Summary of Dennis DeSantis's Making Music

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.

Sample Book Insights:

#1 Take a nap. The truth is, coming up with ideas is hardest in the first few hours of waking up. It’s not unusual for me to try to write down an idea in the shower, only to realize after I’ve written it down that it’s a terrible idea. By the time your coffee cup is cold and you’re out of the shower, you’ve forgotten whatever you were going to write down—and while it’s not a terrible idea, it’s also not a particularly good one, and you can only do so much with a shower-thoughts-only idea. If you want to begin a new project and don’t have any ideas for what to do, start working on something else. I always have three or four different projects going at once, and I switch back and forth between them as inspiration strikes. Sometimes I start working on one project several days before I know I want to finish it, just so I don’t get stuck in the nothing to do mindset.

#2 Start with the foundational instruments and work your way up.

#3 Artists should always acknowledge their influences.

#4 If you don’t have anything specific in mind, start working on something else. If you have several projects going at once, switch back and forth between them as inspiration strikes. -> When you don’t have any ideas, start working on something else.