“I’ve learned to have patience and to think, rather than rushing to the piano”
Enter our free scoring competition and re-score a challenging scene from Disney Pixar’s Brave. The best five scores will be reviewed personally by Patrick and also recieve a year’s free access to all OnScore score break downs! Explore the musical world of the Witch’s Cottage and put your own stamp on this magical scene.
Spanning almost two hours, this deep-dive unpacks the emotional, thematic, and orchestral craft behind Brave: a rare opportunity to learn from one of the most accomplished film composers of our time.
Each chapter puts the writing front and centre, so you’ll leave with ideas you can apply to your own scores right away.
Patrick dives into the thematic material behind Noble Maiden Fair, and shows how that single idea weaves itself into the entire score.
You’ll see how recurring motifs evolve emotionally and harmonically to reflect Merida’s arc.
Watch Patrick phrase and shape cues with the mindset of an experienced Composer. His approach to orchestration is tactile, thinking in breath, tension and release, not just notes on a page.
A revelation for composers used to writing in DAWs.
Rather than chase a Celtic “sound”, Patrick focuses on emotional truth: how Merida feels, how her world moves. It’s character-first scoring, not cultural pastiche.
This shift in mindset can change how you write for story.
Explore how traditional melodic instincts and modal harmony help build themes that feel both ancient and cinematic.
Patrick shows how to keep music rooted in place while still hitting the dramatic beats of modern storytelling.
Patrick shares how melody – not complexity – is his guiding force. You’ll hear how a strong tune can carry emotional weight even in its barest form.
Ideal insight for composers who lean towards overwriting.
Patrick explains why he doesn’t rush ideas and how “thinking time” is essential to writing from a place of truth, not just productivity.
This score breakdown doesn’t just teach how to compose it demonstrates how to think like a composer.
Patrick Doyle takes us behind-the-scenes of his hugely popular score for Disney’s Brave.
Patrick Doyle introduces Brave with wit, candour and deep affection — for his homeland, for melody, and for the art of animation. He traces his journey from rewriting school exam melodies to scoring Henry V, reveals the tearful moment Pixar first pitched Brave, and unpacks how his Scottish roots, theatrical flair, and melodic instinct made him the perfect match for the film’s emotional core. Along the way, he shares personal tales of Fairlight demos, childhood folk songs, and the pressure of representing an entire culture on screen.
Patrick Doyle crafts a score rooted in melody, myth, and national memory. From the mountain-shaped contours of Gaelic folk songs to the ancestral cry of Highland flutes, Patrick builds a thematic palette that fuses symphonic weight with Celtic soul. He shares the story behind the trailer cue that became a defining motif, and reflects on writing music not just for a film, but with a culture. Dive into the textures, traditions, and spontaneous sparks that shaped Brave’s sonic identity.
Patrick Doyle reveals how he grounded Brave’s score in character, dialect, and heritage — composing music that honours the Scottish setting while deepening the emotional core. This segment shows how authentic cultural identity becomes a powerful storytelling tool through melody and language.
Patrick explores how he scored the mysterious tone of Witch’s Cottage using unexpected harmony, texture, and orchestration. This cue reveals how subtle musical choices can suggest enchantment, unease, and narrative shift, all within a single scene.
This sequence blends restrained scoring with diegetic song to deliver one of the film’s most emotional moments. Hear how music steps in where dialogue steps back… shaping character, resolution, and heartbreak through silence, melody, and voice.
You’re in the right place! OnScore is a platform build for Composers, by Composers. If you’re anything like us and you love music for film and tv, this is the place to see exactly how they pros do it. We can’t wait to show you around! Love, team OnScore.🤘
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