🎶 Switching It Up: From Writing to Music with the OU 🎹
New modules, new kit, and a new chapter I’m actually buzzing about
So here’s the deal — I started my degree in Arts & Humanities with the idea that I’d lean heavily into creative writing… but somewhere along the way, music started calling louder.
I know. Bit of a curveball, right? But honestly… it just feels right.
✍️ Why I’m Moving On From Studying Writing
Don’t get me wrong — I still love writing. Storytelling’s a big part of who I am, and it always will be. But studying creative writing? It didn’t hit quite the way I hoped. I found myself wanting to make things, not just study the theory of it.
Instead of writing short stories for assignments, I kept drifting back to music. Thinking in sounds, not just sentences. Imagining atmosphere. Lyrics. Beats. Weird little loops in my head that I wanted to turn into something real.
So I listened to that instinct — and here we are.
🎧 So, What Am I Studying Now?
From this autumn, I’ll be diving into a new module: A232 – Music, Sound and Technology. And honestly? It looks like a proper playground for creativity.
I’ll be learning stuff like:
• How to compose and arrange original music
• The basics of sound engineering and mixing
• How different genres use sound emotionally
• Creating audio using DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations) like Logic Pro
• Even building my own ringtone for one of the assignments 😅 (Yes, really.)
It’s practical. It’s expressive. It’s got me written all over it.
🎹 Gear Shift: I’m Getting a Keyboard
To help with the composing side, I’m planning to get myself a digital keyboard or piano. Something decent, not over-the-top, but enough to learn the ropes and mess about with ideas when inspiration hits.
I want to start writing my own melodies — nothing fancy to begin with, just raw ideas. Loops. Motifs. Chords that feel like something. It’s early days, but I’m buzzing to have something tactile I can play around with while learning how sound actually works from the inside out.
Imagine pairing those compositions with some of my photo projects? Or scoring my own short films down the line? That’s the kind of crossover creativity I’m aiming for.
🧠 The Bigger Picture
This move isn’t just about changing subjects — it’s about leaning into what excites me right now. I’ve always used music as a way to process life, and now I get to study it properly, hands-on.
And the cool bit? It still links back to everything I’ve done before.
Writing stories has made me think more deeply about emotion, character, rhythm.
Photography has trained my eye for mood and structure.
And music is about to tie it all together.
🚀 So… What Could This Lead To?
Honestly, I’m not locking myself into one path. But this move opens doors to stuff like:
• Composing for videos, games, or podcasts
• Music journalism (hello, dream combo of writing + sound)
• Content creation with original soundtracks
• Maybe even some live sound or studio work down the line
The key thing is: I’m building a creative toolkit I actually want to use.
🎤 Final Thought
This isn’t me leaving writing behind — it’s just me taking it off the academic timetable and giving it room to breathe again. I’ll still be writing for DJC Zone, still telling stories, still creating weird little projects with a heart. But now, I get to add music into the mix — and that’s something I’ve wanted for a long time.
Here’s to new sounds, new skills, and finding my voice all over again — just in a different key 🔑
Let’s see where it goes.
– Dan
Studio DJC 