Harmony — balance — does not mean fixity of inactive factors, but equilibrium of the most intense energies.

— Arnold Schoenberg, Theory of Harmony (1911, 1922, tr. 1978), p. 31

Nature is infinite and fractal. But even nature started with simplicity. We learn from nature.

In music this means to start with something simple.

Complexity must never arise for complexity’s sake.

Always. And the starting point is very important. If more is to be expressed — fine — but that shall never be the starting point. It is true in every classical composition.

The only reason to introduce complexity is simply because it is required. When it is not required, it should not be there. Intuition must tell when it is not required. Of course one man’s intuition is limited to his particular circumstances, such as they may be.

I work in computer software. Some of these observations may apply also in that domain.