Shorthand Notation Plenty of composers use shorthand notation to conceive of the structure, narrative, scope, etc. of a piece before they notate it. My shorthand notation (and several other composers) usually consists of a linear timeline on which I plot out the length of various sections or ideas and the overall development of the piece. Shorthand notation is a way of casually notating and becoming familiar with the big picture elements of the piece before you notate it more strictly.

Aleatoric If something in a piece is aleatoric, it means that it is left to chance or to the interpretation of the player. It usually involves some sort of improvisation. An entire piece could be aleatoric, or just one instrumental part in one section. For example, in a choir piece I composed, I gave the sopranos seven notes and instructed them to repeat the riff at their desired speed and frequency for a minute and a half. I like how this technique permits performers’ agency.

 Voice Leading Voice leading involves making sure that the harmonic progression of a piece is smooth and free of awkward leaps, interrupted lines, etc.. It involves perceiving harmonies not just vertically but horizontally: thinking about how they lead into each other to and build to a particular moment, how they create and interact with melodies, etc. You can apply voice leading to conventional harmonic languages as well as super out there harmonic languages.

 Something that is changing in composition is that more and more composers are engaged in, passionate about, and inspired by music other than Western classical music. One of the more recent developments is composers using elements from popular music forms (including myself). Genre is becoming a much more fluid concept in contemporary composition. A misconception might be that all composers wear powdered wigs and have every theme in every movement of every Beethoven string quartet memorized so that they can become the next transcendent white male composer. That musical hierarchy is still very present, and that sort of knowledge is still emphasized, but it is changing and is somewhat of an older generation. This creates an interesting tension for someone like me who prefers listening to experimental pop or progressive rock over Western classical music … but still appreciates Western classical music, is heavily influenced by it, and knows that there are several phenomenal pieces in the canon that are beneficial to know and study.