Music Composition & Songwriting
Develop creative and performing skills through composition, song-writing, and improvisation exercises. Create original music individually, and compose music collaboratively with other students. Perform original and improvised music on your instrument/voice. The week will culminate in a performance of a new, original musical work.
Registration Details:
- June 22 – 27, 2025
- $1,440.00
- Pre-College Programs are open to rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors.
- Price includes lodging, meals, all course materials, activities, and excursions
- A $500 deposit is due upon registration with remaining balance due by May 1, 2025. Click here to see our cancellation policy.
- Students reside in campus residence hall and dine in campus dining hall
- Enrollment is open until spaces are filled
- Registration is through the Camp Doc platform. Detailed registration instructions can be found here.
- The Creative Process
- Composition/Songwriting
- Musical Performance
- Collaboration
- Creative Placemaking
- Create original music, individually and collaboratively
- Perform original and improvised music on your instrument/voice
- Participate in discussions about music in society and community
- Experiment with your musical voices in exercises designed to stretch their creative muscles
Topics and schedules are subject to change
Sample Schedule:
Morning
- 8 a.m. – Breakfast
- 9 a.m. – Collaborative songwriting workshop
- 12 p.m. – Lunch & free time
Afternoon
- 1 p.m. – Perform original music on your instrument/voice
Evening
- 5 p.m. – Dinner
- 6:30 p.m. – Activities / Recreation / Free Time
Options could include: sand volleyball, Asheville Tourists game, game night, movie - 11 p.m. – Lights out
Topics and schedules are subject to change
Meet Your Faculty
Originally from New Hampshire, Emily Mariko Eng is a Lecturer at the University of North Carolina – Asheville. She recently earned a DMA in Conducting from the University of Georgia, where she studied with Cynthia Johnston Turner. Emily holds an MM in Conducting from New England Conservatory and a BS in Biochemistry and Music Composition from Brandeis University. Her research and artistic interests include fostering comprehensive musicianship in the college music curriculum, exploring the role of conductor-as-facilitator in the collaborative creative process, and creative placemaking.
As conductor, Emily’s experience spans genres, often crossing out of the classical sphere into popular and contemporary music. Notably, Emily was involved with the Athens Hip Hop Harmonic at its inception, serving as conductor for its inaugural set of performances and recordings.
Emily is Executive Director and Founder of Lift Music Fund, a nonprofit organization that makes achievement in music more accessible and equitable by awarding microgrants every month to BIPOC student musicians.
Questions? Please contact us at precollege@unca.edu.
