overview
I’ve compiled a list of ideas that express some of the most important guiding principles I’ve discovered in my own development as a writer. It’s a bit tongue-in-cheek, but I call them my “ten golden rules.”
- Write the music to fit the performance situation.
- Every performer in the ensemble should have a good part.
- Decide how much control each player should have over the music and how much control you should retain. Then write accordingly.
- Get the musical effect you want with the least effort.
- Always use the best players you can find.
- You should be able to sing your music.
- When you get stuck, don’t stop.
- Transcribing is the second best way to learn to write music.
- Develop, revise, rewrite, re-use!
- Always try to include something new or unusual in your work.