Hi Carrie & others:

Composing for me usually begins with a lyric or line or discovered subject or topic. In my early years, it happened more often while traveling and most often while driving alone. (This can be bad for one's health.)

It requires having the patience to pull off the side of the road, find a pen/pencil and paper, etc.

Sometimes, I awaken in the middle of the night with a line or two and try to force myself to get up and put it on paper. If I don't, by the next morning, it will be gone forever.

At other times, I may hear music that stirs something within. This can be a simple beat, a guitar riff, an intro or an ending on an arranger keyboard or even a sound that triggers some emotion. I am multi-genre and enjoy Pop, Country, Blues, Latin, Gospel, Jazz and R&B in it's various facets. My guess is that Country makes up about 50% of my catalog. I am not qualified to write Classical but I really enjoy hearing most types. I draw the line at RAP.

I try to record a song as quickly as I complete the lyrics and rough melody. It helps to keep it fresh since I don't read or write music in formal terms.

Interesting topic.

All my best,

Dave Rice http://cdbaby.com/cd/daverice