How Important Is The Possibility Of Being Recognized For It As Motivation For Composing A Piece?

Is it what drives the composition of every piece?

Should it be what drives the composition of every piece?

Is it like that with you?

Is it like that with most composers?

Or are there composers who do not mind if recognition were to never come and compose regardless?

I can only speak for myself... No, I don't compose to get noticed. But, I don't want people to enjoy and perform my work. Nothing makes me happier than seeing people go: I like this! 

Not because I 'need' it. But, because it means I'm communicating what I want to communicate. When people feel how I expect them to, that's great. When they come back with: "eh, it's alright..." I know I didn't do my job. And you can be subjective all you want. "You should compose for you!! It's your love!" and, yeah, I do that... but, my main goal as a composer, and yes it's a personal goal, is to be a master communicator. 

But, I don't want people to enjoy and perform my work

I think a keyword is missing from this sentence, Lol 

As for me, I just compose for myself. I take criticism and praise with a grain of salt. Both can lead you in the wrong direction as a composer. 

Oy vey. It's been a long day. Yeah, I'd LOVE for people to enjoy and perform my work. ;)

As for me, I just compose for myself. I take criticism and praise with a grain of salt. Both can lead you in the wrong direction as a composer. 

This is truth. People say things that aren't necessarily accurate. It goes both ways. Some tell you you're a genius because they are mystified and in awe of what they don't understand. Some tell you that you're doing it wrong because they are skeptical of what they don't understand. I like when people enjoy my work but if they don't understand it or worse, think more highly of it than they should, it's just a bad thing. As for me, my motivation is to write the music that I feel moved to write. If I don't feel a stirring in my heart for something, I will not waste my time. Likewise, if I feel that stirring I will compose my music and do my best to make sure it is the best damn music I can muster up. Even if I have to write, re-write, and re-write a hundred times more, I will get it done and it will be the best that it can possibly be when I am done with it. Unless it's a project involving a lot of strict counterpoint. I tend to give up on those. But other than that, I'm pretty self motivated.

Luderart, you really do start all the best discussion questions!  (:  

I don't care if I ever get any recognition.  I whistle and sing aimlessly all the time, whether anyone is there to hear me or not, (often annoying people when they are there).  I can't help it, and I don't generally realize I'm doing it.  For me, composing is the same sort of thing.  There's a tune running around in my head that needs to get out.  I've started writing them down because that gives me the option of harmonizing with my own aimless whistling.  I'd love to hear my pieces performed, but the idea of any actual recognition is actually rather terrifying.  That sounds like it would set up an expectation for future greatness that might stop up my creative flow.  Right now, since I'm just playing, I can take risks, or just piddle around with something until it starts to work.  Abandon an idea if it doesn't work.  It doesn't really matter whether it is working brilliantly immediately.  If my adoring public was waiting with bated breath for my next composition, that would be pretty stressful.  

(But if you all want to decide I'm the next Mozart after I'm safely dead, that's fine with me.)

Hm, kind of a hard one to awnser. When i compose something i usually show it to my friends, but only when the pieces are finished. Since i rarely finish one its not really that common for me to share what i do. Its very rewarding anyway, to make music even when people don't know scraggy about them.

Love

and rejection too (that is, if you can make music while sad, because i can't)

and rejection too (that is, if you can make music while sad, because i can't)

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There's always the guy that pops up and says that every composer secretly wants to be loved.

And then someone else is all like, nuh uh I don't care if people listen I do it for the arts!

And nobody agrees with anyone ever.

There is no should be, only what is. if it's important to you it is, a lot of people say it isn't and probably a good deal of them are either lying or don't want to admit to themselves or others how much it matters to them.