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Unlocking Creativity: Thoughts about Inspiration

  • Writer: Robin A. Pennington
    Robin A. Pennington
  • Mar 28
  • 2 min read

Updated: Apr 1


Now that I am at a stage of life where I increasingly think about how I want to spend my remaining time and what I still want to accomplish, it seems somehow I have hit upon writing songs as a worthy use of my time. I don’t kid myself that what I write is of earth-shattering importance. Rather, it has become a necessary means of self-expression that allows me to continue trying to help solve the problems of the world.

Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Bozeman, MT, set for an upcoming performance of Francesc Valls’ "Missa Scala Aretina," featuring Choir, Soloists, Schola Cantorum, and Chamber Ensemble.
Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Bozeman, MT, set for an upcoming performance of Francesc Valls’ "Missa Scala Aretina," featuring Choir, Soloists, Schola Cantorum, and Chamber Ensemble.

Writing songs also turns out to be time-consuming. How does one decide what to write about? Where should I be looking for inspiration? How much should I delve into the history of each song before I begin arranging it for treble trio or write something new? History increasingly seems important to me, but the effort to learn could become paralyzing. How do I make my attempts worthy homages, and how much of my effort should be devoted to that?

 

One approach to getting out of this tangle is contemplating the many settings of the Christian Mass text. These same texts of faith have been sung for centuries. A reasonably thorough analysis of music history could be made solely from a selection of settings of the Mass. Furthermore, there is not one definitive setting, or even a definitive way of performing the mass. Set for three to a multitude of voices, in one or more choirs, a cappella, with organ, or fully orchestrated, it is the setting itself that allows the performer and the listener to contemplate what is most significant to the composer in this common language of worship. This ongoing conversation strikes me as quite profound.

 

Thus, I have come to feel that a new setting of a poem or a rearrangement of a song need only be in respect for what has come before. I am arranging songs I love and writing songs that make poems come alive for me. No wonder I’m willing to devote time to this work!

 

Robin A. Pennington

March 22, 2025

 
 
 

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Meet Timbre Trio

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Robin A. Pennington

Robin resides in Washington, DC, where she recently retired from the federal government as a supervisory mathematical statistician. She performs with ensembles across the DC area, with a particular fondness for singing in trios. Additionally, Robin is a staff singer at St. Peter's Catholic Church on Capitol Hill.

Tammy Rogers

Tammy performs with several choral groups throughout the Washington, DC metro area and serves as a staff singer in the Saint Andrew and Saint Margaret of Scotland Church choir in Alexandria, VA. During the day, she is employed in library administration at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

Eileen West

Eileen is a board-certified internal medicine physician and a trained women's health consultant in Northern Virginia. Additionally, she is a talented singer, performing with various groups across the U.S., including the Washington Master Chorale, where she also serves on the Board of Directors.

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