– British journalist and author Ray Connolly, interviewed in It Was Fifty Years Ago Today! The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper & Beyond (2017; documentary)
Has anyone has ever reached the pinnacle of their profession without these qualities? The answer probably depends on how you define them, of course, particularly the last one.
And, if it is true that no one reaches the top without these qualities, does that mean that aspiring composers should become egomaniacs?
I'd like to explore these questions, but I'll start with ambition.
Ambition
Ambition is a strong desire to achieve a goal, typically requiring determination and hard work. The goal is usually at least somewhat lofty – I think that is how it is used in the above quote – but it need not necessarily be so – one's ambition might be to get married, start a family, be a good parent, teacher, or friend, etc. Examples of loftier goals are fame, fortune, power, higher status, or excellence.
I'm not sure there is such a thing as a human being with no ambition at all, although people are sometimes characterized as such, being labelled slackers, lazy bums, deadbeats, goldbricks, or goof-offs, amongst other strongly-negative terms.
But even if a person wishes to go through life doing as little as possible, that in itself is a kind of ambition, is it not? 😸 I once asked a guitar student of mine what their ambitions were, and the student said their main ambition was to win a lottery. He has thus far not achieved this, but he subsequently spent many years studying in Germany to become a brewmeister, and is now making a very good living as such, I understand.
I am not sure if anyone reaches the top of their profession without a strong ambition to do so, but perhaps some people get there by simply aspiring to be as good as they can be, and if that gets them to the top, so be it.
Aspiring to be as good as you can be has the advantage of being a motivational goal – everyone can aim to become as good as they can be, although no one really knows where that point is. Perhaps if we begin to feel like we are as good as we can be, we are probably not. The aspiration to self-actualize (which is related to being as good as we can be) is like the figurative carrot at the end of a stick, motivating us to pursue it, but remaining forever just beyond our reach.
Aspiring to reach the absolute pinnacle of one's profession is, in art, a difficult objective to define. If you're a boxer, and you are the undisputed champion of the world in your weight class, then congratulations; you've reached the top of your profession! Tennis and golf have ranking systems that determine who is number one in their sports. Track athletes become number one in the world when they break world records.
For composers, however, while there are various ways of measuring success, there aren't any universally-recognized criteria that clearly establish someone as "the best of the best," the "Queen" or "King" of the composing world. Incidentally, the word "King" has been applied to Elvis ("the King of Rock 'n Roll"), LeBron James of the NBA ("King James"), and Babe Ruth ("the King of Crash," although he was more widely known as "the Sultan of Swat," and "the Bambino"). No one has applied it to classical composers; there is no King Bach, or King Beethoven. This is good; it means the title is still up for grabs! 😸
A challenge in aspiring to reach the absolute pinnacle of one's profession is dealing with factors beyond our control. Becoming as good as you can be is something to which anyone can aspire and work toward, but becoming better than everyone else is not, simply because, even if you attain your peak level of achievement, there will nevertheless likely be a lot of people who are better than you.
Some people in both the real world and fiction have opted to cheat or otherwise commit crimes in order to eliminate or gain an advantage over the competition, but, to quote Shakespeare's King Lear, that way madness lies. 😳
(Okay, I will stop it with the emojis now. Apologies to those annoyed by them!)
Shakespeare seems to have been particularly prone to creating characters who committed vile acts for personal gain, such as Claudius killing King Hamlet, and Macbeth killing King Duncan, but there are many examples of similarly-motivated regicides and otherwise dastardly deeds committed throughout actual history, such as physically or verbally attacking one's competitors (cf. U.S. figure skater Tonya Harding, many politicians (for whom ad hominem attacks appear to be the norm), and business people (e.g., hostile takeovers, crushing one's competitors)).
Less extreme, perhaps, but still wrong is cheating for personal gain, such as the long list of athletes who have used performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) or blood doping to gain an edge over their competitors. Swindlers, "confidence men" (which became shortened over time to "con-men"), and some forms of telemarketing also fall under this category.
But, happily, somewhere between wanting to be the best you can be, and Machiavellian (or Shakespearian) schemes to eliminate those that stand in your way, lie other, more honourable (and less mad) options, which brings us back to composition.
Let's say your ambition is to become an excellent, and well-regarded composer. The first part is hopefully something you are always working on on (and something about which I write frequently), but the second part can be something of a mystery for many, myself included.
Start by being clear on your motivation; why do you want to be a well-regarded composer?
The motivation for me is practical; if many people like your music and think highly of you as a composer, then you are more likely to get commissions, performances, and recordings of your music. And if more people are performing and recording your music, the odds improve that the performances and recordings will be of higher quality. These in turn will better reflect how good a composer you are, and more people will have opportunities to hear your music, which in turn can lead to more commissions and programming of your music on concerts. If performances of your work are infrequent, and by weak performers, then the opposite is true; you are less likely to get good opportunities for commissions and performances. Therefore, in my view, becoming a well-regarded composer is just as important a goal as becoming a good composer.
