Mentoring is not teaching, but teaching can be part of mentoring.

This should apply to the support of every discipline, but there are some unique differences in how this is approached in mentoring film music. Music has an almost unlimited potential for evolution, unlike many other technical fields, and it is near impossible for anyone to predict its path forward in popular or experimental fields. It is has an immensely vast language of communication in the fields of media because it is so effective in substantiating, supporting, and changing what we experience on the screen. It has meaning that is not easily expressed in common words.

I believe that the musical voice of every composer has its value regardless of their background or education, whether they are self-taught or conservatory trained, and that these attributes can be refined to a professional level through the attention-to-detail that mentorship affords. This means showing how music and image truly work together in both theoretical and practical examples. This especially means learning how music functions; theoretically, empirically and technically. Finally, this means support in stepping on to the world-stage of the film music industry and introducing each creative person’s skill and persona as ready for professional projects, by going to film music festivals and rubbing shoulders with the world’s best composers, directors, sound designers and producers.

The MSCN Film Music Festivals Academy is a next-level approach to the study of media music that I have carefully crafted to bridge-the-gap between the academic and the professional world’s to support the very best and most ambitious new talent. We will work together with kindness and respect for each of our perspectives and abilities, and with the aim to support each other’s musical abilities to be presented in the best possible ways. Our group work includes sessions on important aspects of composition, technology, film theory and industry and professional interpersonal skills that can not be found in any conventional academic media music programme (but perhaps should!). Each MSCN Film Music Festival Academy mentee receives valuable 1-on-1 support with their works-in-progress, demo portfolio creation and career planning. In short, your goals and aims become prioritised to enable you to become the best possible professional composer. The rest is up to you!

I look forward to meeting each and every applicant to this new programme and discussing how MSCN Film Music Festivals Academy can support you.

Kind regards,

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Dr. Yati Durant
Director of MSCN, Mentor, Composer, Conductor and Musician