From: daw@carr2.acpub.duke.edu (Dwayne Wallace)
Newsgroups: rec.music.compose
Subject: Re: How does one compose?
Date: 17 Dec 92 09:59:28 GMT
Reply-To: daw@carr2.acpub.duke.edu (Dwayne Wallace)


In article <yomkVB1w165w@dorsai.com>, idealord@dorsai.com (Jeff Harrington) writes:
|> Path: news.duke.edu!duke!concert!gatech!europa.asd.contel.com!emory!wupost!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!psinntp!dorsai.com!idealord
|> From: idealord@dorsai.com (Jeff Harrington)
|> Newsgroups: rec.music.compose
|> Subject: Re: How does one compose?
|> Message-ID: <yomkVB1w165w@dorsai.com>
|> Date: Thu, 10 Dec 92 09:42:09 EST
|> References: <1g3gvtINN5kc@network.ucsd.edu>
|> Sender: idealord@dorsai.com (Jeff Harrington)
|> Organization: The Dorsai Embassy, New York's Computer Consulate. +1.718.729.5018
|> Lines: 57
|> 
|> mbreen@sdacs.ucsd.edu (Michael Breen) writes:
|> 
|> > All the advice on composing is excellent, but I thought I'd add a bit.
|> > 
|> > To compose music, you need emotion.  My best composition tool is life.
|> > Get out there and really do it, and you will have plenty to write about.
|> > I posted recently on the subject of my "muses", who are basically these
|> > sweat-shop entities that live in me somewhere.  Once I got past trying
|> > to force songs, playing with patterns, mathematical progressions,
|> > syncopation, counter-rhythm, and loads of fancy books and tools, I learned
|> > to let my muses write.  I basically provide the fuel by keeping a very
|> > close eye on my environment, and then my muses throw me a song every once in
|> > Basically, I get out of the way and let nature take its course.  But of
|> > course, my studies of music gave me the tools to "build" what my muses
|> > describe to me (usually at the damndest times).
|> > 
|> > 
|> > One man's view
|> > 
|> > Michael Breen
|> > singing and philosophizing
|> > (and keeping the muses waiting)
|> 
|>  
|> I find this the most interesting comment so far on how to being 
|> composing.  I've studied music at all sorts of institutions and the one
|> thing I've learned from listening to student pieces is that the student's
|> life experience often limits the music.  I've noticed this in all the 
|> arts, actually.
|>  
|> Artists today often are the _least_ adventurous people I've met.  New
|> York City definitely is the exception because it attracts all types, but
|> in general, I feel that art sucks today because the people are so 
|> complacent; so unadventurous; so lacking in charisma, drive, fun!
|>  
|> When I told people at Juilliard that I had worked in the oil rigs off
|> of Louisiana to pay my tuition -> their jaws dropped.  When I tell
|> musicians, writer, etc. about hitch-hiking around America for the hell
|> of it in the late '70's they think I must have been crazy.  But time and
|> time again, the artists that are producing interesting stuff (all the 
|> arts) are the ones who have taken risks.  
|>  
|> How to write good music:  
|>  
|> 1.  Hitchhike to Alaska (bring $200.00)
|> 2.  Save up $1,000.00 and go to Tunisia and study oud (sp).
|> 3.  Move to NYC - Get a job as a messenger :-) Live in the ghetto.
|>  
|> Of course the most important thing to do other than _live_ is to write
|> lots and lots and lots and lots of all kinds of music.  I've written
|> probably 150 pieces.  140 of them suck.  That's what it takes...
|>  
|> Just my two cents... (Forget all those god-forsaken formulas, please!)
|>  
|> -- 
|> Jeff Harrington             PGP 2.0 Public Key Available via Email
|> idealord@dorsai.com         
|> 
	I thought I would post this again, to emphasize it's importance.  I think
Jeff might have hit on the key factor here.  If your life experience is limited, your
art will similarly be limited.  I couldn't agree more.  I have a poster in my room
that says as one of it's little phrases, "The money will come."  If you open 
yourself to a variety of experiences, the music will come.  I am so bad at letting
my muse have her way.  But usually, I find that when I have had an experience that
has rocked my world, a song comes.  Almost without fail.  Sometimes it's work to 
try and finish the tune, but it comes.  I think that you cannot have these little
revelations without soem risks.
	As for some of the formulae suggested, take what you can.  It DOES help to 
have some background in music.  But I have to say, you can pick that up as you 
explore your ideas.  Especially if you hook-up with other musicians.  I swear, no
textbook can help a layman understand modes.  It  just has to be explained,
experienced.  I didn't get it until this physics major with a guitar showed me what was
up. So you can learn that way.  
	I liked the advice, "get started".  The way I figure, if I can get out 
most of my ugly songs now, maybe before I'm seventy I'll write something that 
really moves people to some emotion.  ;)
	
	So, get started having wild experiences with musician physics majors.
Incidentally, I think this kind of dialogue should happen more often on this 
newsgroup.

Just my $.02.
--------
Dwayne Wallace
daw@bacchus.acpub.duke.edu
Bassist for Red Skye- Total Sting Wannabe...