The Career Symphony: A Guide to Composing a Life of Meaningful Work

Introduction: The Overture of Discontent

I remember the feeling with a visceral clarity: the slow, creeping dread that began around 4 PM every Sunday.

It was a specific kind of dissonance, a low hum of anxiety that grew into a full-blown cacophony by the time my head hit the pillow.

I was, by all external measures, a success.

I had followed the rules, climbed the prescribed rungs, and played my part in the grand corporate orchestra.

Yet, the music felt alien.

The score I was performing—full of predictable crescendos of promotions and steady rhythms of quarterly reports—felt like it had been written for someone else.

My days were spent executing someone else’s vision, my efforts contributing to a melody I couldn’t feel in my soul.

This experience, this profound disconnect between effort and fulfillment, is the silent epidemic of the modern professional world.¹

If this sounds familiar, know that your struggle is not a personal failure.

It is a systemic one.

We have been handed an obsolete musical score and told to perform it with gusto.

This score, the 20th-century career ladder, was composed for a world of predictable, linear progression within hierarchical organizations.²

But the concert hall has changed.

We now live and work in a 21st-century reality defined by flatter organizational structures, the rise of temporary, project-based cultures, and relentless technological disruption that makes entire skill sets obsolete overnight.³

The dissonance we feel is the sound of that old, rigid melody clashing with the complex, improvisational, and often chaotic music of our time.

For years, I tried to solve this dissonance by searching for a new orchestra, a different conductor, a better-written part.

I believed the problem was the job, the company, or the industry.

It was only after a long period of frustrating search—of unanswered applications and interviews that went nowhere—that I had an epiphany.

The problem wasn’t the part I was playing; it was the fundamental belief that my only role was to be a player.

This guide is built on that epiphany.

Finding the perfect job is not about climbing a ladder, finding a path, or fitting into a pre-existing role.⁷

It is about

composing a symphony.

You are not merely a violinist in the orchestra, waiting for a score to be placed on your stand.

You are the composer, with the power and the responsibility to write a life’s work that is uniquely, authentically, and harmoniously your own.⁷

This metaphor reframes you from a passive job seeker into an active, creative agent.

It acknowledges that a rich life, like a great symphony, has multiple movements, varied tempos, and moments of both soaring harmony and challenging dissonance.

It is a construction, a craft, a story you write yourself.⁷

This report will unfold in three movements, mirroring the compositional process:

1. Dissonance: We will first diagnose the problem, exploring why the old music of career planning no longer works in the modern world.
2. Epiphany: We will then learn the “music theory” of a well-lived life, discovering powerful frameworks that give us the language and structure to understand our own inner composition.
3. Conducting: Finally, we will move to the practical performance—a step-by-step guide to prototyping, rehearsing, and ultimately conducting your unique career symphony.

Movement I: Dissonance — Anatomy of a Broken Melody

Before we can compose our own music, we must first understand why the old melody is so unsatisfying.

The common struggles of the modern job search are not random frustrations or signs of your personal inadequacy.

They are the predictable discords that arise when an outdated system grinds against a new reality.

By reframing these struggles, we can begin to reclaim our power.

The Silent Audience: The Agony of Unresponsive Employers

One of the most demoralizing experiences of the job search is the profound silence that follows a heartfelt application or a promising interview.⁹

You pour hours into tailoring your résumé, you perform with passion in the interview, and then…

nothing.

No feedback, no closure, no response.

It is the professional equivalent of playing a complex and emotional solo to an empty, silent concert hall.

This lack of communication shakes the confidence of even the most positive person, leaving you in a void, questioning your abilities and unsure how to improve.¹⁰

This “ghosting” phenomenon is not, however, a personal rejection.

It is a symptom of a systemic breakdown.

The modern hiring process is often mediated by technology, specifically Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).

These automated filters scan résumés for keywords and rigid criteria, often screening out highly relevant and capable candidates before a human ever sees their application.¹⁰

For the applications that do get through, hiring managers in today’s flatter, leaner organizations are often overwhelmed by the sheer volume.³

The result is an impersonal, automated process that removes the human touch and creates widespread demoralization.¹⁰

The pain of being ignored is a direct, predictable consequence of a 20th-century hiring model struggling to cope with 21st-century scale and technology.

The system is malfunctioning; it is not a personal indictment of your talent.

