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Should you formally study music composition? Yes, if writing music is your passion then by all means take some theory, orchestration, or composition lessons/classes. Should you major in music? If music is your primary passion in life and you intend to get a Bachelor's degree, then yes. A lot of music students even have a backup plan and get two degrees, one degree banking on financial stability since making a living as a composer is incredibly difficult. People who identify themselves as professional composers usually earn their livings as educators, or engravers, or performers, or by doing other odds and ends. Unless you can find a steady teaching position, it's hard to find a consistent composition-related job. A B.A. in music will open a few more doors for you, but depending on what you want to do with your life the B.A. may not be enough (or it may not even be necessary). It seems that most professional composers today study up to a graduate level, or at least take some graduate-level classes. If you want to teach at a school, I recommend planning for at least a Master's degree and be prepared for a lot of history and theory. If you want to teach at a college level you'll need a PhD. You may have no idea what you want to do yet, and that's ok too. So I say go for the B.A./B.M. in music, and two years at a community college should prepare you for a 4-year university, but... There will probably come a time in your life when you ask yourself whether or not you really want composition to be your focus in music. Composition can be an extremely lonely process, and I think for most people it's a lifestyle choice rather than a job. If you don't like being by yourself for long periods of time and you want a steady job that allows you to work regular hours and come home at night and relax, then maybe composition as a profession is not for you. Take this into consideration when you decide to pursue composition as a hobby or a profession.

Most people are focusing on your composition but I am going to take the other approach. I am just finishing up High School in the Houston,TX area and have gotten accepted into composition in college, and gone through many auditions over the past couple months (stressful) The biggest problem I see you having is being proficient enough on your primary instrument, since you did not even play through high school. This is really your disadvantage since students coming out of high school have most likely progressed MUCH since middle school and since you put down your horn. If it is what you want to do then give it your all! I am not trying be arrogant in this post, I am just trying to point out some of the obvious disadvantage's you may occur (It is also generally harder to transfer into a music program, unless you are counting on entering as freshman). Honestly, you can gauge yourself better than any of us can though (performance wise). Best of luck! - James

I agree with what has been said above BUT one thing I think no one here has covered is this: DO you plan on making music composition your career? There are opportunities available to composers that can provide a comfy living - but you have to put a great amount of work to it. It's not something that will happen overnight. A degree, sadly, isn't required to do composition BUT it is extremely important in landing a good paying job that utilizes what you know (composition wise). The biggest advantage to the degree is the contacts that you will make. Many of these contacts last for life! As an adult who did not complete college and who has tried to make a career without the degree, I can vouch first hand that it is far more difficult.

Very true - the first thing anybody wishing to study composition should be aware of is that "being a composer" really isn't a "job" (in the sense of allowing you to make a living) in most cases. The only job a composition diploma will be useful for is if you want to teach composition at an university. While that's certainly a desirable thing for many, such jobs are rare enough and you'll rarely get one right as soon as you're done studying. In all other cases (respectively in the meantime), you will have to find some other way to earn your money. This doesn't have to be something entirely unrelated to music of course. There -are- certainly ways to earn some money in the music field, from giving instrumental (or theory) lessons, working for a music publisher or as a music critic, assisting music professors, and so on. Some of these will require additional qualifications (i.e. if you want decent pay for giving instrumental lessons you will want an instrumental diploma), whereas others can offer you money on the side, but won't provide you with a full job on their own. -If- you're set on earning your money in the music field, it would definitely be a good idea to also get an instrumental diploma in order to teach, or at least a theory diploma in order to teach theory. (But generally, you still can do these things a bit later as well.) Personally, I currently earn most of my money by a wide selection of different things, ranging from giving theory lessons to some kids, doing music typesetting jobs for some composers, programming/installing/performing live-electronics for concerts that require them, freelancing as a hornist in some small orchestras from time to time, playing alphorn on weddings and stuff, accompanying singers/instrumentalist on the piano from time to time, etc. On one hand, doing so many things is fun and keeps me from getting bored, on the other hand, it's anything but a job with a fixed monthly income, so in the long term this is much too unsteady to work out very well. All in all: If you stay open towards several directions you won't starve as a composer. But things may turn out a lot easier if you manage to get some other day job.

