Amy Scurria:

>I have personally written away from the piano, and I do not have perfect
>pitch.  What results is a rough sketch of what is running through my mind
>and sometimes some very interesting "mistakes" pop up!

Glad to hear about the interesting mistake.  A composer friend of mine
tells me that some of the best moments in his music arise from those.  I
think those might come under the heading of what the French call "trouves."
Aaron Copland reported that he found the marvelous opening to Appalachian
Spring (particularly the two chords superimposed and arpeggiated) just
noodling around without a conscious thought in his head.

Steve Schwartz