In 1986 Gerhard Muller-Hornbach formulated his aesthetic credo as follows: "I view my music as an integral component of my life. My occupation with music in general, and the act of composition in particular, have increasingly become a personal need, a primary form of vital expression. My dealings with music unlock very special insights and experiences in my encounters with the inner and outer worlds. These insights and experiences combine with the wealth of impressions from other areas of my life to produce a holistic unity of world experiences. They inform and cultivate my personal view of the world. The act of composition is the zenith at which all aspects of this world view merge, intermingle, and coalesce into a unity, which takes shape in the work of music and becomes its meaning."