MusicMan5

Personally, I believe that inspiration is everywhere; I just need to know where to look. To that end, if I think of something that differs from the original plan, I do my best to incorporate it into the piece. It's just a new strand of inspiration. And when it's all over, you will have collected so many different strands that you will have woven a colorful and richly inspired work. At the same time, if I think of something that simply will not work, I have to be disciplined enough to turn it away and stick to the original plan. But, of course, for anyone it ultimately depends on what the composer wants.

Guilty!!! Not only have I untentionanlly plagiarised a melody but also a harmonic progression. Granted, it wasn't a partcularly complex progression, but still... :blush:

Sometimes I have the same problem. What I like to do is think of a new style of composition (I like to compose in multiple styles, not just a particular one). Then, when I've thought about a lot of music within that style, the music just comes to me.

Yes, yes, yes! There are so many pieces which inspire many of my own compositions. Works by Debussy, Shostakovich, Copland, Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky, Mozart, and many others help me discover what to write. Perhaps a more recent composition of mine, A Distant View, was inspired by Debussy's "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun". (Two things: first, if you've never heard this, pull it up NOW, and second, this piece is up on my profile, and I'd be delighted if anyone viewing this would review it!) I find that it is extremely important to listen to the music of the past compositional giants so I can know what perfectly crafted music sounds like (though I cannot craft perfect music myself... :headwall: )