I think the note is very good and reflects on points that sometimes we do not take seriously. I think it's an opportune time to share some experiences that might be helpful: Variedad.- Listening more and different music feeds the ear, besides giving us the opportunity to expand our ability to compose, but I also think there is an order, which gives us more likely to get an appropriate logical construction. The different rhythms, melodic constructions, harmonies, rhythms, forms of singing, playing an instrument, to make it sound, mixing consoles, the intervention of a sound engineer, etc., form the final product reaches our musical ear and enriches our appreciation and thus our composition. Someone that knows no polyrhythm may not fully appreciate a song from 'progressive gender' and spectacular passages voltage is lost; someone that knows no 'setback' can not capture in his work a scene of interest rate and someone that knows no harmonic tissue can not sculpt a landscape in chords: There will be the intention, but today competitiveness is essential to reach to a desired end. This information is valuable to our brain that by putting it together, try to do something new. The important of Classical Music is precisely that puts our brains order to musical construction. I think we should start our exploration with Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, to learn to make structures. Color & Note.- Definitely there is a not set to say 'this is the melody' or 'this is the chord' defining for this color, for this photograph, for this piece of video. But we might approach. In my experience, I had the opportunity to teach my students (using the principles of semiotics) how we could deploy an image with audio, even taking into account that it is sometimes more important the silence: Based on pictures, departed from common sense add them to a song known, so we analyzed and then proposed another 2 or 3 songs from different genres to compare then be closer variables in concept; it created greater difficulty and continued timbres of different musical instruments. This caused the value of their responses is richer in expressions. In other cases, I worked for various music projects, which were consistent patterns that defined a "modus operandi", certain colors that denote height or so and sequences. Chispa.-'ve had departed compositions of natural sounds, whether urban or rural or just from my dream. I am a fan of Johann Sebastian Bach and one night, I dreamed I had such a wealth of knowledge which flowed a little song to perfection !! I woke up at that moment-they were about 3.30 morning- super happy and said "I write at this time" and ... (laziness wins me) very optimistic said "better when I woke up ..." and of course at 6 am not reminded me a single note I am convinced that the sparks are most important for a composition, pointed everything I consider important recording it and then orchestrating the idea.. Everything on my phone and then it file Several of these files I have served to jobs that are "in the air" in a while. Inspiración.- When you compose for inspiration, everything is new, everything is true, everything is important. When you enter the world of marketing you require an approval and therefore the marketing has influenced the way I work considerably, since the concept coincide in one main point: Target. I think a certain way, from our music ancestors, has always been the "Target", only that genius was to impose the beauty and creativity learned technically. So I trust in teaching my Master Conservatory Rodolfo Barbacci: "First the technique, then the inspiration ...", denoting that require the study of music, like any profession, for their understanding and morphology. Técnica.- There are also people without knowing how to write a single note, interpret wonders and make us understand what they feel impressively. It is no coincidence: his musical ear has been fed for a long time and possibly the instrument he plays on its own, it has been learned by a large observation and generally having technical difficulties that solves most problems. Dear Tom, your note helps us make easy ways to solve jobs with good advice ... What good !! Thank You. Creo que la nota es muy buena y reflexiona sobre puntos que a veces, no tomamos muy en serio. Creo oportuno entonces compartir de algunas experiencias que también podrían ser útiles: Variedad.- El escuchar más y diferente música alimenta el oído, además de darnos la oportunidad de ampliar nuestra capacidad de componer, pero también creo que hay un orden, que nos da más posibilidades de llegar a una construcción lógica acertada. Los diferentes ritmos, construcciones melódicas, armonías, cadencias, formas de cantar, de tocar un instrumento, de hacerlo sonar, de mezclar en las consolas, de la intervención de un ingeniero de sonido, etc., conforman el producto final que llega a nuestro oído y enriquece nuestra apreciación musical y por ende nuestra composición. Alguien que no conoce de poliritmia no podrá apreciar a plenitud una canción del género ‘progresivo’ y se perderá pasajes espectaculares de tensión; alguien que no conoce de 'contratiempo' no podrá plasmar en su obra una escena de velocidad interesante y alguien que no conoce de tejidos armónicos no podrá esculpir un paisaje en sus acordes: Habrá la intención, pero hoy en día la competitividad es fundamental para llegar a un final deseado. Toda esta información es valiosa para nuestro cerebro que, al juntarla, intentará hacer algo nuevo. Lo importante de la Música Clásica es, precisamente, que ubica nuestro cerebro en orden para construcción musical. Creo que debemos iniciar nuestra exploración con Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, para aprender a hacer estructuras. Color y Nota.- Definitivamente no existe un set para decir ‘esta es la melodía’ o ‘éste es el acorde’ que define este color, esta fotografía, este pedazo de video. Pero podríamos acercarnos. En mi experiencia, tuve la oportunidad de enseñar a mis alumnos (empleando los principios de semiótica) cómo podríamos implementar una imagen con un audio, incluso, tomando en cuenta que a veces es más importante el silencio: Basándome en imágenes, partía del sentido común para agregarles un tema musical conocido, lo analizábamos y luego proponía otras 2 ó 3 canciones de diferentes géneros para comparar y luego ser variables más cercanas en concepto; eso creaba mayor dificultad y continuaba con timbres de diferentes instrumentos musicales. Esto hacía que el valor de sus respuestas sea más rico en expresiones. En otros casos, trabajé música para diversos Proyectos, donde habían patrones constantes que definían un “modo de operar”, ciertos colores que denotan altura o modo y secuencias. Chispa.- He tenido composiciones que han partido de sonidos naturales, ya sean urbanos o rurales o simplemente de mis sueños. Soy fanático de Johann Sebastian Bach y una noche, soñaba que tenía tal abundancia de conocimientos que fluía un pequeña canción a la perfección!! Desperté en ese instante -eran aproximadamente las 3.30 de la madrugada- y dije súper feliz “lo escribo en este momento” y... (la pereza me gana) muy optimista dije “mejor cuando me levante…" y por supuesto a las 6 am no me acordé ni una sola nota. Estoy convencido que los chispazos son lo más importante para una composición, apunto todo lo que considero importante grabándolo y luego instrumentando la idea: Todo en mi teléfono y al final lo archivo. Varios de estos archivos me han servido para trabajos que están "en el aire" desde hace tiempo. Inspiración.- Cuando compones por inspiración todo es nuevo, todo es válido, todo es importante. Cuando entras en el mundo de la comercialización requieres de una aprobación y por ello, el marketing ha influído en mi forma de trabajar de manera considerable, ya que el concepto coincide en un punto principal: El Público Objetivo. Creo que de cierta manera, desde nuestros ancestros musicales, siempre ha existido este “Público Objetivo”, sólo que la genialidad estaba en imponer la belleza y creatividad aprendida técnicamente. Por ello confío plenamente en la enseñanza de mi Maestro del Conservatorio Rodolfo Barbacci: “Primero la técnica, luego la inspiración…”, denotando que requerimos el estudio de la música, como toda profesión, para su entendimiento y morfología. Técnica.- Existen también las personas que sin saber escribir una sola nota, interpretan maravillas y nos hacen comprender lo que sienten de manera impresionante. No es casualidad: su oído musical ha sido alimentado durante mucho tiempo y posiblemente el instrumento que toca por cuenta propia, ha sido aprendido por una gran observación y, generalmente, tiene dificultades técnicas que las resuelve con más dificultades. Estimado Tom, tu nota nos ayuda a tomar caminos fáciles para resolver trabajos con buenos consejos... Qué bien!! Gracias.

