[Ah--that certainly is a lot of questions. He has to admit, he's a little surprised, but...he's not one to turn down an inquisitive mind. He scoots over a bit on the piano bench and pats the seat next to him]

I started this when I was but a boy. My elder brother taught me violin, and I started composing small things then. I didn't really deeply study it until I was taken in from the Monestary, and from there it became my vocation. Learning to compose for many instruments was part of my training, as was starting to learn which instruments went best with others.

As for choosing which ones to use, it depends on what I'm writing for. There are many different types of ensembles--that is, groups of instruments--that are used for a variety of pieces. If we're speaking of opera, that is usually played by a full orchestra. However, there are also Quintets, quartets, trios--[he's just gonna go on and explain to her a TON about instrumentation for as long as she's willing to listen, quite frankly. This is his passion, so he's more than happy to talk about it]