The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1920-10-22
Composing Music
By Ernest c. Evans.

TO give a few helpful hints and sugges-
tons 10 the young composer who IS
struggling 10 give expression 20 his
ideas. II you have a soul that is bub-
bling over with sweet strains of melody
il signifies that you should give ex-
preston to IT, You are a composer. Per-
haps, you have not been aware of Il be-
fore because you have never attempted
to compose a melody. Il is time for
you to find out. II you have this gift
you must make use of H. II was given
to you for a purpose as well as every
thing else. Everything in this world
was created for a definite purpose. This
fact proves that music has its place IN
our daily lives and is a necessity 10 ogr
health, happiness and prosperity as the
food we eat to nourish our bodies
Without the ability OF a composer 20
write down the musical strains which he
hears and feels through his whole or
ganism we would not have been blessed
with such a wonderful power as that
which lies in music.
The one great channel through which
one receives melodies is inspiration.
There are various phases to this won
derful thing. There are as many ways
in which we can be inspired as there
are in crossing the continent While
one may be inspired from one source,
another may be from another. The
sight of water to thirsty man is an
inspiration to drink. The sweet
MARBLE of bird inspires man to imi-
tate it, and the melody which would be
foreign to his own understanding is per-
feet to the little creature. Yet, on
mans journey of life he stops and
listens when he hears the MARBLE of the
birds. That is one phase of inspira-
ton. Another scource of inspiration
may be what we may term "The trans
mission of infinite mind to the finite
mind" The vibrating sounds of nature
in the universe abound around and
through every atom of substance with
which we come in contact There's
music in the air, and to the mortal
being who is susceptible its influence
will receive the inspiration to put it into
physical expression. Man must be en-
dowed with this susceptibility before
he can ever expect to be a composer.
dies he has access to all of the out
Composers are born and not made.
In the work of writing original melo-
side forces. They work in and through
him by natural laws. His inspired mind
is in harmony with natural vibratory
forces which, perhaps, he cannot under
stand, but hears, as it were, the melody
before he writes it. Beyond his own
wishes at times he hears and feels the
vibrations pulsating through his being
in an endeavor to find expression. He
ha1p he IA nd
he has to write it down. Many good
melodies are thusly received through
the instrument of mortal mind that is
thrown away and nothing more heard
of it. That man is throwing away val
liable material, and should be kept for
some future use and good of the world.
Many have known have been endowed
with such abilities to produce such
wonderful works if they would devote
their time and energy to it, but through
ignorance as to its worth they have ne
elected to use the God-given powers
and have gained nothing. There are
others of whom l personally know who
thought they were composers and have
made many attempts at composing
melodies, but failed. All cannot ac-
complish this wonderful work, but it is
up to each of us who is able to COM
pose original melodies to devote our
time at making success of the work.
To make a success of composing music
requires the ability that the old mas
tiers had in their time. The ordinary
music of today is only trash" as COM
pared with their works. We don't see
the abilities displayed today as it was
in those days. Why is it? Why aren't
there men today that can produce the
wonderful works that those men did?
1t is because we are not so close to
nature; we're not so susceptible to spir-
itual inspiration; we're not living the
life that those men did. Their lives
were pure and devoted to the work
they loved. The memories of those
great men have gone down in history
and will live forever. Their works
shall live forever.
A knowledge of harmony is essential
in the work of composing music, for
the fact that you must know how to
construct the melody in proper form
after you have received it, which after
ward is arranged. Many write their
own melodies and send it on to an ar
ranger to finish the job, while study
of harmony will enable you to do your
own arranging, which will save you
time, money and temper.
To be real composer live as near
to nature as is possible. A simple,
clean and pure life will bring you in
harmony with spiritual law of nature
SO the musical vibrations from the out
side world will penetrate your being and
find channel through which it can find
expression. Live the life that the mas
ter composers did, and you will do just
as good work as they did. Your COM
positions will live throughout the ages,
and your memory will go down in his
tory as the master composer of the
Twentieth Century.