The Mismatched Key: The Catch-22 of Experience

Another common source of dissonance is the frustrating paradox of experience.

You are told you don’t have enough experience for a role, yet you need the role to get the experience.⁹

In the next breath, you apply for a different position and are told you are overqualified.⁹

Or perhaps you are hit with the vague “skill mismatch,” where your qualifications don’t perfectly align with a rigid job description.¹⁰

This is the musical equivalent of being told your instrument is simply wrong for the orchestra.

Each rejection carries a subtext rooted in the new economic reality.

“Overqualified” is often code for, “Our organization is flatter now, and we have no higher rung on the ladder for you.

We’re concerned you’ll get bored, expect more than we can offer, and use this as a temporary job before leaving”.³

The “lack of experience” barrier is frequently a risk-aversion tactic from companies that, in an effort to cut costs, have eliminated the on-the-job training programs that once bridged this gap.¹⁰

And the “skill mismatch” reflects the dizzying pace of change; job roles now evolve so rapidly that traditional education and career paths can no longer keep up, creating a constant gap between what schools teach and what employers need.⁴

The traditional career model was built on an assumption of linearity: you gain X years of experience to qualify for step Y on a predictable ladder.²

The frequency of these “mismatch” problems is the clearest possible evidence that this linear model is dead.

The modern world of work, dominated by temporary projects and cross-functional teams, demands a portfolio of diverse, often non-adjacent skills.³

The friction you feel is the market signaling that the old way of building a career—one neat, sequential step at a time—is no longer valid.

The solution, therefore, is not to endlessly search for a job that is a perfect fit for your current instrument.

The solution is to become a composer who learns to combine different instruments (your skills) in novel and valuable ways.

The Cacophony of Competition and the Burden of “Brand”

The job market, particularly in desirable fields and locations, is fiercely competitive.¹¹

This intense competition has given rise to the advice that you must “brand yourself” to stand out from the crowd.¹

The goal is to establish a personal brand that is not only attractive to employers but is backed by unique attributes that few others possess.

While well-intentioned, this advice can feel like being in an orchestra where every musician is playing as loudly as possible, creating a deafening cacophony.

The pressure to market yourself, to perform a version of your professional identity that is memorable and “on-brand,” adds another layer of anxiety to an already stressful process.

It can feel inauthentic, turning your career search into a public relations campaign rather than a genuine exploration of fit and purpose.

The Myth of the Solo Performance: The Perils of “Following Your Passion”

Perhaps the most pervasive and damaging piece of conventional career advice is to “follow your passion.” We are told, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life”.¹³

This advice, echoed by everyone from graduation speakers to well-meaning relatives, paints a picture of a career as a blissful, solo performance of the music you love most.¹⁴

The reality, however, is far more complex and often more painful.

This advice is the story of the brilliant but starving artist, playing their heart out on a street corner but unable to pay the rent.

The “follow your passion” trope is a dangerous oversimplification for several reasons.

First, monetizing a passion can be the fastest way to kill it.

When the thing that brings you joy becomes the thing that pays your bills, it is no longer a passion; it is work, subject to deadlines, client demands, and market pressures that can suffocate the original spark.¹⁴

Second, employers can exploit this passion, expecting you to work longer hours for lower pay simply because you are “supposed to be passionate about your work”.¹⁴

Complaining about your “dream job” can lead to accusations of being ungrateful, creating a shortcut to burnout and resentment.

Finally, and most critically, passion does not equal competence, nor does it guarantee market demand.

You can be passionate about something without being skilled enough for people to pay for it, leading to years of wasted effort and profound disappointment.¹⁴

This reveals a fundamental paradox.

The advice we hear most often is also the most likely to lead to failure.

The resolution to this paradox lies in a crucial reframe offered by the creators of the ‘Designing Your Life’ framework, Bill Burnett and Dave Evans.

They argue, based on extensive research, that “for most people, passion comes after they try something, discover they like it, and develop a mastery of it”.¹⁶

This aligns with a growth mindset, which posits that satisfaction comes from persisting through challenges and improving, rather than from finding a perfect intrinsic fit from the start.¹⁷

Passion, therefore, is not a destination to be found, but an outcome to be cultivated.

It is not the starting point of your composition; it is the feeling that emerges when you have written a passage, practiced it diligently, and can finally perform it with mastery and grace.