I really liked that. Similar revelations came to me when I wrote a conference paper on jazz and animation for a Jazz and Cinema conference (ultimately it will be published in Soundtrack Journal). I learned so much more about the music I loved. I had to listen to soundtracks in a way that I had never done and to appreciate music I hadn’t thought I liked. One thing with the first note - it’s like the opening line in a drama. You have to start somewhere – so better make it good.

Dear Tom, I am trying to carve a niche as a writer. But music and I have never been separate, and am aching to write a screenplay on music. But only my first NOTE is developed! Brought up in an Indian classical music background, I explored my way across western classical, jazz, blues, rock, soul, reggae-even fado and of course Bollywood music . Your have underlined the need to think beyond your first impression (or dismissal) of any music, but look deep into it (example of Carpenters). We have to get inspired with the things around us- Beethoven or Mahler with Nature like you allude to, or how Liszt was inspired by religious poems to do Consolation # 3. Instead of the piano, if he had used the organ, C3 would have come off as a church choir, with its religious undertones. Perhaps! I will try to use your musical analogy to my writing...imagine each note as a WORD, derived from an "n" number of sources! There should be no ruts-no rules...

Wow. I cannot express how much I appreciate this post, and its timeliness for me. Last year and this, seems to be the time of music-based stories for my career -- one is filming right now in India, one just went out to the music supervisor to get busy with and 2 more are in various stages of development. All are completely different styles, none of them in the style that is my favorite. But to be able to listen to the style it certainly helps put the writer in the moment and appreciate the energy possible. I've gained tremendous appreciation for composers and lyricists (not that I didn't appreciate them prior). In a perfect world, all screenwriters would be able to have a music pass on the script so the themes and tones could be embellished to the composers work.

Tom.. extremely well thought out and shared. At it's core the creative process is about being OPEN rather than being resigned or focused on a specific arena, note, style, genre, platform, ideology etc. As the famous saying goes, "Life begins at the EDGE of your comfort zone" and so does creativity. Thanks for sharing the insights which when looked at in a variety of ways are deeply inspirational and thought provoking.

Very interesting points, but respectfully disagree on a couple of things. Not all listening is good listening- While it can be helpful to be aware of what might appeal to folks in a piece of music, its very important to be discerning; you don't want to use every ingredient in your stew- and there is a purpose in limiting your choices. Similarly, unless ones goal is to be a jack of all trades, then its twice as important to focus on developing some things thoroughly rather that to be prepared for anything. Appreciate the thoughts, and the chance to think a few things through. ~Mark

Great post, thank you for sharing your lessons and encouragements. I love this, in the context of listening to music that you don't naturally enjoy :"The question you might start with is: what do people hear in it who do like this music? That is the fine art of appreciation."

Impeccable insights, Tom - you're making the world a better place through your splendid effort.