“The problem with your piece is that you’re writing the wrong piece.”

Why no one should be made to feel “less than” about their music.

As a student composer, I attended many composition seminars. In composition programs on the West and East Coasts of the United States. At summer festivals in the Midwest and the South and abroad in Italy and France.

Regardless of the location, it’s amazing how similar they all were.

Composition Seminars I’ve Attended

Those here who’ve received university composition degrees know the drill: a bunch of composers huddle around a few printed scores, listening to and critiquing one another’s music.

Sometimes, the atmosphere is supportive and engaging. When seminars work well, professors and peers ask insightful questions to better understand the piece and offer critiques to help the composer better fulfill that vision.

Sharing your music with other composers can feel vulnerable.

Frequently, there’s an edge of vulnerability that permeates in the room as insecure students share their creations, hoping to impress professors and peers.

When seminars work poorly, it can get personal.

After one seminar, a friend of mine summarized the professorial feedback he got as, “The problem with your piece is that you’re writing the wrong piece.”

Now, dear reader — I hope you haven’t personally shared his experience. Sadly, I’ve been around enough composers to know that many have.

Where do composers get off sharing sharing such animus as “constructive criticism”?

It happens because many students and professors still believe this big myth about what element makes music magical: namely, style.

I still hear it everywhere:

• “Artistic voice means having a unique musical style.”

• “You should aim to develop your own style and expression, rather than imitate another composer.”

• “You need a ‘signature sound’ to be a successful composer.”

Assertions like these are WRONG.

To begin with, music cognition researchers have identified what exactly about music gives people goosebumps, takes their breath away, and rivets them to their seats — and it’s NOT style.

Furthermore, reducing a composer’s artistic voice to musical style makes as much sense as saying the thing that matters most in storytelling is a writer’s style. (More than the story itself? Hello?)

There’s More to “Voice” Than Style

Now, if you're a composer who values style more than any other artistic feature, honestly, that’s fine. To each their own. Live your truth.

But, for the rest of us, if you want to grow as a composer and unleash your artistic voice, you have to abandon the idea that style is the be-all, end-all.

Yes, style is valuable, but it is just one piece in a larger puzzle.

On Tuesday, August 2, I’ll be teaching a free workshop entitled, “How to Stop Worrying and Claim Your Artistic Voice.”

If you’ve ever dealt with the insecurities I’ve had, you won’t want to miss this. Sign up here.