Joseph Sowa
@josephsowa.bsky.social
I give composers the tools to compose better, work faster, and reach larger audiences | PhD in Comp + Theory | Founder, Wizarding School for Composers
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Joseph Sowa
@josephsowa.bsky.social
· Mar 17
Joseph Sowa | Typeshare
Thoughts on music composition and creative process from Dr. Joseph Sowa, the founder of the Wizarding School for Composers
typeshare.co
Interested in Notated Music, Music Composition, and the Creative Process?
Over the next 30 days, I'll be writing 30 Atomic Essays.
Follow my Social Blog Follow my Social Blog on @typeshare_co: https://typeshare.co/composersschool
Over the next 30 days, I'll be writing 30 Atomic Essays.
Follow my Social Blog Follow my Social Blog on @typeshare_co: https://typeshare.co/composersschool
90% of writing music is really just three steps on repeat:
1. Pulling out your staff paper, DAW, or notation app
2. Putting notes on the page
3. Deciding to keep them, change them, or scrap them.
Everything else is at the service of these three steps.
1. Pulling out your staff paper, DAW, or notation app
2. Putting notes on the page
3. Deciding to keep them, change them, or scrap them.
Everything else is at the service of these three steps.
May 7, 2025 at 2:33 PM
90% of writing music is really just three steps on repeat:
1. Pulling out your staff paper, DAW, or notation app
2. Putting notes on the page
3. Deciding to keep them, change them, or scrap them.
Everything else is at the service of these three steps.
1. Pulling out your staff paper, DAW, or notation app
2. Putting notes on the page
3. Deciding to keep them, change them, or scrap them.
Everything else is at the service of these three steps.
Calling someone a “tonal” (or “atonal”) composer is like identifying a writer by the language they write in.
It tells you next to nothing about their music.
It tells you next to nothing about their music.
May 6, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Calling someone a “tonal” (or “atonal”) composer is like identifying a writer by the language they write in.
It tells you next to nothing about their music.
It tells you next to nothing about their music.
Quote to stick on your mirror:
"Don't be a genius in every bar" — Gabriel Fauré
Great music is NOT relentlessly complex. It balances brilliant ideas with moments that breathe and relax.
Following this principle makes your music easier for your audience to grasp—and easier for you to write.
"Don't be a genius in every bar" — Gabriel Fauré
Great music is NOT relentlessly complex. It balances brilliant ideas with moments that breathe and relax.
Following this principle makes your music easier for your audience to grasp—and easier for you to write.
May 5, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Quote to stick on your mirror:
"Don't be a genius in every bar" — Gabriel Fauré
Great music is NOT relentlessly complex. It balances brilliant ideas with moments that breathe and relax.
Following this principle makes your music easier for your audience to grasp—and easier for you to write.
"Don't be a genius in every bar" — Gabriel Fauré
Great music is NOT relentlessly complex. It balances brilliant ideas with moments that breathe and relax.
Following this principle makes your music easier for your audience to grasp—and easier for you to write.
99% of the time I've felt overwhelmed as a composer:
It had nothing to do with composing itself . . .
And everything to do with how I *thought* about composing.
Here's one example: music theory...
It had nothing to do with composing itself . . .
And everything to do with how I *thought* about composing.
Here's one example: music theory...
May 2, 2025 at 2:29 PM
99% of the time I've felt overwhelmed as a composer:
It had nothing to do with composing itself . . .
And everything to do with how I *thought* about composing.
Here's one example: music theory...
It had nothing to do with composing itself . . .
And everything to do with how I *thought* about composing.
Here's one example: music theory...
What Seth Godin said to marketers is equally true for composers: “The challenge is to find a point of view if you don’t have one yet.”
What is your music's . . . ?
Style
Genre
Function
Materials
Audience
Aesthetics
Inspiration
Motivations
Answer this and you unlock your artistic voice.
What is your music's . . . ?
Style
Genre
Function
Materials
Audience
Aesthetics
Inspiration
Motivations
Answer this and you unlock your artistic voice.
May 1, 2025 at 12:00 PM
What Seth Godin said to marketers is equally true for composers: “The challenge is to find a point of view if you don’t have one yet.”
What is your music's . . . ?
Style
Genre
Function
Materials
Audience
Aesthetics
Inspiration
Motivations
Answer this and you unlock your artistic voice.
What is your music's . . . ?
Style
Genre
Function
Materials
Audience
Aesthetics
Inspiration
Motivations
Answer this and you unlock your artistic voice.
Classical musicians receive years of theory training, but many still fear composing. Why?
1. "I can't compete with Beethoven."
2. "My peers will laugh at me."
3. "I'm not creative enough."
What other reasons have stopped you in the past?