Normally I would ask if you what are your plans with composition, and if you are into more serious art music or popular music. But your case is a bit different. Like what Impresario said, I would not only need to hear your music, I would need to know what your skill set are musically. A lot of schools these days, when entering school for composition, want to see a portfolio, and since you said you most if not all music compositions is on the computer, that limits your school choices to schools the have a place for electronic music. Another thing that may limit your choices is your playing ability. Though some schools have decided to not require composers to audition on an instrument or voice, most schools still require it. And because I don't know how well you can perform on your instrument, I cant really give you great advice. The Best I can give you is that you should ask your self, "what do I hope to gain by going to college" and "what can I learn on my own?" And I would also ask the colleges themselves, they can usually give your some of the best advice about what you need to do and know.

For one, I don't think you should leave this big decision on the shoulders of anyone else but yourself. But I'll try to answer anyways. Firstly, try posting some music of yours and see if it's good based on reviews. No point auditioning for something you're no good at. Secondly, I think that the 2 years would prepare you enough for university, but I'm not even out of high school so you shouldn't trust me. If you enjoy music, and you're good at it and WANT to do it, it would be a great choice.

Hello all, I would like to ask you a question as I am a bit puzzled. I set myself the assignment to write a set of variations for string quartet on a Germand Folk tune which last 8 bars. The tune is in G (well at least in my score) and changes only briefly to D to return and end in G. So pretty normal. When making the variations on this tune, are all the variations starting in G (or parallel keys i.e. g minor, e minor) or are you free to use whatever tonality you want? Is there a kind of set or "rules" (not the right word but would not know how else to call it) or is it up to the composer? I checked scores of other composers (Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, Brahms, ...) and there it seems that most frequently they stay in the same key as the original, only using the parallel keys. Rachmaninoff - If I am correct in his paganini series - has them all in A minor except for 12-13 D minor 14-15 in F major 16-17 Bflat major, 18 D flat major, which is nearly 1/4 in a totally different key as the original. It would be nice to know as it would give me some more depth in the composition; I thus could play around with the tonality as well as with the rythm or the harmony. Kind regards and thank you for your help Wolfgang Sachs

The key thing to remember though, is that no matter what key you go to - you must always return to the home key at some point. This is highly important in establishing unity within your work.

Thank you for your advice. It is greatly appreciated. I consulted Beethoven - well not all of his variations but a great deal of it - and he does both : staying in the same key but also using different keys, although in his greater variation works, he quite frequently returns in using the main key, i.e. the key in which the theme is set. It is nice to know that you can also use different keys without any problems. I can go ahead now and progress with my work. :-) Thank you Wolfgang

Generally, it depends on what you - as the composer - wish to do. As long as you prepare modulations, you are free to go to whichever key you choose. A good reference would be the many variations by Beethoven (he is considered to be one of the masters of variation form).

Some thoughts. Ask yourself this, what would a degree in composition do for you? Then ask this, can you get what it does for you without getting the degree? Take this example, if you want to be an engineer you need an engineering degree because it's required by law to work as an engineer, thus even if you could learn everything an engineer does on your own, you still need a degree. How about if you wanted to be a designer? Would you need to get an interior design degree? No, it isn't an absolute requirement. You could do this for a living by building contacts, learning from other people, and proving your worth through internships. Would a degree hurt? No, but does it help? depends. Also are you okay with not doing music even if you have a degree in it. What I mean it this. When I give a senior seminar or a freshman seminar, I focus on two things. Number 1)Apply to graduate school if you want to do mathematics for a living. Number 2)realize that for most of you this won't help so pick up useful skills such as programming, business management, etc. The same thing applies to composition. If you get a degree in composition you are pretty much in the same boat as you were before except you have a degree. You would need further studies or a willingness to have a day time job that doesn't relate to your major.

Hey, it's a rare occurrence. I had to capitalize.