Once you have identified a goal and become clear on your motivation, the next challenge is figuring out what it takes to achieve that goal; in this case it would be:
Make a list of strategies to become better known as a composer.
For most composers, I suspect that this is the tricky, or at least potentially uncomfortable part. Take all my suggestions below with a grain of salt; after all, if I were really good at this, I would be better known.
Here are some ideas:
- Build relationships with performers (1). Start by taking a friendly interest in performers you already know, such as fellow music students, but make sure you don't come across as someone interested only in what others can do for you.
There are different ways to proceed; if you want to write for a specific instrumentation, such as clarinet and piano, you could approach a clarinetist you know and ask if they'd be interested in playing such a piece; if they say yes, then try to line up a pianist (or ask the clarinetist if there's a specific pianist they like to perform with). It helps to have a specific performance opportunity in mind, such as an upcoming student composer's concert. If you are no longer in school, you could organize a concert of new works by young composers, or better yet, involve a bunch of your colleagues in the organization of such a concert (see #7 below). If you already have a completed work, such as a piece for clarinet and piano, you could offer scores and parts to performers of these instruments and ask if they would be willing to have a look at them, and let you know if they would be willing to perform the piece.
- Build relationships with performers (2). Attend recitals and try to meet the performers backstage afterwards to congratulate them, and let them know how much you enjoyed the concert. Do this sincerely! if you come across as insincere or otherwise disingenuous ("I loved your concert! Here, take some of my music! See ya!"), you can be pretty sure that the performer(s) will not only never play your music, but they may speak badly of you to others. If you did not enjoy the concert, I do not recommend doing this approach.
If, at some point in the conversation, the performer asks about you, then you can let them know you are a composer, and, if they ask if you've written anything for their instrument, then you can say yes, and you just happen to have a score you'd like to give them, which hopefully you brought to the concert with you. Just in case.
All of these things don't usually happen, by the way, so, if they don't, use your judgement as to whether the performer might be interested in having a look at a score of yours. The main thing, it seems to me, is to express interest in them, because without it, they are unlikely to be interested in you.
I don't do this much, but when I did, I would often meet performers backstage and not give them my music, because it just didn't feel right, and I didn't want to come across as a huckster. Occasionally, however, we would seem to hit it off and I would give them my music. In a few cases, it worked out spectacularly well for me.
The absolute best-case example of this approach working out for me was meeting guitarist Daniel Bolshoy backstage after one of his concerts, and then heading out for a post-concert beverage with some mutual friends, and getting to know him better that way (and vice-versa, which is without question more important! A performer is much more likely to be interested in your music if they like you). At some point he asked about me, and asked if I had written for guitar. Sure enough, I "happened" to have a copy of a long, solo guitar piece with me, which I gave to him, and he seemed interested. I sent him an occasional E-mail follow-up, again saying how much I had enjoyed the concert (which was true) and asking how things were going in his life. Do not bombard the performer with E-mails! one E-mail every few months is plenty. Eventually he had a look at my piece, liked it, learned it, and started to perform it.
The upshot is that he recorded it onto a CD named "McGillicuddy's Rant," which is the title of my composition, and performed it close to 100 times around the world. He subsequently commissioned a new guitar piece with string quartet from me, which he performed with the Penderecki Quartet. As a result of his performances, other guitarists have heard my music and written me asking for copies of the score, which in turn has led to more performances of this piece. So, this approach can work! - Contact performers and music directors you don't know. This is a crap shoot; most won't even listen to or look at your music if they've never heard of you. Frankly, I'm not sure how useful this is, but, unlike in the old days when you'd have to print and bind a large quantity of scores, and then send them to people who don't know you with the likely result that they'd toss your score directly in the trash, at least nowadays you can E-mail PDF copies of your scores to as many prospective performers as you like, along with audio links, which is a lot cheaper and easier. "Cold calls" presumably sometimes produce positive results, or else we wouldn't be bombarded with calls from telemarketers, but the success rate is probably extraordinarily low.
- Win competitions. Enter often! Sure, it's a lottery, but if your music is really good, and it looks really good (something we spend a lot of time talking about in composition classes and lessons), you might win something. This does not necessarily lead to anything, but it might, especially if you make it work for you.
- Try to get your music played on the radio. This is obviously a challenge, especially in an era in which the CBC, in my country of Canada, plays significantly less classical (and especially contemporary classical) music than they used to. But all radio stations have air time to fill, and they need to fill it with something, so why not your music? This only works if you have professional-level recordings of your music, of course, but even then it's a long shot that it will actually work.
