At the SET Conservatory, training in computer music composition

The desk was not in front of where Pascal Alito's students sat Thursday afternoon. In the room with large windows, located on the first floor of the Manitas de Plata Conservatory, computers, keyboards and mid-sized speakers have replaced pianos, guitars and other classical musical instruments. “There, we will be able to use the organ and there, you can repeat the piano piece.”“, explains the professor while explaining the use of composition software. The latter teaches Digital Music Creativity, a department created last year within the Interdenominational Conservatory (CRI).

Mixing and sound design…

This new training is part of the desire of Sète Aglopôle, on which CRI is based, to include digital tools more in musical learning. “Our students' most obvious connection to music is the phone, but it was an aspect rarely discussed in classsays director Gregory Ratz. We want to train creative people who are able to compose and record, and not limit it to instrumental technology only.”. Hence the desire to train teachers who want to use digital tools, as well as all students in the second cycle across the modules.

In its second year, the Digital Music Creativity division won over 17 students, from teenagers to seniors, and “We had more requests than places”Pascal Alito confirms. Over the next few months, they will learn mixing, sound design, editing and even on-screen music while working on personal and group projects.

“New perspectives”

That day, there were only three students in the classroom. A small group to which the teacher devotes himself/herself to moving forward with each person's project. “Do you already have a text message, do you think it will be in French or English?”Pascal Alito asks Chloe. The 34-year-old, who is already registered to sing at CRI, has joined the digital music creation training “To learn how to use the programs” And enjoy “New creative horizons” What digital offers. If his project is more popular, then Mirai's project, which sits next to him, will be as well “soundscape”. “I record sounds on the street at night”explains the retiree, who also wants to include a poem in her future work.

“Not a class for geeks”

“The profiles are different but what they have in common is creativity and an artistic approach. It's not a category of geeks“, smiles Pascal Alito. A class works together on group work but also on many interdisciplinary projects. Such as Mikael Jackson's class with his piano class or the class about the French artist Woodkid. Students will work on six of his music for a show that integrates a digital instrument that creates an interactive space and a symphony orchestra And choir.

As last year, they will work with students from the Traveling Film School to set some of their short films to music. “These are real artistic adventures.”Pascal Alito, who follows: “We want to offer them everything, including live performance and stage performance, so we can open up fields for them and they can then specialize if they wish.”