“Very few are talented in composition,” he says. Nevertheless, he believes that the unendowed may find the act of composing a valuable practice in itself, whether the results are satisfactory or not. As a composer, he was motivated only once by externalities. “I was about eight years old and had had one violin lesson. I heard my mother discussing money with my father. We were comfortably situated financially but I believed she was worried. So I wrote the violin part of what I hoped would be a saleable sonata and took it to my teacher at the second lesson! That was the only time I ever composed for money!”

“Did you always want to compose?” I asked.

“I am not sure if I ever wanted to compose . . . rather, I never wanted to be a composer.

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A composer is ridiculous! He doesn’t try to improve anything. I have often wished I could do something about carburetors . . . something mechanical. Or be a carpenter!” he replied.

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Mrs. Schoenberg said, “But he is a carpenter! See the little shelf for the clock? He made that!”

For full dialogue, click here