You are incredible giving this time and attention to a random question popped up at a QnA !!!

Basically, I want to put into music words , sounds and compositions I have in my head (if that makes sense to you)... Learning an instrument excites me, but my goal is composing...

NOT humiliating! You're a novice but that's exciting and not anything to be embarrassed about. So first, let me congratulate you for being able to verbalize that you are artistic. That's a big first step.

Second, I think you could begin thinking about what your goals are. Do you want to learn an instrument? Do you want to learn to read or write music? (For me, it's very necessary but I know a lot of incredible musicians who don't use notation.) Do you want to write music using technology, i.e., via computer(s)? It's okay if you only have vague answers at this point, but starting to define your desires even in general terms can help you.

Then, there are some things you can do somewhat alone, just to get started, such as take online courses, and there are lots of places to do that. Just start with a very general search tailored to your goals, and DON'T spend a lot of money at this early point. Maybe even some method books can help. (It just depends on what your goals are so my counsel is admittedly a big vague here as I don't know you.)

At some point, you will likely want a community. These can include teachers found through Craig's List or in local music schools with "amateur music" courses (I personally don't like the word "amateur" in this context), or other peers with similar goals. Once you start actually interacting with other people in your preferred musical styles, it will be much, much easier to find information about how to keep developing your craft.

All this to say -- It's a journey, and you know what they say about journeys beginning with a step. Just... step. :)

Thank you so much! I play multiple instruments and I always enjoy hearing what music adds to peoples lives on a personal level. It is much appreciated.

I've been dancing around this question for the past hour... Having an incredibly difficult time coming up with just five names... I'll keep working at it...

What a great question.

I'm actually tearing up a bit as I think about this... Music opened up the world to me, literally and metaphorically. It's given me the vehicle to inquire, to witness, to process what I see and rewire/retell in my music, developing my character. And in the actual creative habit itself, as I push myself to take risks, to create stamina to not put paper and pencil aside when I'm frustrated or afraid to commit to the process, I learn how courageous I am, how disciplined I am, how imaginative I am. It's helped me to get closer to myself, to become this Gabriela that I would like to be.

Wiping away a tear, ja ja ja. That's gratitude for what music has given me.

Congrats on the level of success you have achieved.

What three things would you say are most important to learn and practice for playing and creating music?

As humiliating as it may sound, I don't know how to ask for it at a conservatorium (or is there like a different school for it???) or how should I start...

Hiya Adam XVII:

Oh, I HAVE to plug the up-and-comers (and a few are now firmly established) that attend/attended my Academy... Check out these beautiful souls here:

https://www.glfcam.com/composer-fellows

Honestly, I have become a better artist for opening up my life to the next generation of talents. I started my Academy a few years ago from a place of genuine alarm to see how culturally and politically divisive the US had become. A few years later, even with everything going on in the world, these emerging voices have filled me with resolve and optimism.

Thank you for the kind words, Adam. :)

It sounds like you've already started developing a process -- This is all very detailed!

I admit that my brain works differently when it comes to composing, a kind of "guided/assessed mental improv"... For instance, if you and I were to have a conversation, while we're hopefully connecting and speaking on the same subject, we're also improvising our words. We're not reading from a script, in other words, but coming up with spontaneous responses to one another. Yet, our words are also guided by the subject matter as well as the specifics of language, grammar, etc.

So, in contrast to what you're describing above, I compose more in this vein. It's a pretty perfect marriage of intuition and intellect that seems to work well for me.

For more AMAs on this topic, subscribe to r/IAmA_Music, and check out our other topic-specific AMA subreddits here.

Have any up-and-coming or underrated composers caught your ear lately? Or put another way, who inspires you creatively that I have probably not heard of?

Thanks for all your detailed answers so far, I’ve loved reading through this thread.

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What do you think is the biggest contribution music has made to your life personally? Beside professionally.

hey there, I started a new AMA if you want to jump over there

Hey this one got removed so I started a new one!

Yes, TOTALLY. Just accept that floundering around will likely be a part of the process, especially at first, but you absolutely can start composing at age 30. Without a doubt.

Can someone start composing at the age of 30 if he's found he has raw talent in music (distinguishing sounds, etc) and really enjoys "composing sounds in his head, but never had any formal training?

Akira's music from Silent Hill is incredibly important to me. When I heard he was being replaced I prepared for the worst but was pleasantly surprised.

Thank you for doing such a great job.

Are you working on any of the new Silent Hill projects?

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Hello /u/jonlicht,

There is not enough proof included in the post that connects your identity to the IAmA.

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Hey Jon, love your work!

What are you working on at the moment (if you can tell us) and how is your day going so far?

OP is confidentially verified.

A trainer with an oral fixation, huh?

Hi, I’m writing a preface to a play and was putting together a list of the five most influential women of the 20th century. My friend suggested Frida Kahlo. I knew her art but nothing about the endless pain she suffered starting with polio as a child and then multiple back operations after her accident. It was hard even reading about it. So I am looking forward to your Opera on this courageous woman who knew how to turn pain into the light. That said, what would your list of five most influential women of the 20th century be? PS, this is the article where I learned of her injuries, hospital stays, and diaries: https://jillianhess.substack.com/p/frida-kahlos-diary

Hi-thank you for doing this.

As someone who primarily plays music but tries to dabble with composition I’ve got some questions on how you manage your work.

When you’re starting a new piece of music, what’s your workflow?

For example-

Do you start by writing short (perhaps monophonic) phrases?

Do you then take these short phrases and expand on them, creating variations and perhaps adding additional parts(which themselves might have started as short monophonic phrases), then massaging them/chaining them into a completed piece of music?

Do you sketch the general architecture or choose some form (A part is in F maj that modulates to key XY and Z, then B part modulates from Z back to F maj )?

What tools do you use to help you stay in this workflow? Is it manual, with paper, or is there some software tooling that helps you manage it all?