replicate the nuance of a live performance, the gap between them is closing quickly, especially with state-of-the-art sound libraries like BBC Symphony Orchestra Pro. These tools give composers a chance to hear their work in a highly realistic setting—something that’s essential when live performances aren’t possible.
A New Era of Digital Composition
For students learning music composition, VST playback offers something invaluable: immediate, real-time feedback. It’s true that VSTs can sometimes misrepresent what a live performance might sound like. The articulation, phrasing, and human element of live musicianship cannot be perfectly replicated. But here’s the reality: many student composers and even professional composers do not have the opportunity to hear their work performed by an orchestra, especially when writing for large ensembles or complex orchestral pieces. This is where technology becomes not just a substitute, but a vital tool for creative growth.
With the use of VSTs embedded within my courses, students can engage deeply with their own work in ways that were previously unavailable. They can listen to musical composition examples with full orchestration and make real-time adjustments to dynamics, instrumentation, and orchestration, all while developing an ear for how their music will translate to live performance.
Blending the Traditional with the Digital
I always emphasise that live performance is the ultimate goal, but while you’re honing your skills, having access to high-quality virtual instruments is an incredible resource. This isn’t just for film composers either. Whether you’re working on your GCSE or A-Level composition, learning contemporary techniques, or trying your hand at orchestral writing, realistic VST playback opens up a world of creative possibilities, without waiting months or years to hear your music performed live.
That’s why in my one-on-one online tuition classes, we strike a balance. You’ll learn the essentials of traditional composition—harmony, counterpoint, and form—while embracing the digital tools available to today’s composers. For music composition for beginners especially, this means developing an understanding of orchestration and arrangement far sooner than would have been possible with paper scores alone.
Music Tuition for a Modern Composer
In the fast-changing world of contemporary music, today’s composers need to be versatile. Whether you’re a beginner working on your GCSE composition, or an advanced student crafting symphonic pieces, my tuition classes provide a flexible, tailored approach.
Music composition is changing, and while live performances might remain the gold standard for some more time, virtual instruments have become an essential part of the modern composer’s toolkit.