April 30, 2018

Exercise “textural taste” at all times.

April 18, 2018

Music is not real estate. Composers are not developers. [reaction to a critic stating that a colleague’s new piece was “thin on development”). Ask the question: what is development? Figure out what it means every time you write something new.

You start over every time. Even after hours, weeks, months, years, decades of practice and increasing fluency, does ‘ample technique’ ever make the endeavor easier? Not if each new project leads to new territory where you’ve never been. More experience and more ready technique just up the ante; with more tools you are compelled to build more innovatively. Continue to honor your ability by creating ever-new blank slates.

When working on a big project, with your inching-forward music commanding your attention, days blend together. Non-day in, non-day out. Inspiration can be depressing!