I think some of this is a hang over from record stores and book stores - they want to know what bin to put you in. And once they assign you, you stay there. Is k.d. lang a country artist? No, but her first few albums decidedly were and that's the first place to look in a store today. Is Anne Murray a country artist? "Snowbird" and some other oldies had country arrangements but these days she doesn't sound like anything coming out of Nashville.

I've been reading "The Art of Film Music" by George Burt and it is amazing the wide range of styles a film composer is expected to be able to write in. (Everyone isn't like John Williams [Linked Image] )

For me it changes every day; whatever pops into my head. Currently on the "drawing board" I've got a Sousa-style march, some kind of Carribean-influenced dance, and some background music in 3/4 with piano, violin, flute solos in it.