Dear Teachers, Hello and I so appreciate your help in the past. Thank you again. As, academics, educators if a student asked you," Do you have academic suggestions how I could be inspired to compose piano compositions?" The student would add," Now piano compositions just come to me and what I want to learn is how to be inspired to compose at will." I am not asking you for methods of composition at all...just inspiration ideas. I want to share this with the Composer's Forum where I hang out often. I do not know how to move a post so could you please post your replies in the Composer's Forum for me and the other composers to read? Pretty please? Thank You In Advance For Your Replies, Very Respectfully, Sandy B... Note: For me I become inspired by listening to classical piano. Especially Bach. I adore counterpoint and it really wakes the musical creative side of me up as nothing else does. Other ideas please?

Inspiration comes from many different sources: nature, other musicians, works of art, literature, drama. However, a composer will oftne have "writer's block" in which case nothing inspires. It's not what inpires that's the problem it is composing without being inspired. There are many different techniques for this, such as improvising at the keyboard, writing 5 or 6 different melodies to get you started, etc., but I don't think this is what you were asking?

I appreciate all information. You were on target with what I wanted to know and thank you. Sandy B

A real world example:

Several students in one of my classes really liked a four-measure exercise in the string method book we're using. They said "gee, it sure would be cool if this were longer like a real piece."

Wrote it yesterday.

Excuse me for being overly basic, but every time I take theory lessons to improve my teaching whether it be counterpoint, classical, or 20th century...it just makes me so motivated to speak with my own voice.

I cannot imagine wanting to compose if I had never gone through all the theory. There is always more to learn, and the picture just becomes more and more clear as I continue on my journey. I think that analyzing all the music that one hears also brings motivation. Every time I hear something that moves me, I try my best to capture what has happened into words so I can use it in a new setting. I may be a little far over to one side of the equation, but I feel more like an engineer than an artist when I compose. Many will not share this experience.

I hope I have helped