A serious response to one piece, sketch or portfolio.

Not everyone who contacts me needs ongoing lessons immediately. Sometimes the most useful beginning is a focused response to a single work — what it is doing, where it is clear, where it hesitates, and what the next step could be.

Send a score, sketch or question See the formats

What feedback can do

Specific, or about the larger direction.

Feedback can be general or very specific. We may look at your development as a composer, whether your work is moving in a strong direction, what your music already does well, where it is unclear, your stylistic tendencies, and strengths or weaknesses that may not yet be obvious to you.

Sometimes the question is direct: what potential is hidden in this material, what should be revised, or how strong is this portfolio for an application? If you are not sure what you need, that is also a good reason to write — a short look at concrete material beats a long description.

And if you ask for it, I will give you an honest opinion on whether I think composition is really for you. Composition is not necessarily suited for everyone, and I can help clarify your doubts.

You can send

  • PDF score
  • Score excerpt
  • Sketch
  • Audio recording
  • MIDI or notation file
  • Portfolio
  • A direct question

What I tend to look at.

A single work

  • What the music is doing
  • Where it is clear
  • Where it hesitates
  • Notation and presentation

Style and direction

  • Development as a composer
  • Stylistic tendencies
  • Strengths and weaknesses
  • Hidden potential

Material

  • Score (PDF)
  • Excerpt or sketch
  • Audio recording
  • MIDI or notation file

A portfolio

  • Range and balance
  • Revision priorities
  • Application readiness
  • Order of pieces

Formats

The format follows the music, not the other way around.

An online session after I have prepared the material — we share the score, listen, mark passages and discuss in detail; the annotated PDF follows afterwards. Or written comments, with or without an annotated score, or a video walkthrough.

Often a combination works best: a short written summary plus an annotated PDF, or a session followed by written notes.

How online sessions work

Practical questions.

Can I get feedback without committing to ongoing lessons?

Yes. Feedback on a single piece, sketch, recording or portfolio is a legitimate way to begin. Many composers contact me for one focused response rather than weekly teaching.

What formats are available?

An online session after I have prepared the material; written comments; an annotated score (PDF); a video walkthrough; or a combination. The format depends on what would actually help you most.

What material should I send?

Whatever exists. A PDF score, an excerpt, a sketch, an audio recording, a MIDI or notation file, or a portfolio. A short note about what you are working on and what you would like feedback on helps me prepare.

Can feedback help me decide whether to continue composing seriously?

Yes. If you ask for it, I will give you an honest opinion on whether I think composition is really for you. Composition is not necessarily suited for everyone, and I can help clarify your doubts. It is a fair question to bring to a single session.

What does feedback cost?

It depends on the scope: a single annotated score, a written response, a one-hour online session, or a portfolio review. If you send a short description of what you have and what you want feedback on, I can suggest a suitable format and price.

Other ways to work together.

Composition lessons

The main access page — composition lessons, score feedback and portfolio preparation. Begin with a score, sketch, recording or question.

Open

Online composition lessons

How online lessons work in practice — Zoom, shared scores, annotated PDFs, and detailed discussion across time zones.

Open

Portfolio preparation

For applicants to music academies, conservatories or talent-development programmes. Diagnostic review, revision priorities, deadline planning.

Open

Composition lessons for adults

For adult and returning composers — informal first contact, flexible frequency, music that has already begun to take shape.

Open

Music theory for composers

Theory not as rule-knowledge, but as a way of training the ear to understand what music is actually doing.

Open

Counterpoint and harmony

Voice leading, harmonic syntax, modal and tonal practice — taught from inside the student's own writing.

Open

Orchestration lessons

Texture, balance, register, doubling, colour — instrumentation studied against the actual sounding result.

Open

Workshops and institutional teaching

For institutions, festivals and talent-development programmes — group sessions, masterclasses, lectures or short residencies.

Open

Send what you have, even if it is short.

A single PDF page, an excerpt, a recording, or a direct question is enough to begin. Tell me a little about your music and what you would like feedback on.

Send a score, sketch or question
Write to me