How to Be a Composer is a British television documentary in two episodes, first shown on BBC Four in July 2009.

Background

Produced and directed by Paul Yule, the show was based around the former New Musical Express journalist Paul Morley learning how to create a piece of classical music. The films observe Morley spending a year at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London. Morley begins without knowing musical notation or music theory. By the end of the year, with the help of his tutor Christopher Austin and the students at the academy, we see the performance of his string quartet.