The talk that precedes the masterclass and the convocation that follows were both good. She had much encouraging words for the students. It was shocking that she didn't know music at all when she started college in Bowling Green, just like how I started college teaching myself piano... One thing that strikes me the most from the conversation with her, is that, when I asked her how much theory she thinks about when she composes, and she said, NONE ---- it's all intuitive... Well, I've tried both ways, and I've certainly been educated that I should find a balance between my gut and logic. Now, should it all come down to personal preferences? Well, the ultimate judge of my music is the audience ---- COMMUNICATION is the key.
Also, we've talked about the business aspect of being a composer ---- the house keeping crap. Other than that, I remember asking her, "how do you usually start a piece?" "Daydream, a lot," she said. I can't agree more. As a composer, we think about sound ALL the time. Just like all the other arts ---- a visual artist probably sees lines and shapes at all time; a script writer imagines his/her own life as a script...
There is too much to learn in music ---- it is an eternal learning process, and it is awesome!