The Freedom to Create
At the Australian Institute of Music, composition is about freedom, giving students the space to explore who they are as artists, experiment across genres, and create the kind of music that excites them most. Whether you dream of writing intricate piano pieces or high-energy game scores, AIM’s Bachelor of Music (Composition) gives you the tools and flexibility to make it happen.
Darren says “A lot of my tutors and lecturers have always asked me to trust what I feel musically inside, instead of steering me in one direction. They’ve always allowed me to choose my own voice. Just really trust in your own self”.
According to Simone East, AIM’s Composition Course Convener, that openness is what makes the program stand out.
“The distinct aspect of the AIM Composition course is that we don’t dictate style. If you want to write film music, you can also do songwriting or electronic dance music. You don’t have to choose one particular path.”
Explore Every Sound
At AIM, composers are encouraged to try everything. One trimester you might write for orchestra, and the next you’re producing a pop song or soundtracking a video game.
“We allow students to pivot and grow their artistry organically,” Simone explains. “It’s much more reflective of the industry and how people listen to music now; they want to create broadly, not be boxed in.”
This flexibility mirrors today’s music world, where genres overlap and creators wear many hats.
Collaboration at the Core
Composition students collaborate with performance, music business, and creative tech students to bring their ideas to life. Songs are written, recorded, and performed live at real venues. “It mirrors real-world situations where you’re always working with people from different disciplines,” Simone says.
Alongside collaboration comes technical depth: students learn advanced composition, harmony, production, and recording, while building the professional skills to thrive in the industry. “AIM’s ethos is to create the whole artist,” Simone adds. “Strong performance, strong composition, strong production, that’s what’s required now.”
Create Without Limits
Every student’s journey looks different. Some start as performers who want to write their own songs. Others begin as composers and discover a love for production or scoring.
“If you’re a performer, you can take composition as a minor. If you’re a composer, you can develop your production skills through creative technology. It prepares you better for the professional world.” The culture at AIM is as inspiring as it is collaborative. “Students support one another, play on each other’s music, record, and organize gigs together. It’s just electric,” Simone says.
Compose Your Future
Ultimately, AIM gives composers the space to explore, experiment, and create without limits. “AIM gives you the space to grow your vision of yourself as an artist,” Simone says. “It lets you explore all aspects of your creativity and the production skills you need to do that.”
At AIM, there’s no single way to be a composer. From classical piano to gaming soundtracks, from songwriting to experimental production, you define your own path.
Graduates from the Bachelor of Music (Composition) are shaping the music industry as:
- Film Composer
- Game Composer
- Sound Designer
- Electronic Music Producer
- Studio Manager
- Music Director
- Film Composer
- And more!
Your music. Your way.
That’s the freedom of composition at AIM.
