<p>For those in college composition studies, entering college composition studies next year, or who aspire to study composition, what was the single piece of music or the idenity of the composer that made you want to study composition? In my son's case, it was Gunther Schuller's Second String Quartet which has been recorded by among others The Emerson String Quartet. Schuller is also well known in Jazz circles.</p>
<p>My son said Mahler 4th Symphony. First recording he listened to of it was Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Bernstein.</p>
<p>My daughter enjoys a wide range of composers but I don’t think any of them inspired her to compose. I think she just felt a need to write down what she heard in her head.</p>
<p>A good teacher can inspire by helping a young person do just that, but for her, composition also could not really be taught, though a teacher as sounding board is always helpful.</p>
<p>My daughter often says that if she could stop composing, she would. Her current professor told her that she, the teacher, tried to stop for 5 years but couldn’t do it.</p>
<p>What a great question Compdad!</p>
<p>My son has been writing music since 5th grade. He was 1 year into piano lessons and had a wonderful piano teacher who nurtured his creativity. At the recital, he played one of his pieces. I don’t think he technically wrote it down. He just played it over and over until he knew it by heart. And, as a true jazz artist, made it a little different every time. It was kind of a modern piece if I remember correctly :-)</p>
<p>Before he wrote music, he wrote stories and poetry. Writing is a compulsion for him - he really can’t help it! Over the last few years, he started listening more, and enjoys a wide variety of music. It would be hard to categorize his listening habits. Though, I’m sure since 5th grade he has been inspired by certain musicians more than others.</p>
<p>I think for my son it might have been John Williams and maybe in particular the closing credits for Star Wars. John Williams is the man!</p>
<p>I think every young composer would love to do film scores.</p>
<p>Thanks for asking the question, as it just started an interesting conversation. My son can’t think of just one piece or one composer. He said some things are super inspiring, but also so incredible, like the Rite of Spring for ex. (which he was listening to when I asked the question) that they probably are more discouraging than encouraging! That said, he did come up with Bartok’s 4th string quartet, esp the last movement, and now I’m very interested to hear that for myself 
But he was already taking composition lessons when he heard that, I think. So maybe, like compmom’s daughter, getting started was more a matter of just wanting to learn to write out what was in his head. I think of his music - both his piano playing & his compositions - as his second language. And music is usually his better one for conveying emotion. :)</p>
<p>Momphony, That was most interesting what you said about music as a second language. My son can be a quiet individual but I am often floored when I hear him perform or hear one of his compositions because of what he has to say musically. (Or in fact when he speaks about music he is passionate about.)</p>
<p>My son’s appreciation of Bartok increased as he progressed in composition, and his foundation in theory grew more complex. Bartok is one of his major influences. It is such a joy to watch our kids expand their horizons in composition and through influences find their own voice. I have watched and listened with great pleasure to my son play other other composers’ music so many times over the years, but hearing his own music played and listening to him him talk about compositon goes so far beyond.</p>
<p>I think Rhapsody in Blue got my son hooked early on in coming up with his own music, the Rachmaninoff and many others. I asked him why he wants to major in composition,and he replied «there’s really nothing at college that is interesting for a person to study except composing" which amused me to hear.</p>
<p>Rhapsody in Blue is a great work by which to be inspired. Parentviolinist, what are some of your son’s inspirations for the violin? My son would agree with your son on what is worth studying in college except my son would add math to the thought.</p>
<p>I think my son’s inspiration for composing for violin and strings started with a combo of Mozart, Kreisler and Beethoven’s spring sonata. Later it was Saint Saens, Vaughn williams,Dvorak, Barber and now likes Schoenberg sometimes. He is crazy about Ravel, which leads him into trouble writing crazy orchestration.I’m curious if some of you parents experience hearing what sounds like several famous composers colliding at high speed when listening to one of your child’s orchestral works? At least when he writes his violin lines, his teachers say he’s right on!</p>
<p>My son was influenced by Bartok’s piano music–he started playing pieces from “For Children” when he was very young.</p>