This shift in perspective is the foundational epiphany that allows us to move from dissonance to harmony.

Movement II: Epiphany — Learning to Read the Music Within

My own journey through the wilderness of career dissatisfaction led me to a turning point.

I realized that my search for the “perfect job” was like a musician searching for the “perfect song” to play.

It was a passive quest, dependent on discovering something that someone else had already created.

The epiphany was that I didn’t need to find a better song; I needed to learn how to compose.

This shift from seeking to creating is the heart of building a fulfilling career.

It requires a new toolkit, a new way of thinking about the problem.

For me, that toolkit came from the synthesis of two powerful, convergent frameworks: the ancient Japanese concept of Ikigai and the modern, pragmatic methodology of ‘Designing Your Life’ from Stanford University.¹⁸

The Composer’s Toolkit: A New Method for a New Reality

These two frameworks, one rooted in Eastern philosophy of purpose and the other in Western pragmatism of design, form a complete system for career composition.

Ikigai (pronounced ee-key-guy) is a Japanese concept that translates roughly to “a reason for being” or “that which gives life meaning”.²⁰

It provides the

what—a profound framework for identifying a life of purpose.

The popular Westernized version of Ikigai visualizes this as the intersection of four fundamental domains: what you love, what you are good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for.¹⁸

It offers a map to the destination of a fulfilling life.

‘Designing Your Life’ (DYL), developed by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans at Stanford’s Design Lab, provides the how.¹⁹

It applies the principles of design thinking—the same methodology used to create everything from the Apple mouse to innovative new technologies—to the “wicked problem” of designing a joyful and meaningful life.¹⁹

DYL gives us a set of actionable mindsets and practical, step-by-step processes like ideation and prototyping to make tangible progress.²⁴

If Ikigai is the destination on the map, DYL is the vehicle and the driving instructions.

Together, they create a robust system that is both deeply meaningful and highly practical, allowing you to compose a career that resonates with your core being while also functioning in the real world.

Finding Your Motifs (The Ikigai Framework)

In our symphony analogy, the four circles of the Ikigai model represent the four essential musical elements of your career composition.

A truly harmonious career is found at the intersection where these four motifs play together.

It’s important to note that the traditional Japanese understanding of Ikigai is broader than just work; it’s about a life of purpose, which can include hobbies, family, and community roles.²¹

However, using the Westernized framework as a lens for career design is an incredibly powerful starting point.

Theme 1: The Melody (What You Love)

This is the heart of your music, the central theme that gives your symphony its emotional core.

It is not about a vague “passion,” but about the specific activities, topics, and processes that genuinely engage and energize you.

It’s about identifying the moments when you experience “flow”—a state of complete absorption where you lose track of time.²⁷

• Actionable Exercise: The Good Time Journal. To discover your melody, you must become an observer of your own life. The ‘Designing Your Life’ “Good Time Journal” is a perfect tool for this.²⁴ For one to three weeks, keep a simple log of your daily activities. For each activity, note two things: your level of
  engagement (how absorbed you were) and your level of energy (did it energize you or drain you?). At the end of each week, reflect on the patterns. What activities consistently put you in a state of flow? What tasks, even if you’re good at them, consistently leave you feeling drained? This log provides concrete data about what you truly love to do, moving beyond abstract guesses.²⁷ Another powerful exercise is to list activities you’ve enjoyed at different points in your life and, for each one, write down
  what you loved about the process, then look for common themes like “self-expression” or “finding patterns”.²⁹

Theme 2: The Harmony (What You’re Good At)

These are the chords that support and enrich your melody.

Harmony is created by your unique combination of skills, talents, and strengths.

It’s crucial to differentiate between skills you have learned and strengths that are innate.

You might be skilled at creating spreadsheets through years of practice, but it may drain your energy.

Your strengths, on the other hand, are activities that you not only do well but that also energize you.³⁰

• Actionable Exercise: Strengths and Skills Inventory. Create two lists. On one, list your Skills: competencies you’ve learned through education and experience, like proficiency in a software program or a foreign language.³¹ On the other, list your
  Strengths: personal attributes and talents that feel natural. To identify these, ask yourself questions like, “What do friends, family, and colleagues consistently ask for my help with?” or “What parts of my job come easily to me?”.³² For a more structured approach, consider using validated assessments like the Clifton StrengthsFinder or the VIA Character Strengths survey, not as definitive oracles, but as tools to provide language and insight into your natural talents.³³

Theme 3: The Rhythm (What the World Needs)

This is the beat that connects your personal composition to the wider world.

