4/15/2020 The Importance of Having a Composing Sanctuary - Art of Composing

The Importance of
Having a
Composing
Sanctuary
JULY 1, 2012 By Jon Brantingham

Are you having trouble

finishing your compositions?
Do you get a few bars in, and
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4/15/2020 The Importance of Having a Composing Sanctuary - Art of Composing

then an hour later realize you

haven’t really accomplished
anything? You may have a
problem. You may be suffering
from… cant-get-away-itis.
Sounds like

The Two Week Phrase

Seriously though, there is something about being able to
escape that is important for composing. I think this is where
composing may truly diverge from other music making
activities. It is not a performance art. It is probably closer to a
thesis in fact. I am sure some people don’t have a problem
with others staring over their shoulder while composing, but
when it happens to me… well let’s just say I can’t perform.

When I sit down to compose, for some reason, the whole

world seems to become louder and more needy. The dog’s
want food all of the sudden, the phone starts to ring, the
dishwasher starts washing, the neighbors decide to have a
pool party… the list goes on. Recently, I have been working
to complete my first piano sonata, which has been taking
longer than I’d hoped. The main reason for this, is due to
temporarily moving my family into my parents house.

My family + Parents = 4 Adults, a 2 year old, 2

dogs, a cat, and a bunch of more things in a
relatively small house

This situation is only temporary… but temporary can last a

pretty long time.
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By setting up a temporary composing studio in the garage, I

thought I had it covered. But for some reason, every time I
go to compose, about 10 minutes later, my mom comes in
with my son. They both sit down in there and… just listen.

Thats it. They just listen.

Silence.

But sometimes it seems, silence can be much louder than

you’d think. Especially when you know that silence is
accompanied by staring and listening intently. I am not going
to say they are judging… but…

How to Regain Your

Composing Sanctuary
What to do? I could put a lock on both sides of the garage. I
could take a laptop and midi keyboard and go to the park (I
may actually try that). Neither of those seem like a great
option though.

No. My answer is far simpler, and I think will have the impact
I am looking for. I am going to tell them, when I am
composing, I am out of the loop.

I am a composer, and I must be treated as if it is my

job.

Laying it Out
The key to telling them, you need silence is to frame it
around yourself. Don’t say:

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4/15/2020 The Importance of Having a Composing Sanctuary - Art of Composing

You always come in and bother me…

or

If you would just give me some quiet time…

Instead say something like this:

I love that you come to listen to me, but I just have

problems focusing when others are watching me
compose.

Hopefully they understand. Besides, it’s not like you are

running off to some shed in the mountains for a month, you
are just asking for maybe an hour or two alone to
concentrate.

A Personal Sanctuary
Checklist
After making sure the main culprits for distraction are taken
care of, it’s time to take care of some of the other ones. I
recommend figuring out and then writing down, everything
that you think can interrupt you, and then taking steps to
avoid those interruptions. Here is my list.

1. Family asked not to bother you for anything other

than emergencies.
2. Dog’s fed.
3. Cell phone off (or at least on the other side of the
house). (Funny enough, while I was writing this, my cell
phone sent me a message that someone followed me
on twitter… I am grateful, but I should have turned it off).
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4/15/2020 The Importance of Having a Composing Sanctuary - Art of Composing

4. Air temperature comfortable.

5. All necessary composing supplies pre-
stationed (This is super important, because if you have
to keep coming back out to the rest of the house, they
will forget you are composing… and the next thing you
know, you are hanging pictures and redoing the
bathroom… yes I repainted my parents bathroom this
last weekend).
6. Noise abated. This can be tough. I am thinking
seriously about getting the Bose Quiet Comfort
Headphones.
7. Other sheet music removed from eyesight. It is so
easy to start doodling and practicing other music, that I
find it important to remove those, because they are just
distractions.

I am sure other things will be added as time goes on.

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