Originally Posted by John Lawrence Schick
I think of composing more like arranging. We’re merely trying to rearrange the elements of music into something new. That said, I dig deep into my musical soul to find meaning beyond the elements. If I had to consider originality, I wouldn’t get past the first measure. My influences like Rachmaninoff, Ravel, Gershwin, Mozart, and on and on… is deeply rooted in who I am as a composer, oh, arranger. So yeah… Stop analyzing; just compose the damn thing!

John smile


You prefer to put one note after another, more like the "God model."

Lately, when I'm in "experimental music" mode, I find I'm preferring to have software create a bunch of musical elements, and then sculpt away at that, 'til what I'm left with is a little nugget with which I can then use one of countless compositional techniques (expand, invert, retrograde, etc.) to vary. I am relying far less on "hearing it in my head" as the only way towards authenticity and originality. I find that if I have created fifty possibilities, I can quickly choose the one I "resonate" most with..

I still like to write one note after another, like you, maybe already having a chord progression..but I am also keenly following the advances in modern compositional software and at least mess around with it, when demos are available, and see if it's of any use to me.


Last edited by Michael Zaneski; 08/06/19 05:22 PM.
Fate doesn't hang on a wrong or right choice
Fortune depends on the tone of your voice

-The Divine Comedy (Neil Hannon)
from the song "Songs of Love"
from the album "Casanova" (1996)