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1 - Inspiration

from Part I - Creative Processes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 May 2024

By
Howard Skempton
Edited by
Toby Young
Toby Young
Affiliation:
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
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Summary

This chapter discusses the elusive meaning of ‘inspiration’, and considers what it might feel like, the situations where it might occur, and how to harness and understand it when it does. It finally explores the idea of ‘happy accidents’ and thinks about the relationship between habit and practice as active methods of inspiration in contrast to the more passive Romantic notion of divine intervention.

Keywords

Inspirationideationlightbulb momentcreative processspontaneity
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Companion to Composition , pp. 25 - 31
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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  • Inspiration
  • Edited by Toby Young, Guildhall School of Music and Drama
  • Book: The Cambridge Companion to Composition
  • Online publication: 25 May 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108917933.002
Available formats
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  • Inspiration
  • Edited by Toby Young, Guildhall School of Music and Drama
  • Book: The Cambridge Companion to Composition
  • Online publication: 25 May 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108917933.002
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Inspiration
  • Edited by Toby Young, Guildhall School of Music and Drama
  • Book: The Cambridge Companion to Composition
  • Online publication: 25 May 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108917933.002
Available formats
×