<p>This is a huge question - encompassing so many things.</p>
<p>As a mom of a composer I would say - the first thing is to listen to absolutely everything you can. All music, from all times, and all places. Go to concerts whenever possible - hear contemporary new music as well as the standards.</p>
<p>And I would say learn theory and analysis so you can start to understand the nuances of what you are hearing. Read books about music, orchestration, history. There are lots of good ones out there - from biographies to manuals. Learn where the music has come from, and where its place was in its time.</p>
<p>And I would say start getting your music performed immediately. Writing music that has to be played, working with the performers, and hearing the results is a fundamental education for a composer. Above all, don’t be afraid to take chances and make mistakes. Don’t worry if things don’t always work out the way you planned or imagined. Learn from your mistakes. No one is expecting a young composer to be a mature accomplished voice - they want to hear you exploring, pushing boundaries, trying to discover what exactly it is you’re trying to communicate.</p>
<p>As a developing composer, know why it is you want to compose. What drives you, what matters to you?</p>
<p>And then, when the time comes to apply to college you will be applying as a composer, not as an aspiring composer. Maybe a young one, undeveloped, with a world ahead of you - but you will have an idea of who you are as an artist and where you feel you would be most supported in developing that voice that you can now recognize.</p>