Evan Williams

I think it can be argued that Classical music was never "popular." A study of music history shows us that Western Art music has always been primarily enjoyed (or listened to) by the aristocracy, the well-to-do middle class and those who studied it. It's still largely enjoyed by the same groups of people. Everyone else enjoyed folk music, and Hip-hop, pop, rock, etc. is the folk music of our time. If you wonder why classical music seems less popular or is even "failing" in the U.S, now that's because the government does not fund the arts. Classical music concerts are more popular in Europe because European governments fund the arts. There, many concerts are free or cheap. Since it costs an arm and a leg to get into most concerts in the U.S, it is a past time of "elitist" and as you know "elitism" doesn't jive well with many Americans.

A lot of times it seems as if talent is hereditary, and some is, but I think musical talent is developed. Now some people were born with good ears, or or "right-brained," but hard work is always needed to improve or perfect musical skill. Before I went to college, I would come up with good melodies, and even whole pieces, but I wasn't good at elaborating on themes, so a lot of my early stuff is "main theme - new theme - another new theme - main theme etc. etc." Theme and variations were completely out of the question. But now I'm going into my junior year and thanks to theory, aural skills, sight singing, composition lessons, instrumental lessons, conducting... and all those other things, those earlier "melodic skills" have turned into "compositional skills." Even though Mozart was composing at the age of 5 he had his father and teacher Leopold, and of course that early stuff is horribly boring! So in sum, No I don't think that people are born with the ability to compose.