Teaching composition

My approach to teaching (and practising) composition is one of "standing out while fitting in" (Bellaviti 2015). 

This means that the primary focus of teaching and learning composition is the development of a unique personal voice that is already within but needs attention to develop: One needs to learn how to "sing" with one's compositional voice, but it already exists. I won't tell my students how they "should" compose, but try and find out how they already do.

The secondary focus is fitting this unique voice into the existing musical world, so that it can be used to communicate. I'm not a fan of the idea that compositional voices exist in a vacuum, on an island or come from a far away planet: I much prefer the idea that it is like a language that we use to express the important parts of our experience that spoken language and science cannot. But that requires being able to be understood, even if one has something new to say. 

In both cases, developing technique is a focus, either your own technique (innovation: "standing out") and/or the mastering of existing compositional techniques ("fitting in"). This involves asking the question "How does it work?" and comparing any clear systems in the music with the aesthetic result as you (standing out), and others (fitting in), hear it.

"Fitting in" can be very useful in building a career and receiving first commissions, since artistic directors can easily see the technical and aesthetic content of a piece which uses existing compositional techniques in a sophisticated way. Nevertheless, true success only comes when you "stand out" by adding your own unique voice to the tradition, and find that special musical approach which you - and only you - can do in a uniquely effective way.

When I hear music that I truly love, I get a warm feeling of connectedness to humanity: I felt "heard" and "understood", but at the same time I get the sense of a strong personality behind the creation of the music. This synthesis or synergy of interpersonal connectedness and individual personality is what I look for in my own music and what I try to foster in my students.

14.03.2025, Vienna.

Bellaviti, S. (2015). Standing Out While Fitting In: Genre, Style, and Critical Differentiation among Panamanian Conjunto Musicians. Ethnomusicology, 59(3), 450-474.