Need Some Help

Ok, I am a young teenager and i know i want to be a composer. I love music, playing it and listening to it. I want to compose for wind ensembles and symphonic bands, and what not. I was just wondering how i should get started. I have this idea for a song that i have written down and its coming along, i have a beggining created, but i don't know who will take me seriously on this idea of mine. Should i approach this idea with my band director, another composer, or should i jsut wait and keep the idea in a notebook, with dust gathering on it?

May as well start now.

• Write some music.
  
• Buy some books (Theory, orchestration, etc.)
  
• Listen to a lot of music (what do you like? What don't you like?)
  
• Write some music
  
• Buy some cds
  
• Talk to your band director (Bring him a score? Ask to play a piece? Ask to see the scores to pieces you like? Ask for lessons?)
  
• Go to more concerts
  
• Write some music
  
• Start your own ensemble (hear your music played)
  
• Write more music
  
• Talk to local pros (theory/composition teachers)
  
• Buy more cds
  
• Write some music
  

The above post is fact

Do loads of performing. People then may respect your compositions once you've established a reputation of a good performer.

I'd also recommend buying a sample library, which will "help" you to hear how your compositions could sound like in reality. It has helped me a lot, and orchestras like EWQL are so cheap now, that it would be stupid (if you can't hear it all in your head - obviously) not to invest in one.

May as well start now.

• Write some music.
  
• Buy some books (Theory, orchestration, etc.)
  
• Listen to a lot of music (what do you like? What don't you like?)
  
• Write some music
  
• Buy some cds
  
• Talk to your band director (Bring him a score? Ask to play a piece? Ask to see the scores to pieces you like? Ask for lessons?)
  
• Go to more concerts
  
• Write some music
  
• Start your own ensemble (hear your music played)
  
• Write more music
  
• Talk to local pros (theory/composition teachers)
  
• Buy more cds
  
• Write some music
  

Yah man.

Robin's suggestions are great. Here is another one: Try to play in a wide variety of ensembles. This will do several things:

1) Give you more exposure to different ensembles, instruments and repertoire.

2) Teach you the manner in which various sections (i.e. violins) have been used in the past.

3) Give you a deeper understanding of how these musicians perform on the instruments. (You have no idea how often I hear "wow, this composer has clearly NEVER played ")

4) Give you more exposure to directors, which are all hopefully high quality. You can observe how different a leader has to approach a jazz band vs. a choir vs. a marching band. This can come in handy when you're the person leading the rehearsal!

All of these things can help broaden your ears and understanding. It can also be a great deal of fun! I've played in bands, marching bands, orchestras, combos, big bands, jazz ensembles, wind symphonies, sung in choirs (both all male and SATB) and all of these experiences help me write quality music today.

Plus it can help with college scholarships, and is a great way to meet the ladies.

Well...actually, the last part may be a bit of a lie. Sorry. :)

Actually.... anyone who has played in a gigging ensemble will tell you that it's a great way to meet ladies.

Have you REALLY played in all those groups? :)

Yes I have. My undergrad was a smaller music school and the ensembles were set up to where you could be in everything and still be okay...incredibly busy, but okay. Then in graduate school I was actually in two jazz bands, the wind symphony, saxophone quartet (actually I did this for both undergrad and grad) and play with several combos. I was also asked to play with the orchestra for several things.

The last part was a joke. I was going for the ol' only nerdy guys play in band vibe...but I guess I wasn't clear enough.

If you're going to write for band, please do your best to write something good :( Bands really have been getting the short end of the stick the last 20 or so years. Aside from 2-3 composers, so much band music written now is just not good. I always come across young kids who want say they want to write for band, I ask them what works influence them, and they tell me "October". I shudder at that, listen to as much music as you possibly can. I seriously mean listen to EVERYTHING, it will help you immensely in writing music.

By the way, you won't become a better writer by immediately jumping into large ensemble music, it's harder than just slapping some stuff into Finale/Sibelius, doubling a motive in 9 voices, layering in an ostinato and calling it a day. But you'll learn as you mature and progress as well all do.

Ugh... October.

Why mr. Whitaker? Why?

I haven't heard October, is it that bad? But yes, overall I agree! Band music does get shafted often....which is a real shame.

Hey! :( Eric Whitacre rocks!

There are a lot worse of composers out there

And have you ever heard any of his Choral music? Amazing!!!!!!!

I'm big into his choral music. October is just a scrafty piece. That's all. Composers are allowed to do that once in a while. I figure if you make a cd of amazing music you're allowed to have one scrafty piece floating around out there. It's probably out of your control at that point. He may have written it thinking it was not going to get played more than once.

I'm going to be playing Cloudburst by Whitacre in honors band, it's an intriguing piece, very original idea, but not exactly band music as much as it is a 'sound portrait'.

By the way, if you play piano, writing for piano is about the best way to get started, you have everything right in front of you and you don't have to worry about different instruments and different sounds, it's all one thing. Of course, once you get better at it, you move on to quartets and smaller ensembles, and eventually orchestra or band, whichever is your preference. But always start small. Once you create something you are genuinely happy with and have received some positive feedback on, go ahead and take it to your ensemble directors. Let them know you're interested. Band directors usually like to take on works from new composers, much more than orchestras, which only play dead people's music. :P