can compositional success be tied to advanced training

The simple fact that practice makes perfect proves that compositional success is tied to advance training. The goal of the person playing the piece of music is to make it sound the best he/she possibly can while looking like minimal effort is put in. To achieve that, advanced training is required. Also just like anything in life the more training and practice you put into something the more successful your outcome is. In any popular type of music you can always find a blend of technique and inspiration. For example, salsa music is famous for its unique technique in dancing, and the dance can even be very inspirational. However, I don’t believe you need an actual specific blend of technique and inspiration. If you have a unique or different technique I think the inspiration will just simply follow. The source of an artistic inspiration is a very broad subject. So many things inspire so many artists. Sometimes even the most unusual or little things can be so inspiring. To answer the question, “What is the source of artistic inspiration?” I would say that question is too general. There are just so many sources that can inspire an artist. For example, if a painter discovers a really great sunset then he/she will most likely be inspired to paint it. So if a musical artist creates a new tune or melody then that could be his/her source and inspiration to creating a new piece of music. Just like anything you do in the world, you must have knowledge to be successful. For example, an engineer must have a good basis on all types of math just like a musician must have a good basis on all types of music. Also history is important in no matter what you do. History is the basis of everything. I am almost positive that every successful composer has a strong grasp on music history. History shows the steps that were took to modern music. SOURCES: www.google.com www.wikipedia.com http://musiced.about.com/od/beginnersguide/a/intro.htm