A symphony played in an empty hall may be beautiful, but it lacks impact.

This motif is about finding a problem you are genuinely moved to solve or a need you feel compelled to meet.

This is where your work finds its mission and purpose.¹⁸

This element transforms a job into a calling.

• Actionable Exercise: Map Your Heartbreak. Purpose is often found not in what makes us happy, but in what makes us angry or breaks our heart.³⁶ What issues in your community, your industry, or the world at large do you feel passionate about solving? Is it educational inequality, environmental degradation, inefficient systems in your workplace? Make a list of these “heartbreaks.” Then, look for connections between these problems and your Melodies (loves) and Harmonies (strengths). You can also research broader needs, such as the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, to see where your personal interests align with global challenges.¹⁸

Theme 4: The Tempo (What You Can Be Paid For)

This final motif grounds your symphony in reality.

A composer must, in most cases, earn a living.

This element is about understanding how your unique combination of loves, strengths, and identified needs can create value that the market is willing to reward.

It’s the intersection of your passion and your profession.²⁰

• Actionable Exercise: Vocation Brainstorm. Look at the intersection of your first three lists. How can you package this unique combination into a service or product? What jobs or roles exist that would allow you to do what you love, use what you’re good at, and address a need you care about? Research job boards, not to apply, but to see what skills are in demand and what roles spark your interest.³² Consider if a hobby could be turned into a career, and what the competition looks like in that space.²² This is not about limiting your dreams, but about finding the practical, viable channel through which your music can be played.

Mastering the Compositional Process (The ‘Designing Your Life’ Mindsets)

Discovering your musical motifs is the first step.

To become a master composer, however, you must adopt a set of core mindsets.

The five DYL mindsets are the essential habits of mind that enable you to move from abstract ideas to a tangible, well-designed life and career.²⁴

• Curiosity: A great composer is always listening for new sounds, new combinations, new ideas. Curiosity is the engine of design. It means being open to exploring seemingly unrelated fields, talking to people far outside your professional bubble, and seeing everything as a potential source of inspiration.¹⁶
• Bias Toward Action: A composer doesn’t just think about a melody; they sit down at the piano and play it. Designers don’t think their way forward; they build their way forward.³⁹ This is the principle of prototyping. Instead of getting stuck in analysis paralysis, you take small, concrete actions to test ideas and learn from the results.²⁵
• Reframing: In music, a “wrong note” isn’t necessarily a mistake. It can be an unexpected modulation that leads to a more interesting and beautiful composition. Reframing is the skill of seeing challenges not as dead ends, but as opportunities for growth and innovation. A job you hate isn’t a failure; it’s a rich source of data about what you don’t want.²⁴
• Radical Collaboration: A symphony is not a solo performance. It is the product of radical collaboration between the composer, the conductor, the musicians, and even the audience. Your career is the same. Designing your life is a team sport. It requires a network of mentors, peers, collaborators, and supporters who can offer feedback, open doors, and provide encouragement.²⁴
• Mindfulness of the Process: This is about letting go of the attachment to a single, perfect outcome and learning to trust the journey of composition. It’s about knowing that your first idea is rarely your best idea and that the creative process is often messy and non-linear.²⁴ By focusing on the process, you open yourself up to discovery and surprise.

The shift from the old career model to this new compositional approach is profound.

It is a move from a world of rigid rules to a world of creative possibilities.

Feature	The Old Score (20th-Century Rules)	The New Symphony (21st-Century Composition)
Career Path	A linear ladder to be climbed 2	A non-linear portfolio to be composed 42
Goal	Find the “perfect job”	Design a “well-lived, joyful life” 19
Role of Passion	A prerequisite to be found (“Follow your passion”) 14	An outcome to be cultivated through mastery and engagement 16
Approach to Failure	A mark of inadequacy to be avoided	A “wrong note”; data for iteration and growth 24
Source of Opportunity	Responding to existing job descriptions	Prototyping and creating new possibilities 25
Primary Driver	External validation (title, salary) 2	Internal coherence (alignment of who you are, what you believe, what you do) 16
Your Role	A passive applicant, a cog in the machine	An active designer, the composer of your life 19

Movement III: Conducting — A Practical Guide to Performing Your Life’s Work

With a deeper understanding of our inner music and the mindsets of a composer, we arrive at the final, most crucial movement: conducting.

