Finding inspiration!

[Keegan D. Bosch]

I am constantly spending time in front of my computer, sorrounded by instruments. But I can't seem to get anything down that i am happy enough with to finish.

Any tips on gettng inspired?

[Rob Rericha]

Hi. Happy New Year! Yes, I have two books by Kandinsky, but they're packed away. Robert Henri, an American impressionist painter, wrote a book called "The Art Spirit." Also worth reading. I love some of his paintings. I saw some of his paintings at an exhibit of eight American impresionists in Ohio. And my teacher owned one of his paintings. The art books don't do the paintings justice. I think composers should start something like the salons that the painters used to have. I think this forum is a great idea. I'm hungry for this kind of exchange. We need to be networking. We need to become an active community. What we do is powerful and important to our society. Political entities are very aware of it. If your work doesn't fit their agenda, you're not getting your work heard. Keep your eyes wide open, the agenda is going to change very soon.

[Craig Hopkinson]

I researched the brush stroke techniques of Monet and studied the nature of gesture in Debussy La Mer and to a lesser degree Respeghi @Fountains of Rome'...fascinating! Then followed that up with a research on Franz Kline (black & white period 1950s) and discovered the use of action gesture which blew me away..I had finally got a manifesto together!

[Craig Hopkinson]

..and currently reading and openly admiring the work of 'Banksy' the urban graffiti artist. The book is called 'Wall and Piece',

I agree with your comment that visual has to be seen 'live' so to speak rather than images in a book. Ive seen many works over the years at various venues..the most spiritual piece for me was a sculpture installation at the London Tate in the 90s by Nicholas Pope called 'The Apostles Speaking In Tongues'.

[Rob Rericha]

That's pretty interesting. I was looking at some Feininger paintings and kept getting some very different musical ideas. If you go to my band/s websight, theknightstempo.com you can hear a tune I wrote called Both Stuff that was inspired by one of his paintings,

[SpyrusTheVirus]

oh well,it happens all the time.But inspiration never comes when you are in front of a pc,that's for sure.ideas,inspirations,music,art itshelf comes from life,you can't write what you don't sxperience.so,live live live.go out,see people,see things,facts,movies,read,see paintings,listen to music,and think eveything you saw. there you have your material. you take it and make it into sounds.

also,take the beethoven sonatas,and start studying them.play them,interpet them,see his ingenious way of using things that seem simple to us,to create masterpieces. then take some chopin,and play as well. mess around with them while playing, don't be afraid to make a mistake.my first nocture came as a mistake while playing something from chopin,if I remember well. if you think you are writing something that you don't like,don't be afraid to close you program or notebook,and do something else.or delete it and start over.music needs you to imagine, dare, and be curious.

[Xcid]

Well, I've seen amazing recommendations here, in my personal case I find that working old projects help a lot to get an idea where you want to go, sometimes we get stuck because we feel lost in the idea of: what is what really make you move in this.
hope this helps too

[Fredrick zinos]

Stravinsky had some good advice. Words to the effect: Sit at the keyboard and play something.. and pay very close attention to your mistakes.

The 90%-10% observation is probably true. I say probably because as nearly as I can figure, I've never had any inspiration, not a drop.

That said, I recall an experience watching 4 comedy writers working on a TV skit. They would create something, read it (it was hillarious) and never laugh.. they only commmeted "yes, that will work."

Maybe "yes that will work" IS the inspired moment.

I pass this along as a disinterested observer.

[Keegan D. Bosch]

haha. suddenly te other day, while sitting home sick on 4-chan, i saw a picture from the movie "spinal tap" regarding D-minor


inspiration struck
=D

[Ray Kemp]

Steve,

Sure that's not the 'Waste of Man' you're smelling.

[SpyrusTheVirus]

I totally agree with the 3rd one,in the begining being minimalistic helps.after you have the main body and the basic harmonies,you can move on orchestrating the rest more easiely.I find it easier toy start with just a piano,and then maybe get it further