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Two days ago I participated in a Photo Marathon in which we had 12 hours, 12 themes, and had to take 12 photos. It was a pretty exciting challenge. So the idea occurred to me that we might organize a "Composition Marathon" on YC. To do it, we would have to adapt the idea. So I am starting this thread whereby we can collectively brainstorm to refine the idea and eventually hold the marathon. Here are my own suggestions for the adaptation of the photo marathon idea to a "composition marathon". These ideas are suggested as a starting point. Feel free to suggest your improvements or modifications. 1) 12 hours: Since this will be an online event with a global audience of composers, I suggest that we change this to 24 hours in order to take into account the time differences between countries (which could mean that if we made it only 12 hours, several countries' composer's might happen to be asleep during most of those hours). We can agree on the starting time and announce it several days before, doing a countdown to the day and hour (with no details of "themes" announced yet) while asking everyone to register. 2) 12 themes: These could be adapted to mean restrictions on the pieces to be composed. These "restrictions" could mean any of the following (feel free to add your suggestions): a) Limited number of bars to compose in. We could, for example, specify 10-bar miniatures as one of the "themes", as Christian Perrotta did in a successful challenge some time ago. We could go even shorter and ask for 5-bar miniatures, for another of the "themes". b) Related to the above, we can specify the form of the pieces. Possible forms I would suggest would be: free form, Soliloquy, or sententia (Latin for sentence, a form I have originated and composed several sets of pieces in). c) We can supply different musical themes to compose pieces on. d) We can specify the key signatures of the pieces to be composed. e) We can specify the time signatures of the pieces to be composed. f) We can specify the instruments for which to compose pieces. 3) 12 photos/pieces: As regards the number (12) of themes or restrictions, we could once again adapt this to composition in one of the following ways: a) 12 variations on one theme b) 12 sententiae c) 12 soliloquies d) Any of the above restrictions (see No. 2, a-f) x 12 (i. e. 12 x 5-bar minatures, or 12 5-bar miniatures for different instruments, 12 pieces in 12 different provided themes, 12 sententiae/soliloquies/etc. for 12 different instruments, 12 5-bar miniatures in 12 different key signatures, 12 variations on a theme for 12 different instruments, etc). Waiting to hear your input and ideas on how this composition marathon can best be organized and held. It could become a yearly event and would serve to generate increased interest in composition, excitement for young and beginning composers, and challenge and motivate all of us to improve as composers.