Question about composition

[Atyp]

Ok, I am currently writing my first song (I have a pretty strong theory background (testing as a junior in college theory) and have been playing piano since I was 5, 18 now) and I was just wondering if anyone know that following the typical classical guidelines is considered "the standard" by most muscians. For example, no parallel octaves, no parallel fiths, do not double your fifths, etc.

Because anyone that has doubled their fifth in a song or whatever knows that it does not sound BAD, just not as strong as if you are going to double your 3rd or tonic.

[Poparad]

Those rules are valid if you are writting music in the style that those voiceleading rules were written for.

If you are trying to write music of a classical/baroque nature, then adhereing to those rules is a must. However, if you're writting in another styles (romantic, jazz, rock, pop), then the rules don't have as much importance. Good voiceleading is never bad though, but in other styles of music it doesn't apply quite so strictly. For example, parallel fifths mean almost nothing in rock music, and writting parts like a chorale will not give you an authentic sounding rock song (it will sound like an classically oriented rock song).

The bottom line comes down to what kind of music you are writting. The answer you give to that will narrow down the approaches you would use for writting music in that style.

[Atyp]

Well, I am currently taking voice lessons emphasizing in pop opera/classical methods, but I tend to like the sound of Billy Joel and Elton John, so my music tends to be of that nature.