I needed a calculator that put all the structures in one place. It wasn’t in the app store. Yes, I checked! It’s just math. I could create a calculator in Microsoft Excel. Three weeks later I had it completed. Did I mention—I’m not good at math.

I spent decades as a college music theory teacher. In an attempt to get students to understand the importance of form to Classical and Romantic composers and, more importantly, to their audiences, I would often remind them that form is the first act of composition. At least it should be.