As a young person at music school, I lived 1800 miles from home. It seemed like a big leap, jumping from High School to accept a full scholarship to a music trade school. Another leap raised me to start as an 18-year-old sophomore. We are taught, especially in the arts, to be inspired and dream big. But to compose a symphony, we must start with a simple motif. The truth is this. It is in the small steps that creative genius arrives. When we make a leap, we either fall into the chasm or pay for it on the other side. You canโt expect to rise too fast. Like good bread making, the dough slowly rises in a little heat. Are you ready for the heat? I would play through several of Bachโs chorales every single day, among other habits. All of my efforts trained my ear and solidified my composing skills. But this started when I decided that playing piano and learning jazz music theory inspired me more than playing ball or riding my bike. Lessons upon lessons lasting less than an hour added up. I took independent study and as a high school junior, passed the Advanced Placement …
Creativity arrives in small Iterations, not giant leaps.
written by Rich Kirkpatrick 3 minutes read