- Make your music readily available on the Internet. Start your own website, and post scores and recordings of your best compositions, along with programme notes in each case. Once search engines find your web pages, musicians searching for, say, "music for clarinet and piano," may land on your website where they can look at and listen to your piece for clarinet and piano. Make it obvious how to contact you, should they wish to perform your music.
- Organize concerts of your music, and invite other local composers to participate. Basically, make things happen, and get others to help. This involves a fair amount of work, especially if you want to do a good job of it and get people to show up. But it's potentially an extremely valuable way of getting your music performed.
When I was a graduate student in Toronto, my fellow students and I formed an organization called "Continuum Contemporary Music" back in the mid 1980's, and we became very successful, eventually having many of our concerts picked up for broadcast by CBC radio. I recommend paying your performers, and hiring the best musicians available, because a concert of poorly-performed contemporary music is not anything that anyone wants to sit through, not even your family. - Perform your own music – this was common practice for almost all composers throughout music history – or even form your own ensemble, like Tim Brady's "Bradyworks," and organize concerts, or explore possibilities of performing on others' concerts.
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30 comments:
I think that it's important to have ambitions, and as stated in the post, it is healthier if those ambitions are centered on self-motivation/improvement. In the strategies for being a better composer, I think that many of the points come back to ego, which is "a person's sense of self-esteem or self-importance". As an aspiring composer, you kind of have to believe in your own work to be able to put yourself out there and create performance/broadcast opportunities. Few people are creating their magnum opus early in their composition career, but strongly believing that your work deserves to be heard is part of having a healthy ego. It will encourage you to enter that competition or show that score to a performer, and in turn, build relationships with your peers and performers. Because composers across the board have diverse personalities, some will have to work harder at being ambitious or having an ego than others. But it's definitely something that important to be thinking about early in one's career.
P.S. Though he doesn't exist in the classical realm, there is already a King Bach (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Bach). He's a Canadian Viner/Youtuber.
I agree that ambition is a major factor when you're an aspiring composer, like myself. Along with the ambition for your music to go far moving forward, self-confidence in yourself and your music is key. I found that with myself I second guessed my music a lot when I first started out, with little ambition that my music was going to be good enough. It did take some time to build up that confidence to share my music and to know that if I have to make changes, then there is no shame in making those changes.
I think the list for becoming a well-known composer is one I think all aspiring composers should read! It is definitely a list that I will be referring to to make sure I'm doing the right things to become the composer I'd like to be.
Of the 3 traits mentioned in the title of this post, I think ambition is perhaps the most necessary when trying to improve as a composer. From my experience, most successful artists I have met all had a certain amount of ambition that propelled their careers in a positive direction. In most of these cases, it seemed that with their ambitions came the ability to make necessary sacrifices, and develop a good work ethic, in order to achieve each goal set for themselves. With that being said, as you mentioned in your post, I think it is necessary to have healthy ambitions and to not put too much hope into an unrealistic goal. Instead of someone trying to become the "best" composer ever, a goal which is certain to lead to disappointment when a more successful composer appears, they can set tangible goals for themselves that will likely be achieved. Setting small goals that build into larger ones is often a good place to start, which, with enough effort, is sure to develop a composers reputation in a positive way. It's not about someone selling themselves short but has to do with not getting caught up in a fantasy (being the 'best"), which can often lead to disappointment.
Another tip I have heard from many successful artists, which you also touch on in this post, is to always be working towards making new contacts in a sincere way. At some point, in almost every guest masterclass I've attended since my time a MUN, the guest would eventually stress the importance of getting to know musicians and making a human connection with them. It was never about lavishing a performer, composer, or lecturer with compliments, but instead, being real with them and having a chat. Often lending a hand moving some gear or offering to buy someone a drink will open an opportunity to get to know the person, which ends in them actually knowing your name, and new collaborative projects.
This post gave me a lot of advice on how to make my music known and how to become a better composer. I think that ambition is important, as well as having goals, but in terms of talent, I think skill is far more important. I've always viewed talent as innate ability, but it means nothing if it isn't honed in practice. As for ego, I think it is unnecessary and quite frankly destructive to someone's character. I think it is far better to be humble. I really agree with your tips on how to get your music out there. Befriending performers genuinely and growing relationships with them is essential. Entering competitions is something that I just started doing and I hope it leads to something. Winning a competition can really put your name on the map and is really effective in getting your name out there. Being recognized as a composer is always an exciting possibility. Being reluctant to share your music though is also a very real reality. Contacting others, especially people you don't know, is scary and can feel like you're just being annoying, but there comes a time in which to be exposed, one has to swallow their pride and be a bit vulnerable with their music. This is something I've always found hard to do, with both my classical compositions and with my songs. It is something however that I feel I need to overcome in order for my music to be known.
