worldoffmusicon

I have the same problem as many people here, I have a really hard time starting out. Of the many things I've tried, I've rarely found anything that works for me. Though I have found that I can't just sit down without any inspiration and bust something out. I have to know what I want, have a real inspiration and drive. Then I think about the concept: What do I want to accomplish with this piece? How do I want it to affect people? What do I want it's meaning to be? Then once I have an idea for the "tone" or "mood" of the piece, I sit down and just improvise until I find something that really speaks to me. I often do have little blurbs that will come to me at random points of the day (yes, even in dreams too), and that is really frustrating. I'll be going along my day, and suddenly this gorgeous orchestration will pop into my head. But I will have no way to write it down or remember it, because I'll be, say, in math class. I can't run down to the band room at the second and plunk it out on the piano. So I sit there in misery as these compositions sing through my mind and slowly slip away... And these compositions I can't bring back to life when I do get the chance to sit at a piano. I try so hard, but all I get are these lame melodies with weak harmonies and unsuccessful counterpoints, so unlike the compositions I had heard in my mind just a few hours ago. This is so frustrating for me. Does anyone know how to help? Also, mattsims, love what you said, "Some people take music from mathematician's perspective and others from a painter's perspective"