1. "I can't compete with Beethoven."
2. "My peers will laugh at me."
3. "I'm not creative enough."
What other reasons have stopped you in the past?
April 30, 2025 at 7:54 PM
Classical musicians receive years of theory training, but many still fear composing. Why?
1. "I can't compete with Beethoven."
2. "My peers will laugh at me."
3. "I'm not creative enough."
What other reasons have stopped you in the past?
1. "I can't compete with Beethoven."
2. "My peers will laugh at me."
3. "I'm not creative enough."
What other reasons have stopped you in the past?
Classical musicians play to a LOT of music, but many fear composing. Asking these 3 Qs about the music I played gave me courage:
- What details excite me, delight me, or stand out?
- What if this were different?
- What if I tried it?
Tomorrow's masterpieces only come from today's experiments.
- What details excite me, delight me, or stand out?
- What if this were different?
- What if I tried it?
Tomorrow's masterpieces only come from today's experiments.
April 29, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Classical musicians play to a LOT of music, but many fear composing. Asking these 3 Qs about the music I played gave me courage:
- What details excite me, delight me, or stand out?
- What if this were different?
- What if I tried it?
Tomorrow's masterpieces only come from today's experiments.
- What details excite me, delight me, or stand out?
- What if this were different?
- What if I tried it?
Tomorrow's masterpieces only come from today's experiments.
It shouldn't take a car wreck to inspire you to write beautiful music—but that's what it took for me.
My junior year of college, I was drowning:
• Heavy course load
• 20 hours of work weekly
• Fresh out of a breakup.
But I had big dreams. 🧵
My junior year of college, I was drowning:
• Heavy course load
• 20 hours of work weekly
• Fresh out of a breakup.
But I had big dreams. 🧵
April 28, 2025 at 3:29 PM
It shouldn't take a car wreck to inspire you to write beautiful music—but that's what it took for me.
My junior year of college, I was drowning:
• Heavy course load
• 20 hours of work weekly
• Fresh out of a breakup.
But I had big dreams. 🧵
My junior year of college, I was drowning:
• Heavy course load
• 20 hours of work weekly
• Fresh out of a breakup.
But I had big dreams. 🧵
Composers — what was the biggest thing you had to unlearn after graduating from music school?
I'll start: Career success is directly proportional to your technical skills. (It's certainly true up to a point, after which it increasingly isn't.)
I'll start: Career success is directly proportional to your technical skills. (It's certainly true up to a point, after which it increasingly isn't.)
April 25, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Composers — what was the biggest thing you had to unlearn after graduating from music school?
I'll start: Career success is directly proportional to your technical skills. (It's certainly true up to a point, after which it increasingly isn't.)
I'll start: Career success is directly proportional to your technical skills. (It's certainly true up to a point, after which it increasingly isn't.)
“The problem with your piece is that you're writing the wrong piece.“
That's how a composer friend once summarized the feedback he got in studio seminar. The hurt was real. Sharing our music often feels vulnerable.
Here are 11 constructive ways to offer feedback to composers (and all artists) 🧵
That's how a composer friend once summarized the feedback he got in studio seminar. The hurt was real. Sharing our music often feels vulnerable.
Here are 11 constructive ways to offer feedback to composers (and all artists) 🧵
April 24, 2025 at 2:32 PM
“The problem with your piece is that you're writing the wrong piece.“
That's how a composer friend once summarized the feedback he got in studio seminar. The hurt was real. Sharing our music often feels vulnerable.
Here are 11 constructive ways to offer feedback to composers (and all artists) 🧵
That's how a composer friend once summarized the feedback he got in studio seminar. The hurt was real. Sharing our music often feels vulnerable.
Here are 11 constructive ways to offer feedback to composers (and all artists) 🧵
“Who cares if you listen?”
This infamous title made Milton Babbitt seem like an elitist grouch. In reality, he loved to talk about beer, basketball, and musicals.
But his essay did presage the modern university composition department.
Here are 6 quotes that aged well—and 1 that didn't 🧵
This infamous title made Milton Babbitt seem like an elitist grouch. In reality, he loved to talk about beer, basketball, and musicals.
But his essay did presage the modern university composition department.
Here are 6 quotes that aged well—and 1 that didn't 🧵
April 23, 2025 at 1:55 PM
“Who cares if you listen?”
This infamous title made Milton Babbitt seem like an elitist grouch. In reality, he loved to talk about beer, basketball, and musicals.
But his essay did presage the modern university composition department.
Here are 6 quotes that aged well—and 1 that didn't 🧵
This infamous title made Milton Babbitt seem like an elitist grouch. In reality, he loved to talk about beer, basketball, and musicals.
But his essay did presage the modern university composition department.