I really like your definition of ambition. Out of the three topics this post refers to I believe ambition is the most important, it is equivalent to the fire of motivation that burns within someone. I think this can be found when someone finds a cause they want to get behind.
When someone has something worth fighting for then they have the ambition to see that thing succeed. Without that pure determination the hard work does not get complete. I agree with what you said about striving to be better than your previous self rather than trying to be better than everyone else. There is always going to be people that come out of nowhere and sweep you off your feet with how "talented" or "skilled" they are. As long as you keep working on your self one day at a time that is the only way you can give yourself a fighting chance at being the best of the best.
I agree that everyone has to have some form of ambition. I think it is important to have a goal of just trying to do your best when working with music (especially when you're a student) because most of the time there is going to be someone more advanced than you.
I think that the list of strategies for becoming a better composer was my favourite part of this blog post. There are some very useful suggestions listed that I would’ve never thought of, such as entering competitions, and building relationships with performers who you might like to play your music. I will definitely be referencing this list often if I ever try to make my compositions more public!
Interesting to consider, that a composer's work seems to be just as much in public relations and networking as it is in the artistic element. This falls in line with my understanding of the performance world in general, but I see a unique distinction here- in that a composer without any type of network whatsoever would effectively never be able to see their works truly realized (if you consider the performance of a work to be the ultimate qualifier of realization). While it can be said that success in all manner of music based professions weights to some extent on interpersonal skills, it seems to me as though composition is the most affected by this phenomenon, such to the point that effective interpersonal skills become a prerequisite to even viewing a finished product of one's own work.
This is written very passionately and thoughtfully. As a serious and aspiring musician myself, I am inspired by the poise and optimism of this blog. Anyways! I would like to particularly relate to each of the 8 points listed for advice for ambition. First of all, it is great to meet performers. Daniel Bolshoy in particular is a very skilled guitarist, and he is a great musician to point towards for repertoire in just about any stylistic period! I will have to check out his recording of McGillCuddly's rant. The big point about attending recitals and concerts is also very important not just for supporting performers, but for networking with musicians of all walks of life. It is also important in developping our ears as composers as well, because we may come across a composer/ piece we have never heard before (especially if it is a new music concert). Contacting composers and performers we dont know is also valuable especially in the social media age. While classical music is the fourth most popular genre of music in the world, classical musicians network more than any other field of music. Social media pages such as facebook and instagram have become important tools in career development and also emphasize how music making changes as technology evolves too. It has become easier and more efficient for composers and performers to work together as a result. In preparation for my CD of canadian guitar music, I worked with composers on a regular basis via zoom. This was advantageous especially for those who resided in a different province or town. Competitions also tie into this topic because with the commencement of the quarantine restrictions, more composition competitions and performance competitions switched to an online means. As a student in Newfoundland, having the opportunity to participate in virtual competitions is immensely valuable considering how expensive it is to travel to just ONE festival. Radio and other internet means are also great for sharing and communicating your pieces, and showing that you are passionate about your premiere is important in communicating to your audience that this is something to be excited about! I would also love to see more composers invite their colleagues to concerts of their music and this opens up lots of opportunity to encourage classical musicians of all niches to work with and propell the art form on a regular/ friendly basis. Performing ones own music is especially helpful for soloists like myself, and it may even encourage those who may not know many other instruments to learn techniques of playing different types of music as well.
In summary, I really enjoyed reading this, and it provided some much needed optimism during a time when the entire field of music is more uncertain than ever.
I find the idea of trying to be more ambitious a really interesting idea. I feel like ambition is to me more of a personal feeling. What this is more to me is how to best express and utilize the ambition you have. I feel like this is exactly the type of post that I need. I feel like I am typically really good at getting on work and shooting for big goals but it's getting my foot out there that I really struggle with. A lot of these ideas are also really smart ideas that I would not have thought of like trying to get my music played on the radio. But the main one that seems the most important is building relationships with the performers. I would never have guessed that just going to a concert and emailing them a couple times could get your piece played over 100 times across the world. I am definitely going to really try to do stuff like that far more.
I found the idea of this blog very relatable and true. I consider myself someone with a lot of ambition, and I really don't think I would be where I am today in any aspect of my life without my ambition. Ambition is what drives me to do well, work hard, and try as hard as I can. agree with the fact that everyone has some ambition - but some people most definitely have more than others. The idea of trying to be more ambitious is an interesting one to me. I feel that ambition is something you are born with, and I don't know if someone would be able to completely change their ambition level (though as I mentioned, I consider myself a highly motivated person and have been for my whole life, so I can't really speak too much on the subject). I also think it is something that you learn as you grow. If you are surrounded by people who are super motivated and dedicated to their work, you will probably adopt some of these habits yourself. If your parents show you that they are lazy and do to care about their work, you are more likely to end up that way too.