This is where theory becomes practice.

This movement provides a step-by-step guide to translating your internal composition into real-world action, transforming your career from a source of dissonance into a symphony of meaning.

Writing the Score: The Odyssey Plan

The first step in conducting is to write the score.

One of the biggest traps in career planning is the dysfunctional belief that there is only one “right” path for your life.

This creates immense pressure and a fear of making the “wrong” choice.

The ‘Designing Your Life’ “Odyssey Plan” exercise is the perfect antidote.

It’s the act of composing not one, but three completely different five-year “symphonies” for your life.²⁷

This process shatters the illusion of a single path and opens up a world of possibilities.

Here’s how to create your three Odyssey Plans:

1. Life 1: The Main Theme. This is your current plan. It’s the life you are already living or the most obvious and straightforward extension of your current work. If you’re an accountant, this plan might involve becoming a senior accountant or a partner at your firm.
2. Life 2: The Variation. This is what you would do if Life 1 suddenly vanished. Imagine your entire industry or current skill set becomes obsolete tomorrow. What would you do then? This plan forces you to think creatively and tap into your other skills and interests. The accountant might become a high school math teacher or open a woodworking shop.
3. Life 3: The Fantasia. This is your “wild card” plan. This is the life you would live if money and what other people think were completely irrelevant. What would you do if you had unlimited resources and didn’t need to worry about image or judgment? This plan helps uncover hidden passions and desires that you might have suppressed. The accountant might decide to become a National Park ranger or a travel writer.

For each of these three plans, create a visual timeline for the next five years.

Give each plan a six-word headline that captures its essence.

Finally, for each plan, write down two or three key questions that this particular life explores or answers.²⁷

This exercise doesn’t commit you to anything; it generates a rich set of ideas and makes you realize that there are many different, viable, and exciting lives you could live.¹⁶

Holding Rehearsals: Prototyping Your Career

Once you have your scores, you don’t need to immediately stage a full concert.

You don’t have to quit your job to test out your “National Park ranger” symphony.

Instead, you hold rehearsals.

In design thinking, this is called prototyping: running small, low-risk, information-gathering experiments to test your assumptions and get a real feel for a potential future.²⁵

This is the “Try Stuff” principle in action.³⁸

Here are some practical ways to prototype your Odyssey Plans:

• Prototype Conversations (Talking to the Orchestra): This is the most powerful and accessible form of prototyping. It involves conducting informational interviews, but with a crucial reframe. You are not asking for a job; you are asking for someone’s story. Reach out to people who are living a version of one of your Odyssey Plans and ask them to tell you about their work. What do they love? What are the challenges? What does a typical day or week look like? This allows you to “hear the music” of their career, gain insider knowledge, and build your network, all without the pressure of a job interview.²⁴
• Prototype Experiences (Playing Small Gigs): This involves getting hands-on experience. If you’re thinking of becoming a marketing consultant, offer to write a marketing blurb for a friend’s small business.²⁵ If you’re curious about teaching, volunteer to tutor for a few hours a week.³⁵ These small-scale projects provide invaluable data about whether you actually enjoy the day-to-day reality of the work.²⁴
• Shadowing (Sitting in on a Rehearsal): If possible, ask a professional in a field that interests you if you can shadow them for a day. This immersive experience can provide a wealth of information about the culture, pace, and environment of a particular career path that you could never get from a conversation alone.

The Audition: Acing the Modern Job Application

After prototyping, you may decide to pursue a specific role.

This is your audition.

Armed with the composer’s mindset, you can approach the application and interview process with a new sense of confidence and purpose.

• Your Sheet Music (The Résumé & Cover Letter): Your application materials should not be a generic, chronological list of duties. They should be a compelling summary of your unique composition. For each application, tailor your résumé and cover letter to highlight the specific “motifs”—your skills, strengths, and relevant experiences—that align with the needs of that particular “orchestra” (the company).¹¹ Frame your accomplishments not as tasks you completed, but as problems you solved and value you created.
• The Performance (The Interview): The interview is no longer a terrifying interrogation; it is a collaborative musical performance. It’s a chance to see if your music harmonizes with theirs.

