MAKE SOME WAVES · SEMESTER 02
Advanced Composition & Electronic Music Course Berlin
“This journey changed my life. I really appreciate all that I learned from the course.”
— Antonio D.F., Make Some Waves · Berlin School of Sound
Berlin School of Sound is an experimental, artist-run music school in Berlin. With its 12-week Make Some Waves semestral course in music production and sound art, it offers one of the best entry points into the world of electronic music for beginners and experienced artists alike.
12 weeks. Advanced music theory. Your compositions. Your live set.
Make Some Waves Semester 2 is our advanced music production and composition course in Berlin — where foundation becomes creation. You already know the tools. Now you use them. Over 12 weeks you’ll compose complete tracks, build complex modular patches, study harmony and music theory with one of Berlin’s finest jazz pianists, and perform your work live at ACUD at the end of the semester.
This semester adds something Semester 1 doesn’t have: Nadia Struiwigh — Tresor Berlin resident, Dekmantel artist, one of the most distinctive voices in European electronic music — closes the semester in the final two weeks. It also includes a dedicated week of advanced music theory taught by jazz pianist Igor Zavatski, consistently named by past students as one of the highlights of the entire program.
3 groups available · Max 10 students per group · 48 hours total
SCHEDULE
Learning Hours — Semester 02
Tuesdays · 17:30–21:30
12 sessions × 4 hours = 48 hours per group
OUTCOMES
By the end of this course, you will:
- Have composed complete electronic music tracks from concept to finished production
- Know how to apply music theory — harmony, chords, scales, chord progressions — to your own work
- Master advanced Ableton Live production and arrangement
- Create complex generative compositions using modular synthesizers
- Have mixed and mastered your own tracks at a professional level
- Have performed live with hardware and software at ACUD Kunsthaus
- Have a portfolio and demo reel you can actually send to labels and promoters
- Have direct connections to Berlin’s electronic music scene
FACULTY
Your Instructors
Nadia Struiwigh
Dutch electronic musician, DJ and live performer based in Berlin. Tresor resident. Releases on Dekmantel, Central Processing Unit, Nous’klaer Audio, Blueprint and SPAT*R. Her work moves between ambient depth, jungle energy and hypnotic techno — always hardware, always intuition, always in motion.
RETHE
Berlin-based producer and live performer. Releases on ARTS, Illegal Alien and BCCO. Expert at track selection, storytelling through music, and hardware/software integration. Core instructor at Berlin School of Sound.
Stéphane Lefrançois
Drummer, recording engineer, performing artist and teacher based in Berlin. Studios in London, Ibiza and Berlin. Founder of Secret Music label. Leads the modular synthesis curriculum at Berlin School of Sound.
Igor Zavatski — Berlin-based jazz pianist and contemporary music theory educator. His lecture on harmony, chords, and modal composition was described by students from the last edition as one of the highlights of the entire semester.
Special Guest · Week 12 · To be announced — past editions have included internationally recognized Berlin-based artists. Stay tuned.
CURRICULUM
Course Structure
Compositional Workflow & Arrangement
Building tracks from initial idea to full arrangement. Advanced arrangement techniques, narrative and progression in electronic music, Session vs Arrangement view strategies. Practical: start a track from scratch in class.
Sound Design for Composition
Designing sounds that serve the composition. Advanced synthesis in Ableton — Wavetable, Operator. Sampling and resampling as compositional tools, custom instrument racks, MIDI effects for generative composition.
Composing with Modular Systems
Generative composition techniques, evolving musical structures, sequencing strategies, clock division, polyrhythms. Practical: create a complete modular composition.
Collaborative Modular Jamming
Multi-person modular patching, synchronizing multiple systems, listening and responding collaboratively, integrating modular with DAW workflow. Group project begins.
Jazz Harmony & Modal Composition
A full week on advanced music theory: harmony, chord construction, common progressions in electronic music, jazz harmony basics, modal scales — Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian. Practical: building progressions in MIDI.
Mixing & Live Performance Setup
Mixing as a compositional tool — advanced EQ, compression, creative reverb/delay, parallel processing. Then: session view performance techniques, MIDI mapping, looping, building a performance-ready set.
Advanced Modular & Collaborative Composition
Building performable modular systems, feedback and controlled chaos, modular effects processing. Then: finishing and polishing collaborative tracks, technical riders, final rehearsal.
Hardware, Intuition & Sound Identity
Developing a distinctive artistic voice, hardware-based performance philosophy, working intuitively with electronics. Then: building a live set, improvisation and control, stage presence.
Special Guest
The final week closes the semester with a special guest from Berlin’s electronic music scene. Stay tuned for the announcement.
DELIVERABLES
Your Final Project
- Solo composition — one complete electronic music track (4–8 min), professionally mixed and mastered, with written artist statement
- Collaborative composition — one track made with fellow students (4–8 min)
- Live performance — 10–15 minutes at the final showcase at ACUD
- Portfolio — updated artist bio, demo reel, SoundCloud/Bandcamp presence
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Everything You Get
- 44 hours of instruction across 12 sessions
- RETHE, Stéphane Lefrançois, Igor Zavatski, Nadia Struiwigh + special guest
- A full week of advanced music theory instruction with a professional jazz pianist
- Maximum 10 participants per group
- Full access to ACUD studio — Eurorack systems, Ableton Live 12 Suite, Genelec monitors, Universal Audio & RME interfaces, Push, Launchpad, hardware synths and drum machines
- Group critiques and peer feedback sessions
- Public final showcase concert at ACUD Kunsthaus
- Certificate of completion
PREREQUISITES
What You Need to Bring
- Completion of Make Some Waves Semester 1 — or equivalent experience
- Basic Ableton Live knowledge
- Own laptop with Ableton Live 10 or later
- Professional headphones
- USB drive for project backup, and a notebook
- Commitment to all 12 sessions
LOGISTICS
Details
Questions? Write to us at makesomewaves@berlinschoolofsound.com — we reply within 24 hours.