ChrisLawry, Author at The Open College of the Arts

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ChrisLawry

New Course: Foundations Music

Music WeAreOCA

Posted: 23/06/16 09:55 | 4 Comments

We are pleased to announce a new addition to our foundations suite of courses: Foundations Music.

Study visit review: vocal composition recordings

Posted: 27/04/16 09:44 | 1 Comments

On Saturday 2nd April, OCA music students gathered together from far and wide to pack out Music Room 1 of the MAC Birmingham. Students had a unique opportunity to write pieces for mezzo soprano and piano which would be recorded, premiered and discussed on the day with tutors and fellow students.

Student Work: Helmuts Feldmanis

Posted: 22/03/16 09:29 | 6 Comments

Early in 2015 I wrote the WeAreOCA blog ‘Go on, get it played!’ about the advantages of students gaining knowledge through collaborations. These experiences are often crucial in developing orchestration skills and a personal compositional voice. Recently, OCA music student Helmuts Feldmanis got in touch about one of his recent collaborations.

Remote collaborations: Atlantic Fusion

Posted: 04/03/16 12:45 | 3 Comments

One of the many benefits of the rapid pace of technological advancement in music software, and of the internet, are the increased possibilities open to collaborating creatively from remote locations; creating music with people that have never even physically met!

Study Visit: Vocal Composition Workshop

Posted: 26/11/15 09:36 | 1 Comments

Join OCA’s Andy Glover and Chris Lawry on Saturday 2 April 2016 between 9.30am and 5pm for a composition workshop at MAC Birmingham. The day will consist of advice and discussion on writing for Voices, and will feature recordings and feedback of student compositions for mezzo soprano.

More Details on the Music Degree

Posted: 17/07/15 09:17 | 9 Comments

We can now announce that the OCA Trustees have agreed to the commissioning of the first two additional Music courses.

The Threepenny Opera: Musical Grit

Posted: 20/05/15 04:37 | 2 Comments

If you’re unfamiliar with the work, let me introduce you to an absolute gem of the musical world, that of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht’s Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera).

The Composer and Performer Relationship

Posted: 07/05/15 10:47 | 0 Comments

In the first of a series of follow up blogs from the recent OCA music workshop, I want to look at one of the most important points raised on the study day, the Composer and Performer Relationship. Both sides of the relationship need each other and, in most professional musical situations, the scale of collaboration […]

Review: Music Composition Workshop at MAC Birmingham

Posted: 29/04/15 09:37 | 2 Comments

Earlier this month, during what appeared to be Birmingham’s monsoon season, sixteen OCA music students, along with tutors Andy Glover and Chris Lawry, braved the rains and gathered at the MAC building for an intensive study day. Interesting points raised on the day, along with student compositions, will form a series of blog posts starting […]

Robert John Read: Pilgrim Mass

Posted: 12/02/15 10:28 | 5 Comments

Following on from my recent blog about getting your compositions played, it was an absolute pleasure to have been invited to Gloucestershire late last year to record a concert featuring the culmination of a student’s Level 3 Advanced Composition coursework. In the beautiful setting of St. Mary’s Church, Fairford, we were to hear the premiere […]