Composing

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What is Composing?

This is a simple overview of a very complex subject, but composing is basically creating an entire piece of music from scratch.

My Process

Composing is a very personal endeavor and I‘m sure every composer has his or her own approach.

The first thing I try to do is to decide exactly what mood or emotion I want to create and once I make that decision I start to sketch out themes and design a basic structure for the piece (i.e., how long will the piece be; should I divide it into sections or movements, should I feature soloist, etc.)

I also like to write visually and I try to have an image in my head, like landscapes, the ocean, or whatever pops in there, as I’m developing the themes. That certainly helps me think of the orchestral colors like warm low brass or airy icy high woodwinds and strings.

If I’m composing for a film some of those decisions are already made for me by the nature of the project, but some basic questions remain unanswered. For instance, do I play the action or do I play the mood of the scene? Many of those decisions are made by working with the director or producer.

The most important part of the process to me is to try to find a way to create an emotional response from the listener.

Using combinations of consonance, dissonance, and counterpoint, and exploring the range of colors in the orchestra is a big part of triggering an emotional response—and this can be a never-ending kaleidoscope of possibilities. This challenge is why the actual orchestration phase where I physically write the notes on a score pad is the most enjoyable part of the process for me.