Here are 6 quotes that aged well—and 1 that didn't 🧵
Embrace your half-baked ideas.
Be playful. Make dozens of them. Half-baked ideas are the essential, non-negotiable ingredients for creating display-case ideas—the ones you share publicly.
So when you generate half-baked ideas, take pride in them: you're doing it right.
Be playful. Make dozens of them. Half-baked ideas are the essential, non-negotiable ingredients for creating display-case ideas—the ones you share publicly.
So when you generate half-baked ideas, take pride in them: you're doing it right.
April 22, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Embrace your half-baked ideas.
Be playful. Make dozens of them. Half-baked ideas are the essential, non-negotiable ingredients for creating display-case ideas—the ones you share publicly.
So when you generate half-baked ideas, take pride in them: you're doing it right.
Be playful. Make dozens of them. Half-baked ideas are the essential, non-negotiable ingredients for creating display-case ideas—the ones you share publicly.
So when you generate half-baked ideas, take pride in them: you're doing it right.
If you like NotePerformer, you're going to LOVE Cantai. It's a literal game-changer for those of us who write vocal/choral music. Check it out below:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cantai/cantai-intelligent-operatic-choral-singing-synthesizer
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cantai/cantai-intelligent-operatic-choral-singing-synthesizer
Just a moment...
www.kickstarter.com
April 18, 2025 at 8:00 PM
If you like NotePerformer, you're going to LOVE Cantai. It's a literal game-changer for those of us who write vocal/choral music. Check it out below:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cantai/cantai-intelligent-operatic-choral-singing-synthesizer
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cantai/cantai-intelligent-operatic-choral-singing-synthesizer
Some people think the key to writing great music is mastering theory and techniques.
Others think it's about pushing boundaries.
Still others insist it cannot be taught.
But the truth is, memorable music—the kind that gives listeners goosebumps—comes from mastering these 4 elements:
Others think it's about pushing boundaries.
Still others insist it cannot be taught.
But the truth is, memorable music—the kind that gives listeners goosebumps—comes from mastering these 4 elements:
April 18, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Some people think the key to writing great music is mastering theory and techniques.
Others think it's about pushing boundaries.
Still others insist it cannot be taught.
But the truth is, memorable music—the kind that gives listeners goosebumps—comes from mastering these 4 elements:
Others think it's about pushing boundaries.
Still others insist it cannot be taught.
But the truth is, memorable music—the kind that gives listeners goosebumps—comes from mastering these 4 elements:
Composers: “I want my music to stand up to repeat listenings.”
Also Composers: “I would NEVER dream of writing repeat bars in my music. That’s so lazy!”
Also Composers: “I would NEVER dream of writing repeat bars in my music. That’s so lazy!”
April 17, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Composers: “I want my music to stand up to repeat listenings.”
Also Composers: “I would NEVER dream of writing repeat bars in my music. That’s so lazy!”
Also Composers: “I would NEVER dream of writing repeat bars in my music. That’s so lazy!”
There are a thousand ways to feel paralyzed as a composer.
(We all know that feeling.)
But if you want to break free and create more music, here are the 6 essential creative tasks that will make your composing time productive:
(We all know that feeling.)
But if you want to break free and create more music, here are the 6 essential creative tasks that will make your composing time productive:
April 17, 2025 at 2:06 PM
There are a thousand ways to feel paralyzed as a composer.
(We all know that feeling.)
But if you want to break free and create more music, here are the 6 essential creative tasks that will make your composing time productive:
(We all know that feeling.)
But if you want to break free and create more music, here are the 6 essential creative tasks that will make your composing time productive:
Calling a piece of music “tonal“ is like calling an accent “British” — given all the actual variety, it doesn't clarify that much
April 16, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Calling a piece of music “tonal“ is like calling an accent “British” — given all the actual variety, it doesn't clarify that much
Developing your craft as a composer is like going to the gym:
- Specificity: Focus on isolated elements—harmony, texture, orchestration—one at a time
- Progressive overload: Challenge yourself with increasingly harder problems
- Recovery: Let your intuition internalize what you did
Rinse. Repeat.
- Specificity: Focus on isolated elements—harmony, texture, orchestration—one at a time
- Progressive overload: Challenge yourself with increasingly harder problems
- Recovery: Let your intuition internalize what you did
Rinse. Repeat.
April 16, 2025 at 12:14 PM
Developing your craft as a composer is like going to the gym:
- Specificity: Focus on isolated elements—harmony, texture, orchestration—one at a time
- Progressive overload: Challenge yourself with increasingly harder problems
- Recovery: Let your intuition internalize what you did
Rinse. Repeat.
