Peanut Butter and...Orchestrating?

I had a recent conversation with Tim Zieger and Abigail Calin that got me thinking about orchestrations. It stemmed from a strange topic, but that often seems to be how interesting and intellectual conversations get started. Tim was commenting that Abi disliked peanut butter. Her response, however, was that she doesn't always dislike peanut butter; it depends on what it is in and upon her mood. I immediately thought, "Wow! That's how I feel about orchestrating sometimes!" I may write a certain melody line that I find to be very inspiring and enchanting one day while another day I plug my ears and wonder how I could have ever thought of such a horrible combinations of notes. Hence, it depends a lot upon my mood and requires constant tweaking and rewriting. But how do I know if it really is a good melody? What if an individual listening to my composition is in a completely different mood than I was when I wrote it, and is absolutely disgusted by it while I stand in awe at my outstanding abilities (ok...not really...but you get my drift). This can also be applied to many other things such as writing for certain combinations of instruments. Sometimes it sounds great...and other times it...doesn't. Also, keeping right along with the peanut butter theme, writing a great melody or using certain instruments together can only sound great if applied within the right context. Peanut butter with beans is not very appealing just like the flavor of a good melody can be overtaken by an overactive, non-supporting harmony. The result is a bad taste! There are so many things to take into consideration when orchestrating, and I am just beginning to discover a few of these. I hope that one day I will be able to write something that is enjoyed by all and is as appealing as the peanut butter inside of a Reese's cup. But for now, I will continue on in my pursuits...