Alumna Katya Bessarabov commenced with a Masters degree programme in August at the Film Scoring Academy of Europe in Sofia, Bulgaria. She shares her experiences after the first few months of studying:

What is your aim with this postgraduate study?

My aim with this MFA in Music for Motion Pictures and Contemporary Media is to develop my knowledge and skillset regarding certain areas of expertise. This includes composition and analysis for various media and genres, mixing and mastering, sound design, orchestration, and the use/integration of industry standard DAWs for the purpose of mockup creation, hybrid scoring, and any post-production work. My goal is also to build up my portfolio in various genres of music by making use of all the opportunities provided by this course.

Why did you decide on the Film Scoring Academy of Europe?

I knew for certain I wanted to pursue a career in composition for film (media). I researched various programmes, ranging from MMus in Composition and MMus/MFA specifically for Film Scoring, to MMus in electronic music production, as each programme had elements in their syllabus I was particularly interested in. I came across the FSAE MFA programme that seemed to be the perfect fit — everything I had been looking for in all the other programmes were combined into one.

This programme also has a very practical approach, offering great exposure and experience in the practical field. It is almost run as an actual production company, giving you a glimpse into the real world of composing and music production (including all of the realistic tight schedules), on top of a more traditional academic environment.

What does the course entail?

This course is a two year programme condensed into a single year. Students are given the opportunity to have 15 recording sessions throughout the year for a wide range of ensembles (the biggest being an 84-piece orchestra). Not only do we get to compose for all of these ensembles, but we also get to conduct these ensembles in our second semester after completing a conducting module.

Our modules consist of music/score analysis, composition techniques, scoring the screen, creating realistic MIDI mockups, sound design, electronic music production/music technology, mixing and mastering, scoring for video games, films, advertisements, sonic logos, amongst other media. We also have a music industry business module, as well as a short course for video editing so that we can learn to edit video footage, including professional video footage taken for us during each recording session.

We have access to several recording studios in Bulgaria and get to work with extremely talented musicians and industry professionals. Not to mention, we receive mentorship from big industry names and students also get opportunities to work with invited guest composers, such as Danny Elfman, Howard Shore, etc.

Tell us a little bit about the city and campus.

Our campus is located in the centre of Sofia, Bulgaria. We have a very cozy campus with our very own work stations, equipped with industry standard equipment. The dynamic of the Academy is very cozy and familiar — most rooms are decorated with plants and we all leave our shoes at the door and walk around the building in our slippers or socks. Our main classroom can also be turned into a movie theatre to get the best visual and sonic experience. We have a student lounge equipped with Apple TV and free unlimited coffee (vital for us students!) This fosters the perfect creative environment.

Sofia is a charming, cozy city with a view of our local Vitosha Mountain. The architecture is beautiful, including plenty of Orthodox churches and museums, as well as little intimate streets filled with tasty restaurants and coffee shops. There is also an archaeological site where you can find ruins of an ancient Roman city — it even connects to one of the metro stations in the heart of Sofia. There are also beautiful hikes on Vitosha mountain for all nature lovers.

What special experiences have you had already?

It has only been seven weeks into the course and we are already busy with our third recording. Our first recording was a self-reflection for a piano trio with violin and cello, our second recording was a Neo-Romantic love theme for piano solo, and the current composition we are working on is a tone-colour composition depicting the loneliness of a cold winter or desert night for a septet (consisting of one flute, one clarinet, three violins, and two celli). We have three more recording sessions left within our first semester, including a wind ensemble piece, a 22-piece string ensemble, and a 38-piece orchestra.

Having class with Dr Andy Hill and having him guide us through our recording sessions is already an experience in itself. He shares his experiences and stories in class, of which my personal favourites include his time at Disney during the production of The Lion King, Aladdin, and Beauty and the Beast.

We also already had the privilege to have class with guest individuals, including Thomas Golubic, a Los-Angeles based Emmy-nominated music supervisor whose credits include the AMC series Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, and Better Caul Saul.

I have also already made so many meaningful connections amongst my current classmates (as well as previous students) and lecturers — it feels like one big family. Everyone has been incredibly kind and helpful.

I cannot wait to see what is in store for the rest of the year!