Brian Morrell

Dr Brian Morrell is Deputy Head of the School of Music and Education, with expertise in film music, composition, orchestration, music theory, and cultural studies. He holds a PhD, MA, CertEd, and Dip, and has extensive industry experience as a self-taught pianist, trombonist, arranger, and composer.

• Studied at Leeds Conservatoire and earned a distinction for his Master's degree.
• Worked as a staff arranger on the QE2 and as Musical Director at The Talk of London.
• Collaborated with artists like Elton John, Sting, and Barbra Streisand; contributed to musicals including Phantom of the Opera.
• Composed for TV/Radio documentaries (BBC, Sky, Channel 4) and films such as It’s All Happening and The Appointment.

Brian is a published author of the book series How Film and TV Music Communicates (40,000+ downloads) and is currently writing How Pop Music Communicates. His research focuses on how music conveys meaning through composition, harmony, and arrangement.