I enjoyed the list of strategies to make you a better composer. I believe that this is important for any profession, not just composition. You need to have a gameplay, something that will keep you motivated and driven. One in particular that really struck me was the last point, about playing your own pieces. It had never really crossed my mind for composers to play their own work as a way for it to become more popular. Of course, we have so many singer-songwriters today like Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande that perform their own songs, as well as writing them. This had never crossed my mind to be an act that composers would partake in too. It interests me so much, as it is so true - if you don't play your own music, how can you expect someone else to play it?
Ambition! I, and many others, know it all too well. It can be our greatest strength, and sometimes, at the same time, our greatest weakness. It may cloud our judgment, or it may make our intent all the more clear. Throughout my life, I have always strived for perfection. In, literally, everything. Throughout the past year, I've realized that most of the time, that isn't possible. It is perfectly okay for something to not be perfect. I feel like my "writer's block" is caused by the need to be perfect, and the thought that if I write, it won't be the best thing to ever be written. But, I'm grateful to have realized that it's all part of the process. Trust the plan, they say! Anyways, I also enjoyed reading your composing techniques as well. They are, as always, so very helpful.
Ambition, Talent, Ego, and... conspiracy theories?
This is somewhat unrelated to the point of this post but my qualitative research professor spoke in our lecture about the conspiracy theory that Paul McCartney actually died in 1966 and was replaced by a look alike. I was so intrigued by this, even though it is not to be taken seriously.
With your love of the Beatles, maybe you could write a blog post someday about conspiracy theories surrounding them and hidden messages in their music!? I would LOVE to read that.
Here's a related article: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/the-beatles-secret-messages-conspiracy-theories-b1831559.html
Ambition is definitely a double edged sword - it's good/important to have that drive and passion to pursue interests and accomplishment, but sometimes when we push ourselves to reach a certain expectation we've created for ourselves without pacing or questioning motives, it can block our potential for what we want to build and things could end up being super overwhelming (at least in my experience - I definitely relate with Frank's experience of writer's block). Ambition is definitely subjective - you could want to be busy all the time and working with lots of people, but I also know there's value to finding balance in the perspective of simplicity; kind of like the dude wanting to win a lottery ticket, simple goals can be very satisfying and often achieved in abundance where focusing on one idea of accomplishment might be an extended experience.
When it comes to music and the ambition to create content that is highly regarded, it's super tricky because of how subjective preferences can be, and creative arts are constantly evolving with social/cultural changes. I think the advice that was listed in this post is super helpful in navigating yourself into a position to share what you create; breaking down ambitious goals into smaller, guided directions for yourself is a great way to build opportunity, which can become part of the larger sense of accomplishment. It might be hard to see now, but maybe years down the road content you made might become really popular! The act of simply creating and sharing can be really powerful.
Lots of good tips in this post! Really gets you thinking about all the things that go into being a composer or artist in general outside of simply making music. I think this shows how important it is to actually create relationships with other artists and set out to make a reputation for yourself. Makes you wonder how much amazing art we don't know about simply because someone wasn't able to get the proper attention to show off what they'd made. I think perhaps there is a certain level of "ego" involved in pursuing these kinds of things but maybe that's not necessarily a bad thing. I think it's definitely important to balance ambition with being realistic and understanding that often many things are left up to chance rather than reflecting our own talent or motivation.
This is something that I think about as I near the end of my time in the music program. While I don't really have many ambitions as a composer, I do as a musician; but these ambitions seem to be changing all the time. For a little while, I wanted to be a professional and go on to grad school, but recently have had a change of heart. I do still want to be a musician and very involved in the local community, but not as a professional. In spite of this, I do think a lot of the tips that you have mentioned for composers can still apply here. When working with groups, I will go out of my way to make sure that the members and directors will like me and want me to work with them again in the future. Sometimes I will take on performances that I don't really want to do, again in order to build these relationships and establish myself within the community. I will often chat with and offer my services to as many musical directors as possible, and while it very rarely works out for me, people are still aware of who I am and my enthusiasm to be involved as needed. While I may not be as ambitious as the people in the music school who really want to make it in the industry, these are still useful pieces of advice and will likely be able to help me in any of my life ambitions, not just music.
I think the ambition is that baseline anchor that keeps us grounded when the going gets tough or when we plain old get distracted by what life throws at us. Even though we will probably keep chasing the carrot at the end of the stick, I would argue its better than the alternative which is NOT running and NOT striving to do our best. The part of the article that really resonated with me the most was the emphasis on building genuine healthy relationships with those around us. I do not plan on becoming a composer per se but everything in the post applies to any discipline that involves a craft which requires other people. My pet peeve has always been meeting people that go to other peoples events and recitals just to promote their own or in a disingenuous way give compliments with the prospect of getting something in return.
