Description:

Frank Ticheli, composer and Professor of Composition at the USC Thornton School of Music, discusses the many aspects involved in the process of composing. He explains the importance of understanding instrumentation. Once one knows the limits, one can push those limitations. Ticheli also points out that a lot of ideas come out of instrumentation. Also in this segment, he discusses the difficulty of being a teacher and composer. Each new piece of music requires feeling like a beginner. Therefore, he shares his belief that composition requires patience and courage. He also believes that listening to music has a significant impact on the development of a composer. Listening to a variety of composers and knowing the literature is a must. Ticheli covers the luck of great inspiration as well.