Put Your Music to Work: Composition for Commercials
MUSC X 484.931
Learn how to develop and fine-tune your musical skills for scoring TV commercials with weekly assignments, discussions, and critiques. Finish this course with a successful body of work to be put on your reel or website.
Hone your scoring skills by composing for a 30-second commercial each week
Explore topics such as advertising techniques, styles of scoring, and the ad formula
Discuss your work and engage with the instructor in weekly screenings
Understand standard business practices, self-promotion, and dealing with competitive demos
About this course:
Thousands of TV commercials are produced and scored every year, and the advertising business is always looking for something fresh, new and different. In this online course, composers fine-tune their musical skills to become more precise and focused composers. Each week, participants are given a different commercial video to score, as well as a second writing assignment that is music only. The latter assignment is to build up the student’s own library of music. Assignments are constructively critiqued by the instructor with specific detailed feedback on what improvements are advised to make the music fit the commercial requirements and stand out in a sea of competitive resources. At the end of the course, students who completed the course have a compilation of their work to be used for their own promotion at their website or online viewing portal. Topics include concepts of advertising techniques, styles of scoring, the ad formula, self-promotion, standard business practices and how to deal with competitive demos.
Prerequisites
Students must be able to receive Quicktime files, record and/or edit their own music, and send MP3s via the Internet. Students who are not proficient in composing and producing their own cues may submit music samples or loop composites created in programs such as GarageBand, Reason and Acid.
Summer 2025 Schedule
Date & Time
Details
Format
-
Monday 7:00PM - 10:00PM PT
Future Offering (Opens April 28, 2025 12:00:00 AM)
This course includes 5 synchronous class meetings via Zoom and 6 In-Person meetings in the classroom. Refer to course syllabus for online session details. Attending the first class is highly recommended, but materials are available online for students who are traveling or are unable to attend.
Enrollment limited; early enrollment advised. Internet access required.
Refund Deadline
No refunds after June 29, 2025
Course Requirements
Internet access required to retrieve course materials.
Schedule
Type
Date
Time
Location
Lecture
Mon Jun 23, 2025
7:00PM PT - 10:00PM PT
UCLA Extension Lindbrook Center in WestwoodUCLA Extension Lindbrook Center
Lecture
Mon Jun 30, 2025
7:00PM PT - 10:00PM PT
UCLA Extension Lindbrook Center in WestwoodUCLA Extension Lindbrook Center
Lecture
Mon Jul 7, 2025
7:00PM PT - 10:00PM PT
UCLA Extension Lindbrook Center in WestwoodUCLA Extension Lindbrook Center
Lecture
Mon Jul 14, 2025
7:00PM PT - 10:00PM PT
UCLA Extension Lindbrook Center in WestwoodUCLA Extension Lindbrook Center
Lecture
Mon Jul 21, 2025
7:00PM PT - 10:00PM PT
UCLA Extension Lindbrook Center in WestwoodUCLA Extension Lindbrook Center
Lecture
Mon Jul 28, 2025
7:00PM PT - 10:00PM PT
UCLA Extension Lindbrook Center in WestwoodUCLA Extension Lindbrook Center
Lecture
Mon Aug 4, 2025
7:00PM PT - 10:00PM PT
UCLA Extension Lindbrook Center in WestwoodUCLA Extension Lindbrook Center
Lecture
Mon Aug 11, 2025
7:00PM PT - 10:00PM PT
UCLA Extension Lindbrook Center in WestwoodUCLA Extension Lindbrook Center
Lecture
Mon Aug 18, 2025
7:00PM PT - 10:00PM PT
UCLA Extension Lindbrook Center in WestwoodUCLA Extension Lindbrook Center
Lecture
Mon Aug 25, 2025
7:00PM PT - 10:00PM PT
UCLA Extension Lindbrook Center in WestwoodUCLA Extension Lindbrook Center
Lecture
Mon Sep 1, 2025
7:00PM PT - 10:00PM PT
UCLA Extension Lindbrook Center in WestwoodUCLA Extension Lindbrook Center
Lecture
Mon Sep 8, 2025
7:00PM PT - 10:00PM PT
UCLA Extension Lindbrook Center in WestwoodUCLA Extension Lindbrook Center
Contact Us
Speak to a program representative. Hours: Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm.
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