People who do this give off a vibe that we call recognize immediately. I think because of too much ego controlling their ambitions. In my opinion EVERYONE has an ego and people that claim to lose their egos, its their egos saying that. I view the ego like a fire that must be controlled otherwise it will burn and devastate everything around it as everything becomes ME and I. What can they do for ME? Be sure to come to MY event. I am the king. This line of thinking toxic and I really admire people who have insane levels of skill but who are humble and have a healthy sense of self. People like that are not only easy to work with but easy to be around in general. Great read!
Having ambition is definitely important to achieving whatever goals you have in mind. I think talent is overrated at times, because what does talent exactly mean? I guess it's normally described as the ability to pick up a skill with little to no work put into it where others without "talent" might have to work twice as hard (or more) to achieve the same level of mastery. I don't necessarily agree with "talent" as I believe it can encourage laziness, especially if others notice and praise someone for being "talented." Being praised all the time might make a person feel like they do not need to work as hard as anyone else, which might prevent someone from reaching their true potential (and if they are really talented, they could be the next big" thing). Ego is something that I don't believe is inherently a bad thing, but it can definitely come off as obnoxious at times especially depending on the persons personality. I think having no ego is also a bad thing for those with ambitions to be the best they can be, as a low ego can sometimes also mean low self esteem, and having good self esteem is essential for success in any field of work.
My goal is to be the greatest composer I can be but it is also to be well rounded but also knowledgeable in specific areas of composition. I know what I said contradicts itself but I do see that being unique to an extent is incredibly important for some performers to want to perform your work. At this point I do also feel like it is imperative to be a confident performer yourself to show the performer on the spot more of how you intend your pieces to be performed or that you can be a part of the performance/ performance process. With this being said, your notation should be clear because you want people to get your meaning because in the end that should be your main intension. I have I would say a strong ambition to be the best I can be in composition and that does mean to more I know the more I need to know and want to learn. I always want to better myself especially in composition and I honestly like to think of working in a class room with others as a light but true competition to see who can be the most creative and that is what partly motivates me. I personally like creating, to me this is one of the main points of life (if not the main point of life). I always push myself to be better because I think it is a waste of time is sitting around and being lazy and doing nothing with your time. I get bored too easily so I need to work on something that interests me. Talent is overrated to an extent because anyone to be the somewhat subjective best has to work at it. Wayne Gretzky had to work hard at being the best for his time. He like myself do have that element of obsession and doing it partially because it just brings us joy.
Ambition is a beautiful way to keep a person motivated, and interested in their goals. It helps people find their direction, and their niche. Talent on the other hand, is definitely important, but certainly subjective. Natural born talent, and being a prodigy is exciting, and definitely perhaps "easier", but ambition can drive anybody's abilitys to better. It pushes peopleto practice, and work on their craft. You are able to find love and joy in what you do, and pushes you to do anything. I think that if you love what you are doing, and if composing is what drives you, then it will speak through your playing, with passion and intensity. Talent, at the very minimum, is subjective. It is the lowest on the totem pole, and even if you have extreme talent, if you do not have dedication and soul in a performance, and what you do, it will not be as exciting as somebody who does, with little talent.
I would argue that ambition is one of the most important aspects of succeeding. Along with lots of hard work and dedication. I have found ambition to be the largest driving factor throughout my musical career. For example, I have performance anxiety and sometimes masterclass or the performance aspect of my degree has been challenging and I've wondered if I can finish the program - BUT through all the most challenging days, I've remembered that my end goal is still to teach music and so I have to go through this to get there. If it wasn't for that ambition to be a music educator I may not have been able to get through all my performance anxiety around solo vocal performance. Talent, I guess has a role to play too. Although I don't think one can go "all the way" on talent alone. In terms of ego - I don't have much patience for people with large egos - however there is definitely an importance in confidence so I think that's a careful balance to strike.
Really interesting discussion here - I would argue that ambition is not a main driving factor in the relative success or failure of composers. Ambition is synonymous with having goals, and although individual goals may differ amongst different people, everyone has goals, and therefore I would argue everyone is ambitious (perhaps to wildly differing degrees).
As I was reading this post I couldn't help but think about the different roles motivation and discipline play in the development of composers and the realization of musical goals. I think there is a really important distinction between discipline and motivation: motivation is having curiosity, desire, and excitement to chase one's goals while discipline is doing that work in the absence of motivation. I think any composer at some point has a drive to write new music or pursue new musical opportunities (motivation) but I think what happens when that motivation wanes (i.e tired, discouraged, rejection, failures) is really important.
