For those interested in writing their own music, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Continuing Studies offers a non-credit, web-based music composition course, Create Your Own Music. This is a self-paced, two-track course that students can start at any time: The beginner track walks students through a step-by-step process for creating their first composition. More experienced composers get to polish their current techniques and expand their musical composition skills. Both tracks cover composition exercises and writing musical pieces. Students access and print online course materials and communicate with their instructors --- who serve as mentors and coaches --- via email. As a prerequisite, students must have basic notation skills.
BerkleeMusic --- the online extension school of the Berklee College of Music---offers a number of music courses and certificate programs that provide students the flexibility to participate in classes when and where they can --- as long as they have the required hardware, course materials, software and Internet access. In the Music Composition for Film and TV course, students learn how to write music for big-budget television programs and Hollywood films. The 12-week course, offered during specific terms, covers important considerations such as affecting an emotional response and balancing music and dialogue. Each week covers a particular genre of music for television and film --- with themes including action, adventure, horror, suspense and comedy. Students should be able to read notated music as a prerequisite.
The Honolulu University Online Learning system offers students the ability to retrieve course lectures, questions, assignments and research libraries services. Students progress through their online courses at their own pace while keeping contact with their instructors. The university offers several graduate-level online music composition courses; for example: MUS 452 Composition I covers approaches to creating original music compositions in small form, focusing on brass, string or woodwind quartet. MUS 454 Senior Composition Recital is a full recital of the student's original works, which is both video and audio taped and performed before an audience in a concert setting. MUS 712 Applied Composition I offers specific approaches to creating original compositions that represent specific musical periods.
The U.S. School of Commercial Music is an online college of music that offers diplomas in contemporary music. Students, working at their own paces on a full- or part-time basis, select an instrumental major and a concentration based on goals and interests. The Songwriter concentration includes training in compositional techniques while developing recording skills. The Multimedia Scoring Composer concentration focuses on the blending of video, film and CD-ROM technology with arranging, engineering, composing and performing. The school uses proprietary programs and materials designed for students which the school updates and integrates on regular, six-month cycles. Students work with advisors, who are professional musicians and educators, to tailor programs to meet individual needs and goals.