Music Super-Curricular resources

Social Media Accounts

I have included links to social media accounts. Treat your feed like a digital library. If you follow these accounts, your ‘procrastination’ time becomes passive learning. Try to find one ‘nugget’ of theory or history from a video each day and write it in your listening diary.

Thinkers and Analysis

These accounts take popular or complex music and break down the “why” in short, engaging clips.

• Adam Neely (@adamneelybass – IG/TikTok): A must-follow. He explores high-level music theory, sociology, and “what music means” in a way that feels incredibly modern.
• David Bennett Piano (@davidbennettpiano – IG): Great for seeing how classical theory (like the Neapolitan chord or the Dorian mode) appears in pop and rock.
• 8-Bit Music Theory (YouTube/IG): Brilliant for students interested in Video Game Music (VGM); he treats game soundtracks with the same academic rigor as a Brahms symphony.
• Charles Cornell (@charlescornell – IG/TikTok): He “nerds out” on themes from movies and TV, making harmonic analysis feel like a comedy set.

Performers

Seeing the reality of life at a high level can be very grounding for students.

• Anna Lapwood (@annalapwoodorgan – TikTok/IG): The Director of Music at Pembroke College, Cambridge. She has made the organ “cool” and provides a fantastic look at life as a professional conductor and academic.
• TwoSet Violin (@twosetviolin – IG/TikTok): While they are a comedy duo, their “Ling Ling 40 Hours” meme culture has built a massive community of students who actually want to practice.
• Spencer Rubin (@sprubin – TikTok): An oboist at Juilliard. His content is a great “day in the life” of a top-tier conservatoire student, showing the grit behind the glamour.
• The London Philharmonic Orchestra (@lporchestra – TikTok): One of the best professional accounts. They often post “scroll-along” scores where you hear the music while watching the sheet music in real-time.

Composers and Tech side

For students looking at the production or film scoring side of things.

• Andrew Huang (@andrewhuang – IG/TikTok): A wizard of music production. He explores weird gear, unique composition challenges, and the science of sound.
• Eric Whitacre (@ericwhitacreofficial – TikTok): The famous choral composer shares behind-the-scenes looks at rehearsals and the “style sheets” of his scores.
• Hans Zimmer (@hanszimmer – IG/TikTok): His team posts insights into his scoring process, which is pure gold for aspiring film composers.

When you watch a YouTube video, don’t just watch. If a video mentions a specific term (e.g., ‘Negative Harmony’ or ‘Isorhythm’), pause it, Google the term, and find a second example of it in a different piece of music. That is the definition of a super-curricular activity.

These channels are perfect for students aiming for Oxbridge or Russell Group universities.

• Inside the Score: Deep dives into the “philosophy” of pieces. Their “How to Listen to…” series is an excellent starting point for students wanting to broaden their historical knowledge.
• Music Matters: A fantastic UK-based resource that offers granular analysis of harmony and form, often specifically tailored toward A-Level and undergraduate-level thinking.
• 12tone: Uses a unique hand-drawn style to analyze everything from nursery rhymes to avant-garde jazz. It’s brilliant for seeing how theory applies to literally anything with a melody.
• Tantacrul: Part musicology, part cultural commentary. His long-form videos on corporate music or the UI of music software provide a more critical, cynical (and often hilarious) view of the industry.

2. Genre Explorers & Composers

For students interested in how “styles” are built from a composer’s perspective.

• Nahre Sol: A classical piano virtuoso who breaks down the “DNA” of different composers (e.g., “How to sound like Debussy”). This is the gold standard for understanding stylistic traits.
• 8-bit Music Theory: Essential for students interested in Video Game Music (VGM). He proves that game music is as complex and worthy of study as the classical canon.
• Orchestration Online: Run by Thomas Goss, this is the best place to learn how to write for specific instruments. Watching his “Score Study” videos is a masterclass in orchestration.

3. Technology & The “Modern” Musician

For the producers, engineers, and contemporary performers.

• Andrew Huang: The best all-rounder for music production. His “4 Producers 1 Sample” series is a brilliant way to see how four different minds approach the same creative problem.
• In the Mix: Exceptional for students who want to understand the “physics” of sound—mixing, mastering, and the science behind the DAW.
• ThinkSpace Education: Focuses heavily on the world of film scoring and media music, providing a window into the actual professional industry.

4. Professional Masterclasses

• Guildhall School of Music & Drama: They often post full-length masterclasses on everything from Logic Pro to orchestral performance.
• Berlin Phil Digital Concert Hall: While some content is paid, their YouTube trailers and interviews with conductors provide world-class insights into high-level performance practice.

Most of these books are available from Mr Burns’ personal library in the Music Office.

The Rest is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century by Alex Ross (History/Modern)

Musicology: The Key Concepts by David Beard and Kenneth Gloag (Theory)

The Music Instinct by Philip Ball (Science/Psychology)

How Music Works by David Byrne (Industry/Performance)

The Cambridge Companion to Jazz (Jazz/Social History)

Ocean of Sound by David Toop (Ambient/Production)

A History of Western Music by J. Peter Burkholder (Classic Reference)

12 Notes by Quincy Jones (legendary producer and bandleader speaks on creativity)

The Song Machine: Inside the Hit Factory by John Seabrook (business of pop music and manufacturing hit songs)

Independent Project Ideas

Choose one to complete this term to add to your Personal Statement:

1. The Comparative Review: Listen to three different recordings of the same work (e.g., Gould vs. Perahia playing Bach). Write a 400-word comparison focusing on tempo, articulation, and phrasing.
2. The Composition Brief: Write a 2-minute miniature for an instrument you don’t play. Research its range and technical limitations before you start.
3. The Historical Inquiry: Research a “forgotten” composer (e.g., Florence Price, Clara Schumann, or Joseph Bologne) and argue why their work should be in the standard canon.

Essential Digital Toolkit

Bookmark these immediately:

• IMSLP (Petrucci Music Library): The “Wikipedia” of public domain scores. If you’re listening, you should be looking at the score.
• BBC Radio 3 “Composer of the Week”: The best way to learn the life story and stylistic evolution of the greats.
• Musictheory.net: For sharpening those ear-training and harmonic dictation skills.
• The Rest is Noise (Blog): Alex Ross’s portal for everything regarding 20th-century and contemporary music.

Academic Challenge: The Physics of Sound

• For those interested in the “how” as much as the “why,” consider the math behind the music. For example, understanding Frequency (f) and Wavelength (lambda) is vital for production and orchestration:

v = f \lambda

Where v is the speed of sound (approx. 343 m/s). Try calculating the wavelength of a low ‘A’ (27.5 Hz) vs. a high ‘A’ (3520 Hz) to see why room acoustics matter!

What to do next?

1. Research the Music Society: Research the Music Society/ies at your chosen university. You could even volunteer to lead a 10-minute presentation on a piece you love.
2. Keep a “Listening Diary”: Log every new work you hear with a one-sentence critique.
3. Check Competition Deadlines: Look up the NCEM Young Composers Award or the Fitzwilliam College Music Essay Prize.