There were lots of great suggestions for developing a reputation as a young composer in this post that would probably lead to growth if you did them, but if you only did those things when you were motivated to do them it might not be enough. Doing those things even though one might not be motivated or feel like they were realizing those goals (Discipline) is what I think is the deciding factor in realizing ambitions, not just in music but in anything.
I try to bring this mindset to all of my work. It is something that makes my musical career interesting for me - I find it rewarding when I can do the work I need to do to realize my goals during the times when I might not be "motivated" to do that work.
Although hard work, talent, and dedication are commonly thought to be tied to success in most professions, I personally don’t think that it’s accurate to say that every successful person has practiced doing these things. People have different ways of working, and the way that some people will find success differs highly from one person to the next. They may also focus on different areas of the work itself, such as collaboration or adaptability rather than simply being individually dedicated to a certain thing.
I do think however that ambition is, in most cases, crucial to one’s success. Without ambition, no boundaries will be pushed, and nothing interesting will come of the person’s work. Ambition can also tie heavily into motivation, which is extremely important when it comes to being successful.
As for whether or not aspiring composers should become egomaniacs, having such a mindset is usually a terrible approach. In my view, ego should only come into play as an extra layer of confidence, rather than having it in excess which can hinder the ability to learn from others and adapt.
In the end, I see success as multifaceted and as something that doesn’t only come to those who are ‘gifted,’ nor does it only come to those who are determined to succeed. Success is a much more abstract thing, and if it could be defined and simplified down to a simple formula, everyone would be successful, making the very act of success unremarkable.
Interesting. As always I can only talk from my experience but to me is very hard to define ambition and even ego in such a creative and free field such as composition. Sure, you can say something ambitious in this field would be to be a film composer for a multi million dollar movie or something similar where the composer gets big bucks but I am not completely sure If I would qualify something like that as ambitious. Maybe writing a tremendously long piece that is also very interesting is an ambitious idea but that kind of composition is something very normal so I am not sure if I would say that is compositionally ambitious either.
The same goes for ego. Because music is so creative it is impossible (at least for me) to define something that I can truly and scientifically qualify as a "bad" composition (I might not like a piece, but that doesn't mean it is bad, its just the response I had to it [and that could even mean I am the one that doesn't understand the composers ideas]), so when someone has a very high or low ego about their own music I tend to ignore it as much as possible because what causes differences in ego is ones self idea of your own work.
In conclusion I think it is too hard to say any piece of music is good or bad!
Ambition, talent, and ego. I've never really though about it boiled down this much. It's difficult for me to say if these three things are absolutely necessary for one to achieve success. I mean, obviously anyone can become successful with their own goals and aspirations in mind that may not fit perfectly into ambition, talent, and ego. But then again, I feel like there are aspects of all three buried somewhere in the story of any successful musician. I think ego is a very interesting one. People hear the word "ego" and they immediately think of someone with a big head who thinks they're better than everyone else. This is simply not what ego means. Merriam-Webster defines ego as "the self especially as contrasted with another self or the world". Ego is simply your sense of self-esteem and self-confidence. I think ego is very important in the music world. Obviously I'm not saying to inflate your ego and to look down upon everyone else, but if you have lots of ambition and talent it is important to believe in yourself too. A strong sense of self doubt and insecurity are much more powerful in negatively altering the delivered product than one would think. If you go into a performance or audition knowing how good of a musician you are, your performance will reflect it.
I agree that ambition is the leading factor in one's success. However, this post also made me think of the importance of the balance between ambition, talent, and ego. And how the three work together to make a career. If you have considerable musical talent, but no ambition to do anything with it, then the music you create just stays as a hobby. Similarly, if you have talent but not the healthy ego to support it, you may doubt the quality of your work and never release it. On the other side of this spectrum. if you have the mindset that your music is the best, but no ambition to put in the work to get discovered (or you just assume it's so good that it will naturally be discovered without having to do any work) you won't be able to make a career. This requirement for balance is shown through the ideas for strategies to boost your career as a composer. All of those tips, like building relationships with composers, reaching out to other musicians, entering competitions, putting things out on the internet, etc. Going out of your way to accomplish those tasks takes quite a bit of motivation and ambition, but none of those things are possible without also having the confidence in yourself and your talents to do so.
Ambition - I agree with you when you said that you’re not sure if there’s such a thing as a human being with no ambition. I think ambition is what drives most people, whether they are lazy or not, they have the ambition to walk to the couch and do nothing. I do agree that ambition drives most to do the best they can be. It is true that being the best you can be will always be challenging when comparing yourself to others. One of my teachers in high school always said, ‘Wherever you go, there will always be someone better than you. So the best thing to do is to just be the best you can be.’ As much as that sucks to hear, it’s also good to accept that and focus on you, not trying to bet anyone at anything.
