Your inspiration?

Who was the first person to truly get you into music AND who was the first person to get you into composing?

My middle school band director, Jeanette Soebbing was definitly the first person to make me truly love music

And my inspiration for composing has always come alot from Frank Ticheli and Brian Balmages.

For me, it comes from all angles. I was and have been and am inspired by many people. Notably:

• My parents - my father with his vast record collection fostered an early appreciation.
  
• My high school band director, Mark Bezanson helped steer and refine this appreciation.
  
• My wife, Natalie is a constant source of inspiration and influence. I wouldn't be the musician I am without her.
  

Along the way, I've been privileged to perform with many amazing musicians, I draw inspiration from them...especially my peers. Also, anyone whose work I admire...

This was the piece of music, upon hearing, made me realize that I wanted a career in music. The music is so powerful... This is a piece I perform frequently with my own ensemble, and it still gets me excited to even TRY and come close to the level of emotion and energy in this original version.

Carla Bley's The Lord is Listenin' To Ya, Halleluja", featuring the terrifying Gary Valente.

This was the piece of music, upon hearing, made me realize that I wanted a career in music. The music is so powerful... This is a piece I perform frequently with my own ensemble, and it still gets me excited to even TRY and come close to the level of emotion and energy in this original version.

Carla Bley's The Lord is Listenin' To Ya, Halleluja", featuring the terrifying Gary Valente.

1. holy crap. i was in love at the first chord change, i kid you not.

2. the first piece that made me realize that i wanted a career in music...probably Sparks by Brian Balmages. Nothing over-the-top amazing about it, it just struck a chord (no pun intended) with me

My parents - Despite coming from a poor family, my parents provide me the means for me to learn to play the piano.

And God.

My friend tried to write a symphony. I tried to write a parody of it. And I've been composing ever since. In retrospect, I'm not sure which piece is more hilarious :P

Well, my dad asked me if I wanted to play an instrument when I was about five, and since there was a good 'cello teacher in town that's what I started with. I always enjoyed it and when I got into the higher grades where you get gorgeous pieces of composers like Faure, Elgar, Saint-Saens etc. I came to absolutely love it. My teacher's been a great inspiration but I guess above all for performance it's really the enjoyment from the quality of the music you're playing that really inspired me to keep going and such.

As for composition, I started at a much later age (15), wrote my first piece for school and had to enter it into an eisteddfod, ended up getting first place, in my comments the adjudicator added a note with his email saying I could send him anything else I wrote if I wanted some comments. So I did when I wrote my next piece and he was the person who inspired my interest in composing outside of school tasks just through how encouraging he was, we've kept in contact since.

Another inspiring thing for composition was hearing one of my works played by a professional ensemble, it's really incredible to have a piece performed and suddenly recall the fact that it's your music.

Anyway, that's how it is for me, there was no particular piece, and it's not like I was inspired once and that was it and I was hooked forever, I'm still being inspired and hopefully I'll never cease to be.

Black sabbath made me like music.

decided to start composing out of the blue

God. Romantic music. My Parents. My musical friends. YC is also a great motivation and I feel a song coming on!

Improvisation also helps with fresh ideas!

Bless you!

Me. Or maybe it was because my Dad used to blast classical rock at full volume all day long.

My dad got me into music. Composing, saw a guy doing it one day, decided to see what's up.

Megaman music and later Bach.

Mozart

OMG. *reads the above comment and nods like crazy*

i started myself on music by tapping my fingers on the table.

my parents started me in piano lessons.

i started myself on composing by listening to classical music and just loving it.

and of course.....

Mozart.