Chauntecleer of the Pricking Cock

This is an email that I just wrote to an ex professor. I am slightly changing it so that people's names are protected. The only reason that I am posting this here is because it contains some of my core philosophy on the meaning of my life, and thus, I find it worthy of sharing.

Dr. [Frankenstein],

Hello. Scott [Evil] here. You may remember me from your Analysis class from about two years ago. Additionally, I took composition lessons from you for a semester, and I was in Dr. [Jekyll's] saxophone studio. If my description rings any memory bells, then yes, it's THAT Scott [Evil], hehe.

I am writing to you because I have a question, and I do not personally know many composers who may provide me with an answer. A most peculiar thing happened to me after I graduated from the [Clown Music] School; I began to compose music! If you recall, I showed some interest in composition during my time at the [Clown Music] School, but it was a rather preliminary interest. I loved the idea of creating something that could stir emotions through the medium of sound, but I was a bit too perplexed by the technical nature of music theory to actuate my ideas into music. I was also a bit sidetracked by other requirements at that time, and as a result, I believe that I did not enjoy the study of music theory as much as I possibly could. Music theory by nature is extremely logical and even mathematical in many ways, and unfortunately, my mind is inclined to gravitate towards more non-technical modes of thought. Because I have discovered this about myself, and because I have now had the time to discover more and more about my self-identity, my strengths, my weaknesses, and my values, I am now pursuing a degree in English; specifically, a degree in creative writing.

But despite all of these new self-discoveries, and despite the complete change of fields, I am still and will always be drawn to music. Music, to me, is the purest form of emotional expression; it needs no words to communicate. I communicate now primarily through words, but as I have found in the past year or so, there are simply times when words alone are not enough to express what one desires to communicate. It is in these occurrences when I write my music. My music, of course, lacks many degrees of technical polish because I have neglected much of the study of music theory, though I do intend to review theory in order to gain greater ability to understand just what it is that I am writing. My music is not intended to be presented upon a stage and impress audiences due to its amazing technical mastery (hahaha). My music is, simply put, only written solely for my enjoyment, and for me, that is enough. It may not be great by any reputable standard of criticism, and that is perfectly fine with me, because through the act of creating music, I am celebrating my ability to be a creative human being. The degree to which I "successful" in an act of creativity is not nearly as important to me as the fact that I am doing a creative act; creativity is a fundamental human trait. Thus, by being creative, I become more and more human: creativity is life itself in my view. But I can say this in regards to musical creativity simply and only because I am not drawing a paycheck from it!

Before this email becomes even more verbose, I simply wish to inquire about receiving some feedback from a real composer about my music. I really do not have much music: only 1 completed piano piece (performed and recorded), 1 completed short MIDI band piece, and about five or six other uncompleted pieces that exist in a variety of mediums. I am not seeking in-depth feedback on this music; if I were then I'd still be a music major! Rather, I simply wish to share my music in all of it's naivety with a professional composer and to receive general impressions about it from him or her. I reiterate that my music will never be intended for large-scale public use, but rather only for my personal enjoyment as a potential hobby and for sharing with those who are intimate with me. Yes, I do know that a thorough knowledge of theory is essential to creating enjoyable music, for the most part, but that is a course of study that I must simply teach myself due to my main obligations being elsewhere now.

Please excuse my long-winded email and philosophizing, as I assure you that it is nearing its end. It would be great if you had the time to listen to my stuff, but you are a busy man and I am no longer a student of the [Clown Music] School, so I know that might not work. If you are interested in hearing what I have, I know that your time is valuable, so I would pay you for your time; just send me an estimate! I think that 30-45 minutes would suffice, and this would be a one-time occurrence. And if by chance that you can't listen to what I have, might you have an idea of any other composers who might be interested in hearing the naive work of an amateur such as myself? Please let me know!

Sincerely,
Scott [Evil] VI