Dear Future Composers,
First of all, welcome to the club! I applaud you pursuing the craft you love in spite of anyone having doubts. Although a highly competitive field, music composition is not just about studying, but also a way of getting to know yourself better through writing original music.
My past four years of studying composition have been some of my most rewarding experiences in academia. Since I'm graduating soon, allow me to pass some advice that I wish I had known as an undergraduate.
I encourage you to experiment as much as possible with your various musical interests. I know that you may want to rush to find your style or niche (trust me, I did for a while), but that takes time.
My interests throughout my undergraduate career have encompassed everything from Baroque opera and Mozart to Impressionism and contemporary choral music. Every time I thought I was going to focus on one genre for my whole career, I discovered a love for another style. At the same time, I sometimes hated having so many musical interests, especially ones so esoteric that I couldn’t talk about with anyone.
However, having several interests allowed me to become more versatile as a composer by composing a piece in a different style each semester. Use your private lessons and your music history classes to an advantage, and reference your library to study both classic and contemporary scores.
As with every creative person, it is normal to experience setbacks in creative output. I have had writer’s block multiple times throughout my four years of college. Nevertheless, my creative pause allowed me to re-evaluate older pieces that I thought I had finished but had actually set aside in hopes that I would finish them late.
I pushed through my writer’s block by collaborating with fellow composers who shared similar interests and visions with me. Writer’s block can be scary, but by surrounding yourself with a supportive community and meaningful inspiration, anyone can push through it.
On that note, the collaborative process is one of the most rewarding and educational parts about being a composer, so invest in your music department’s strengths.
Most collegiate performers are thrilled to have the opportunity to premiere new music, so be eager to work with these people in return. While you’re at it, remain patient with them and be willing to answer their questions about performing your compositions. If you use a score-writer or digital audio workstation (DAW), not everything translates perfectly from playback, so be a guide to your performers.
Being a composer, I’ve often made the mistake of worrying too much about what people will think of my works. I care about how I want to be remembered, but often my worries paralyze my creativity and it temporarily becomes harder to write music.
What I’ve learned is that it is important for composers to be free to write what they want without worrying about backlash. As long as composers are writing something that they love and that is authentically inspired, nothing else should be relevant.
I have thoroughly valued my time as a music major in college, and I look forward to what the future holds for me. I hope that my experiences in my university’s music department help prospective composers know what to expect. Remember: Aim high and never stop trying.