• Preparation: Researching the company is like studying the work of a great composer. Understand their mission, their values, their challenges, and their culture.¹ Prepare questions that demonstrate your curiosity and insight.
• Execution: Articulate your value in terms of your unique symphony. Don’t just say what you’ve done; explain why it matters and how your unique combination of loves, strengths, and purpose can contribute to their goals.
• Improvisation: You will inevitably face “curveball” questions you didn’t prepare for. Instead of trying to give a perfect, robotic answer, embrace the opportunity to improvise. Answer genuinely and with conviction. This demonstrates authenticity and the ability to think on your feet, which is often more impressive than a perfectly rehearsed but insincere response.¹

Building Your Orchestra: The Power of Radical Collaboration

Remember, composing and conducting are not solo acts.

A fulfilling career, like a great symphony, is brought to life by a community.²⁴

As you design your life, you must intentionally build your orchestra.

• Finding Your Ensemble: Actively cultivate a network of peers and allies. Join professional groups, attend industry events, and connect with like-minded people online.³⁵ This is not just about “networking” to get a job; it’s about building a community of people who can provide support, inspiration, and collaboration opportunities.⁴⁵
• Seeking a Conductor (Mentorship): A good mentor is like a great conductor. They don’t just tell you how to play; they help you bring out your best performance. When you identify potential mentors, approach them not for advice (which is telling you what to do), but for counsel (which is helping you figure out what you think). Ask them to share their stories and their perspectives, not to give you answers.¹⁶
• Your Life Design Team: Assemble a small, trusted group of 3-5 people to be your “Life Design Team”.²⁸ This is your inner circle. Share your Odyssey Plans and prototype results with them. The purpose of this team is not to give you advice, but to listen, ask good questions, and cheer you on. A supportive community is essential for navigating the uncertainties of career design.⁴¹

To begin your own composition, use the worksheet below.

It synthesizes the core questions from the Ikigai and DYL frameworks into a single, actionable tool.

Take your time, reflect deeply, and start writing your score.

The Composer’s Worksheet
The Melody (What You Love / What Energizes You)	The Harmony (What You’re Good At / Your Strengths)
Prompts: What activities make you lose track of time (flow)? 27 When in your past have you felt most alive and joyful? 37 If you didn’t have to worry about money, what would you do? 46 What topics do you read about for fun? 34	Prompts: What skills come naturally to you? 37 What do friends and colleagues ask for your help with? 32 What are your proudest accomplishments, and what skills did they require? 37 What are your top 5 strengths (e.g., from VIA or Clifton assessments)? 34
The Rhythm (What the World Needs / Your Mission)	The Tempo (What You Can Be Paid For / Your Vocation)
Prompts: What problem in the world makes you angry or breaks your heart? 36 What change would you love to bring to your community or industry? 32 What is the world lacking that you could contribute? 32 What cause inspires you? 18	Prompts: What skills do you have that are in high demand? 37 What service or product could you create from your Melodies and Harmonies? 20 Looking at job boards, which roles spark your interest? 32 Can you turn a hobby into a career? 22

Coda: Living in Harmony

My own journey of composing my career is far from over.

There is no final, triumphant chord after which the music stops.

Instead, I find myself engaged in the ongoing, joyful, and sometimes challenging process of composition.

The Sunday-night dread has been replaced by a sense of curiosity about what the next week’s music will bring.

This is the essence of a well-designed life.

It is not a static masterpiece to be hung on a wall, but, as Burnett and Evans write, a life that is “generative — it is constantly creative, productive, changing, evolving, and there is always the possibility of surprise”.¹⁶

The search for the “perfect job” is a flawed quest, born of an obsolete worldview.

It sets us up for disappointment because it assumes such a thing exists outside of ourselves.

The real goal, the true source of fulfillment, is to design a life of coherence.

It is to create a life where, as the DYL authors so eloquently put it, “who you are, what you believe, and what you do all line up together”.¹⁶

This is the ultimate definition of a life lived in harmony.

The instruments are in your hands.

The music theory is learned.

The blank score awaits.

The journey ahead may seem daunting, but the process is simple.

As Dave Evans says, “Get curious.

Talk to people.

Try stuff”.⁴⁰

It is time to begin your composition.

Works cited

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