Architect vs. Gardener Round 2

In the following video, John Corigliano states his case for "Composer as Architect" in a lecture at the University of Sydney (see my earlier post for Brian Eno's take on the 'composer' role).  In no way do I think it's important to take sides on the issue, and I don't even consider the two approaches mutually exclusive, but I love to watch people whose lives revolve around music talk about what they do:

Watch the full 70min lecture here

Corigliano's main point is that an architect doesn't create a building by thinking about individual bricks, as a composer can't begin a piece by writing single notes.  In both cases, a rough plan is mapped out based on an initial vision with the details filled in later, allowing for thoughtful critique and changes to be made before the main work of writing/creating begins.  He speaks in depth about the abstracted map he drew of his percussion concerto before writing a single note.  I think Eno's fault is assuming the Architect has every detail planned out in his/her head at once, when the reality of any creative process is much more plastic.

I've been using the map approach for years and love being able to plan density/dynamics/range/emotional material/etc without obsessing over specifics.  I like adding color to draw the eye to important parts and suggest more subtle emotional changes.  The maps can turn out to be little pieces in themselves!

Here's an excerpt from a simple map for a pop song I wrote a while back: