Bruce Cole

Composing for GCSE

Bruce Cole studied composition with Sir Harrison Birtwistle at the Royal Academy of Music and has pursued a joint career as a composer and teacher.

He has taught at most levels from Pre-school to Postgraduate including teacher training and prison education and is currently Fellow in Community Music at the University of York, where he is responsible for programmes of student of work in schools and other community settings and has served as an external examiner to other universities in the UK.

He is also Chief Examiner in GCE music and music technology to the London examinations board Edexcel and has been an adviser to the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority.

As a composer he has worked in the music industry, concert hall, theatre, film and television and with the education departments of many orchestras and he has held two residencies in London schools. He is the author of The Composer’s Handbook, The Pop Composer’s Handbook and The Composers Handbook 2, and co-author of Sound Matters.