Becoming a better known composer- The struggle I find with taking friendly interest in perfromers you already know, especially in St. John’s, it’s a smaller circle, which is good, but it’s hard to get into. I find people and cliquey and discouraging sometimes. Winning competitions, that brings me back to what my teacher said, there will always be someone better than you. Most of the times, you will get defeated more than encouraged, which also depends on mindset, but the music business can be very scary and discouraging at times. Organizing concerts is also a struggle, once you get it, the outcome feels wonderful, but to get to that point sometimes feels impossible. The music life is an endless circle that is hard to break out of. Look at me, I come from a small, isolated town. Coming to St. John’s and trying to arrange anything like that, people don’t know my name, and it’s hard to make my name known because of how tightly knit the industry in town is and you have to be next level good to go anywhere with it. Performing my own music, I have done but in smaller settings, making it difficult to go anywhere with it. I wrote a song for my graduation, performed it, posted it, it went nowhere. I got a couple ‘good job’, ‘so good’, and ‘wows’ but other than that nothing. I wrote a song for my brothers wedding, performed it, again, nothing. Yes, I am talented and skilled, I know that. But the music industry in St. John’s is all about who you know, but it’s difficult to know people.
I know it is all about balance of having the right ambition, being talented but making sure you don’t have a big ego. But sadly, sometimes it’s most discouraging that encouraging.
I posted on this blog a while ago but now, in the end of my 4th year; I have something more/ different to say.
I just finished a rehearsal of my composition recital. Most things have gone well but it was an ordeal to get everyone sorted and as happy with their interpretations of my compositions as possible. I have been developing my leadership skills and it has been almost fully rewarding. I do like I have a hand in every performance in the recital as the DJ of sorts...in this way I can have more control but also let the performers breathe with their interpretations of the composition.
I have made sure to tell the performers that they are valued even though that is not my strong suit. I am in the second piece as one of the performers, so I know how it feels to perform fairly new pieces infront of an auidience so I can help my performers feel as comfortable as possible.
I have found I need to talk about my compositions before hand because they are never in english and they have super deep stories behind them. Talking about the pieces in front of people is certainly not what I'm really natural at, but I have learned to feel more comfortable in front of people. I also tell myself that these are my own pieces so no need to worry.
I do enjoy that this post brings up how important networking and community building are in a musician's career. Ultimately, one could argue that making art is futile if no one is around to see it. And like many things in life, you (usually) can't just wait for opportunity to present itself, you have to take initiative and put your work out there. I also appreciate the mention that you can't just use people to enable your own success, you need them to actually, sincerely, like you, both as a person and a composer. Perhaps if you are exceptionally skilled at deception and manipulation you can get away with building connections only for your own benefit, but eventually those in the community will begin to take notice and cease to collaborate. One must respect musicians in their networks and form sincere networks if they wish to be well-admired.
This was a very interesting and well-thought out post. I found it to be a very useful read, especially during the second part about how to become a better known composer.
One of the most challenging things for me as a composer is networking. I've always been awkward in social situations, especially with people I don't know too well. However, I learned through this post that building relationships with my fellow music students also counts as networking, so it's good to know that I'm much better at it than I originally thought.
I also agree with your point about aspiring to be the best you can be vs aspiring to be the best of the best at what you do. It's healthier to aspire to be the best you can be because if you aspire to be the best of the best, there's a high likelihood that you'll burn yourself out, since no matter what, there will always be someone out there who is better. If you aspire to be the best that you can be, you will be able to improve your abilities without burning yourself out too much.
Ambition is definitely the most important trait a composer can possess, even more than creativity. I think in addition to ambition if a composer wants to get their name out there, they need to have a strategy (I’m currently working on this, by the way) which should include going to concerts regularly, approaching people you are generally interested in and putting your music out there in whatever way possible, i.e.: competitions, performing your own work (obviously more reliable), etc. I realize that with the latter I have a huge upper hand as a pianist because I don’t have to pay for accompaniment for most works and it is much easier to achieve a variety of textures (thick and thin) with a piano than it is with a solo wind instrument. Aside from the points you made, I think it is important for all musicians but especially composers to market themselves on social media by documenting what they’re writing, their performances, recording projects and what their doing for their community so that potential commissioners can see that particular composer is active in the community and showing off what they can do for clients. All of that being said, I think executing your strategy for getting out there is a question of when and where there is an opportunity to do so. I recently applied to a few graduate programs and they all asked for recordings, however, my time during my undergrad has not given me many opportunities to get recordings/performances of my work, therefore, marketing myself has been challenging for that reason. It has also made me very self-conscious of that because I know I’m applying with other talented, ambitious composers who are coming from bigger institutions/areas where there are more opportunities like that which makes them look as though they are taken more seriously than I am. Almost everything else mentioned can be done on one’s own, and it is definitely a list that every composer should save and refer to regularly!
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