Leaderboard

Sadly, I have the same composition teacher as Austenite, but! As I've gotten older, I've decided that pushing back against a teacher with whom you disagree can be one of the most formative learning experiences you will ever have. If you can stop worrying about the grade, and seek to express your ideas in opposition to theirs, that will help you crystalize your views and learn to really think for yourself. Having someone take the opposite view forces you to really examine your ideas and getting a little mad can lead to some really sterling work, as you seek to prove irrefutably that your ideas are worthy. You will learn what is good, and also, what does not stand up to argument. You will get a little closer to truth and beauty as a result. Although, sadly, particularly among younger students, there will be many who won't know that they are allowed to push back against a professor, or who worry that a bad grade will keep them from being allowed to take the next step academically. It's an important life skill to learn to argue politely and respectfully, but still passionately. Probably comes easier to those of us with siblings. (:

Well, I just use a staff in CM/Am, and write in my accidentals...If it's highly chromatic, then there are plenty of accidentals anyway. But, if you must, check out this thread: http://www.youngcomposers.com/t7130/finale-guide-to-more-advanced-techniques/ The fifth post has your answer.

Why does it have to be one or the other? I've had plenty of composition classes but it doesn't mean I don't experiment by myself. In fact, most of my classes to date have consisted of me bringing in sketches and ideas that I'd come up with by experimenting then having my teacher suggest areas for improvement, highlight technical issues/flaws and just generally nudge me in the right direction to turn it into a piece of music that I'm reasonably happy with. It's always good to have someone listen to your music with a critical ear, even more so when that ear belongs to someone who is a much better composer than you.

I think I understand what you're saying. Learning from a good teacher is an awesome experience. I've had several. But you can only learn so much. After that we're all self taught. On the other hand, If you are studying Mozart's symphonies in order to learn a certain aspect, isn't Mozart "teaching" you? Composers, dead and living, unwittingly teach me from a distance whenever I play their music.

Ironically, Schoenberg himself never forced serialism onto his students, and actually encouraged them to write in whatever style they wanted!