For me, composition is a mysterious, yet simple and fun process. Although I am a strong advocate of thorough and in depth study of music theory for musicians and composers in general, I do not feel that any knowledge of music theory is needed to begin composing.
In fact, because my view of composition is mostly “inspiration plus structure,” the only prerequisite to begin composing is the slightest inkling of motivation: that is, some part of you wants to do it. If you notice within you some appetite for organizing sounds or writing songs, riffs or musical poetry, then you can begin “composing” immediately.
Perhaps like you, I also stumbled into becoming a “composer” on my own, so to speak, and therefore am “self-trained” in this field: thus, I have no dogmatism or methodological orthodoxy to uphold or espouse. That being said, my extensive instrumental training on Western [link] and Japanese[link] wind instruments combined with a thorough study, understanding and respect for music theory and history has allowed me to have 20 years of rewarding and diverse composing experience.
Composers and songwriters of all styles and experience levels are encouraged to explore the creative ways in which you might grow. You may know exactly what your obstacles are and be able to iterate the areas you want to focus on, or you may need to simply outline your basic scenario and general goals, and we can go from there.
There are several modes of guidance: a single or a handful of isolated consultations; 4 and 8 week planned courses (designed with the student in the first meeting); and ongoing private lesson style meetings online or in person.