Getting started - Stimuli
A dramatic photograph can be used as inspiration
Many great composers have taken inspiration from art, literature and/or dance. Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev were inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, producing an overture and a ballet respectively with the same title. Vivaldi’s interpretation of The Four Seasons, was inspired by a series of paintings by artist Marco Ricci.
Looking at other creative forms can generate ideas for your own work.
You could:
- read a poem or short story and try to recreate it in music. You could consider the mood of the text, the length of the words, syllables and phrases.
- look at a photograph and try to come up with music that evokes the same emotions and narrative contained in the photograph.
- produce music that could be used for a dance. Consider the tempo and style of dance as well as the mood. How can you reflect dance steps, leaps, turns and twirls in your music?
- compose music for a film or video clip. Consider creating musical phrases to represent sound effects and characters. Also try and capture the mood of the visuals - music that will accompany a serious film will be vastly different to music for a cartoon or animation.
