Converge
Music courses
Discover the music courses we offer.
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All our courses may be subject to change. You will be notified of these changes if necessary.
Continuing Applied Music Theory: Notation for new Composers
Course length: 8 weeks
Learning type: On campus learning
This 8-week intermediate course is designed for individuals who wish to apply their music theory knowledge in composition.
You will learn to compose music for a chosen instrument or voice using manuscript paper, supported by web-based applications.
The course is open to anyone with foundational music theory knowledge or those who have completed the introductory applied music theory course.
Communitas Choir
Course length: 12 weeks
Learning type: On campus learning
Everyone can sing. In our large community choir you sing as a part of a group in a welcoming and supportive environment. Songs are taught orally so there is no need to read music.
Choir members can develop further by:
- Song leading: train as a song leader, learning how to lead warm ups and simple songs.
- Soloing: learn and sing solos with the choir.
International Drumming
Course length: 8 weeks
Learning type: On campus learning
International Drumming will introduce beginners to the world of drumming using instruments and rhythmical music from West African and South American countries such as Ghana, Gambia, Brazil and Cuba.
No previous experience is needed as the tutor will start with the basics and help you achieve the best you can in a creative, group environment, with the aim of a short performance at the end of each term. Bang stuff and feel good about it.
Individual tuition on specific drums will also be available on request.
Songwriting
Course length: 8 weeks
Learning type: Online through Converge Connected
This course aims to inspire you to write your own songs, building confidence through weekly songwriting challenges. The course focuses on finding sources of inspiration and looking closely at songwriting techniques. We listen to music and discuss meaning, story, structure and songwriting hooks. It is a relaxed, fun course with group exercises and discussions, as well as individual 1 to 1 time to work on your songs with the tutor.
Ukulele for Beginners
Course length: 8 weeks
Learning type: On campus learning
Ukulele for Beginners is suitable for Converge students with little or no previous musical experience.
You will learn something of the history and culture of the ukulele, as well as how to handle and tune the instrument, and become confident in playing some simple chords and songs.
Ukulele: Intermediate Group
Course length: 8 weeks
Learning type: On campus learning
These sessions will build on previous learning to develop new skills. We will explore more complex chord sequences (songs) and more variety of rhythms. Also, we will look at building melody lines, use of selected scales and perhaps even say 'aloha' to harmony. We will also look a little at modern Hawai'ian music and musicians.
This course is only open to Converge students who have taken part in Ukulele for Beginners.
Western Music Appreciation: Cultural Heritage and Global Diversity
Course length: 8 weeks
Learning type: Online through Converge Connected
This 8-week course invites you to explore global musical traditions in an engaging and enriching way. It fosters a deeper appreciation of how music functions socially and culturally across the world. You will encounter a wide range of styles, from traditional to contemporary, through insights shared by the facilitator and findings shared by yourself and your peers. By engaging with diverse repertoires, instruments, and musical practices, you will learn how world music reflects cultural heritage and global diversity.
World Music Appreciation: Cultural Heritage and Global Diversity
Course length: 6 weeks
Learning type: Online through Converge Connected
In World Music Appreciation: Cultural Heritage and Global Diversity, you will embark on an enriching exploration of global musical traditions. This introductory course aims to deepen your understanding and appreciation of music's diverse functionalities and social influences across cultures.
Throughout the course, you will delve into a wide range of styles, from traditional to contemporary, including Indonesian, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, and more. Through engaging with a variety of repertoires and musical instruments, you will examine how these elements reflect cultural heritage and global diversity in music.
Musical Improvisation
Course length: 8 weeks
Learning type: On campus learning
Did you know that anyone can improvise in a group? You don’t need any musical training or experience. Come and join us – we’ll be using simple instruments, as well as everyday objects that can make sound. People can also use their voices if they wish, but there will be absolutely no pressure to sing if you don’t want to! If you play an instrument and would like to bring it along, that would be great!
Over the weeks, we’ll learn to play together via listening and responding to each other. The focus will be on the experience of participation, not on the “product”. As well as playing together, we’ll think about our experiences of playing as we go along – but again, there’s no pressure to talk if you don’t want to.
We’ll think about what makes improvising in a group fun, but also about what makes it challenging. We’ll try using different aspects of music – rhythm, melody, harmony, space etc to see how they can be helpful (or not) to us as a group. In general, we’ll work out what we can do (musically and humanly) to make improvising as good an experience for everyone as possible. The sessions will be structured enough so that there’s no need to worry about what to play when, but also with enough freedom to allow for some unexpected experiences to happen.
Music in Our Everyday Lives
Course length: 8 weeks
Learning type: On campus learning
How many times a day do you use music – whether on the radio, on your phone, singing to yourself, or just in your head – to help you get through the day? This course is an opportunity for us to think together about how we (and people in general) make use of music in our everyday lives, and also about how music affects us. It’s for anyone interested in music of any kind – it doesn’t require any previous knowledge or musical skill.
Each week we’ll think about a particular aspect of everyday life and think about ways in which music may play a part in this. For example, we will think about how music helps us to have a sense of identity, to celebrate special occasions, to remember people and places, and to make and sustain relationships. We’ll also think about why people enjoy making music together, how music is used by others to try to affect us (in shops, on public transport, at sports events, in politics etc), and about music as part of the ways we care – for ourselves, and for others.
You can say as much or as little about your own experience as you feel comfortable with, and if you have musical contributions to make to the theme of the week, you will be very welcome to bring that too.
Overall, we hope you will enjoy listening to and talking about music together, and thinking about the ways in which we use music to affect how we (and others) feel. We’ll be using a mixture of listening to music and discussion, plus hopefully learning some new ideas about music from sociology along the way.
I still struggle a lot. But I think I've definitely felt more confident in my ability to be more than a patient. I would now describe myself as a student and a member of a choir rather than a patient and a service user.
— Converge student
Meet the Communitas Choir
A short video about the Communitas Choir at Converge, made by Media Production Students at York St John University.
