My piano teacher is holding a composition competition, I have decided to participate though I have little experience. Does anybody have any advice on how to start?

I would be very grateful for any answers and 10 points for the BA!
Yeah I do know about arpeggios (my piano teacher insists, quite rightly!)

people have pretty much lost ALL meaning of christmas, especially kids because their parents dont even teach them about it anymore.

bnow its all about working yourself to the bone to make some extra cash so then you canget up really early on black friday and buy that flat screen TV 20 % off the original prive while fighting off old ladies with bags of change so they can;t get hteri grimy hands on your TV.

i mean its RIDICULOUS.
did anyone else get deeply disturbed form that story of that security guard getting trampled to death at Wal-mart on black friday, and only 4 people out ofł,000 stopped to help him, then they got trampled too, one being a PREGNANT lady and no one cared?

All for an extra 15 or 20% off on some crappy wal mart stuff.
i mean wal mart isnt even that great!

and now parents work over time, kids get demanding, people get stressed out all for this holiday that should be bringing joy and peace and love and bringing people TOGETHER!

if i had kids, art chrstimas instead of getting them materialistic gifts, i would get them things that would better themselves.
like piano lessons, or take them all on a trip to a forest or reservation.

better yet, i wouldnt get them anything, instead have them go and help out with the homeless and less fortunate and have them DONATE stuff to THEM!

i hope some parents this year, with the recession, see how ridiculous and depressing the holidays are getting now.

its not about outspending each other, and getting your kids the best gifts on the block, your just making it another consumerism holiday, buying into the media telling you you need this to make your life better and people will be jealous of you.

does anyone else agree with the way holdiays have taken a turn?
especially christmas?

do people REALLY want to represent christ by trampling someone to death to get some DVDS?

i hope when their kids are opening up their presents on christmas they say “I hope you fucking like it, i killed a man for that”.
yea “truth” uhhh who said i was a christian?
cause im not anyways…
and i know it used to be a pagan holiday to celebrate the longest day of the year.
and i hate beer

We are getting an antique piano. It has a lovely mahogany finish, but on top there is a medium-sized circle that is many shades lighter than the rest of the wood. It’s disgusting how much this spot sticks out. This is a beautiful piano otherwise and I hate to look at that discolored spot. Is there any way to fix it?