Do You Think You Might Ever Run Out Of Material For Composition?

And where do you suppose does your supply of material originate? From other composers' material? From personal experiences? From social interaction?

I dont think I will run out of material or ideas to compose, because I am growing as a composer as well. I never stagnate as a composer, always learning, always discovering new things and new sources of inspiration. You can hear this in my music; me the composer from 7 years ago sounds completely different from me the composer of now. 

I don't have a finite storage of ideas I go through for pieces (although I do have a drawer full of sketches). I usually conceive ideas around the time they are utilized in their respective pieces. A couple times, I've been at the point where I was seriously concerned that I had lost all creative stimulus (to where I was considering a different career), most recently over this last Winter recess. I think it's good for a composer to go through a spell of self-doubt every now and then.

By chance, usually, and that way I shouldn't run out. I get ideas by messing around on the piano a lot, and any ideas that I can remember later are good enough to use. Otherwise, my ideas are often combinations of other melodies from other people, also usually by chance. In that way, I don't think I can ever truly run out of ideas.  Worst case scenario involves re-imagining melodies that you weren't satisfied with a while ago and turning them into to something better. I could, however, get progressively more atonal with my ideas...

You can't ever run out of material, though you could run out of enthusiasm. Right now I feel I'll be into music for the rest of my life, complete with the occasional urges to write stuff. I'm young though, so who knows.

I completely agree with Ian. Sometimes I lose the enthusiasm to compose, although I surely know that it'll come back later as an urge to make music. These moments come and go naturally (at least for me^^)

It might be helpful to think of it like this: You're working with marble and you're cutting away at it, bit by bit. In the end, as long as you have some marble left, you will have something, you will have material. In the cutting and sculpting, you will ALWAYS have "something."

You probably might if you had material to begin with.

It might be helpful to think of it like this: You're working with marble and you're cutting away at it, bit by bit. In the end, as long as you have some marble left, you will have something, you will have material. In the cutting and sculpting, you will ALWAYS have "something."

What would be the composition-related metaphor for an untouched slab of marble?

This is a sort of strange question. It's almost like asking if you will one day exhaust your capacity to feel emotion. Creativity is pretty regenerative. I don't think you can bankrupt you supply indefinitely as much as you might just exhaust yourself.

What would be the composition-related metaphor for an untouched slab of marble?

Well, not a metaphor, but the real thing: a blank sheet of paper. This fills me with dread every time. It's a sort of battle within yourself, to get something/ANYTHING down, or to walk away defeated. The more you get down, the more skin you've got in the game, the more likely you will produce something. Now, it may not be earth shattering. It may suck. It may sit on your computer for months until you realize that it had merit. Then you go back to it and finish it. I'm certainly no Mozart with fully-formed ideas popping out of my head. I labor at it. And if I'm not afraid of work I will eventually have music.

I am still full of ideas and inspirations. The only thing that I'm lacking is time and, at this moment, a virus-full computer which stopped working properly. :(

What would be the composition-related metaphor for an untouched slab of marble?

Silence.

As long I keep improving or learn more every time I compose something, I'll keep at it.
If I'm lacking the motivation or enthusiasm, listening the classical masters usually helps!

Silence.

Well, probably this actually:

(Its my favourite interpretation)

Well, probably this actually:

(Its my favourite interpretation)

Indeed, it's a powerful, almost spellbinding interpretation (if not a bit unsettling). It was actually the first I ever saw. I wonder how other performers approach the piece. I think it is a unique and essential piece in music that has a message that in a sense encompasses and surpasses all music, whether composed or not yet composed. Thanks for sharing.

Check this video too (for the composer); it's rather insightful:

I remember my first beer.

You kids mean to tell me that you actually sat through a ~5 minute video of a guy just sitting there at a piano? 

You kids mean to tell me that you actually sat through a ~5 minute video of a guy just sitting there at a piano? 

+ the the background sound and the attitude and body language of the "performer".