- Specificity: Focus on isolated elements—harmony, texture, orchestration—one at a time
- Progressive overload: Challenge yourself with increasingly harder problems
- Recovery: Let your intuition internalize what you did
Rinse. Repeat.
Igor Stravinsky was an elite composer, creating arguably the 20th century's most iconic work, the Rite of Spring.
But he would have still defended students and amateurs as "real composers."
What made Stravinsky so generous when many other musicians were busy judging and ranking each other?
A 🧵
But he would have still defended students and amateurs as "real composers."
What made Stravinsky so generous when many other musicians were busy judging and ranking each other?
A 🧵
April 15, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Igor Stravinsky was an elite composer, creating arguably the 20th century's most iconic work, the Rite of Spring.
But he would have still defended students and amateurs as "real composers."
What made Stravinsky so generous when many other musicians were busy judging and ranking each other?
A 🧵
But he would have still defended students and amateurs as "real composers."
What made Stravinsky so generous when many other musicians were busy judging and ranking each other?
A 🧵
While an undergraduate composition major, I got a copy of the complete Calvin and Hobbes.
I fell in love. Reading the books became a daily ritual.
Little did I know that passion would lead to my music being played by some of the best ensembles in America and Europe.
Here's what happened 🧵
I fell in love. Reading the books became a daily ritual.
Little did I know that passion would lead to my music being played by some of the best ensembles in America and Europe.
Here's what happened 🧵
April 11, 2025 at 4:15 PM
While an undergraduate composition major, I got a copy of the complete Calvin and Hobbes.
I fell in love. Reading the books became a daily ritual.
Little did I know that passion would lead to my music being played by some of the best ensembles in America and Europe.
Here's what happened 🧵
I fell in love. Reading the books became a daily ritual.
Little did I know that passion would lead to my music being played by some of the best ensembles in America and Europe.
Here's what happened 🧵
The two best orchestration textbooks are the ones by Samuel Adler and Walter Piston. They provide the essential knowledge every orchestrator must have.
But they are NOT comprehensive.
Here are 3 more orchestration resources I have found helpful to fill in the gaps: 🧵
But they are NOT comprehensive.
Here are 3 more orchestration resources I have found helpful to fill in the gaps: 🧵
April 10, 2025 at 2:45 PM
The two best orchestration textbooks are the ones by Samuel Adler and Walter Piston. They provide the essential knowledge every orchestrator must have.
But they are NOT comprehensive.
Here are 3 more orchestration resources I have found helpful to fill in the gaps: 🧵
But they are NOT comprehensive.
Here are 3 more orchestration resources I have found helpful to fill in the gaps: 🧵
Some composers get hot and bothered when I say I help my students "write powerful music with ease." Let me clarify—I'm not suggesting composition requires minimal training or thought.
April 3, 2025 at 1:16 PM
Some composers get hot and bothered when I say I help my students "write powerful music with ease." Let me clarify—I'm not suggesting composition requires minimal training or thought.
“I write for myself.” But is that integrity, defiance, or fear in disguise? 🤔
If you really wrote just for yourself, no one would hear your music.
So what do you mean when you say it? Would love to hear your take! 👇
If you really wrote just for yourself, no one would hear your music.
So what do you mean when you say it? Would love to hear your take! 👇
March 31, 2025 at 3:42 PM
“I write for myself.” But is that integrity, defiance, or fear in disguise? 🤔
If you really wrote just for yourself, no one would hear your music.
So what do you mean when you say it? Would love to hear your take! 👇
If you really wrote just for yourself, no one would hear your music.
So what do you mean when you say it? Would love to hear your take! 👇
Even advanced composers get stuck for 4 key reasons—and they're not all about lack of inspiration.
Over the years I've observed these common relationship, skill, process and mindset barriers that block creative success.
What's your biggest creative obstacle? Reply below!
Over the years I've observed these common relationship, skill, process and mindset barriers that block creative success.
What's your biggest creative obstacle? Reply below!
March 28, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Even advanced composers get stuck for 4 key reasons—and they're not all about lack of inspiration.
Over the years I've observed these common relationship, skill, process and mindset barriers that block creative success.
What's your biggest creative obstacle? Reply below!
Over the years I've observed these common relationship, skill, process and mindset barriers that block creative success.
What's your biggest creative obstacle? Reply below!
"You don't need a system." Five words that transformed my approach to composition. Here's why this simple advice from my doctoral advisor freed me from overthinking and helped me trust my ears. #ComposerLife #MusicEducation #CreativeProcess
March 27, 2025 at 10:48 PM
"You don't need a system." Five words that transformed my approach to composition. Here's why this simple advice from my doctoral advisor freed me from overthinking and helped me trust my ears. #ComposerLife #MusicEducation #CreativeProcess