People who Play but don't Compose, or Compose but don't Play

So what do you guys think about the people who only play other people's music? Its not even that they don't play music they write, but they just don't write anything at all.

And

What do you think about people that write music but don't play it? I don't even know if there are any people like that. But certianly the music software we have makes that possible.

To me, if you lack one part or the other then you are missing half of music.

At first I could not understand why anyone would want to be a musician in an orchestra, allways playing someone elses peice. Then I saw an orchestra play, the sound is pretty cool. I could see why someone would want to be part of that. Although its still pretty extreme to me to not write anything.

(the url for this thread is hilarious)

There's a lot of em about.

In fact, I play and compose - I do neither too well, though until recently I partook in an ensemble that played some "standards" (in some cases rearranged for our instruments), some of our compositions, and some improvisatory works. We gigged a few times, got by.

Which means that I'm not in a position to join in your discussion - I can't think anyone could composing without playing some instrument or able to construct tracks on a DAW. They'd have to sing it for someone else to write out or something.

for the same reason that there are actors who want to perform other people's works, and playrights who do not perform their own texts on stage. it's two different crafts - the author and the performer.

some people are performers, others are creators. it's just two different mindsets. I don't understand your perplexity.

If I spent the necessary hours working on my skills as a performer I would not have enough time to devote to composition. I choose one over the other - the one for which I have a true driving passion.

Well, I think some of the most straightfoward melodies have come straight from doodling around on my horn (that sounds so utterly wrong). For me, when I compose with my instrument, I often have much more efficient results. Not necessarily the best I've ever done, but definately the fastest I've ever produced something. When you compose with an intrument that you're proficient in, you have a better sense of what sounds coherent and interesting from lots of experience. You know what a nice minor thing will be because you have a seasoned instict as to what fingerings to make, the physical feeling involved in playing it. In other words, I feel your thoughts are better transposed by means of an instrument even if they aren't entirely coherent in your head. There is a girl at my school who is an accomplished pianist. She composed piece of good length based entirely from her emotion and lifelong experience as a pianist. The melody, structure, and voices were are perfect. She said she just sat down and began to just play away while she was in a depressed mood.

As for the actual topic at hand, I guess those that just play but don't write either don't feel a need to compose or just perhaps lack the creativity and initiative, and those that compose but don't play would rather pull the strings than go and do the actual work.

...and those that compose but don't play would rather pull the strings than go and do the actual work.

:(

"actual work"????????

trust me, composing is definately WORK.

if you don't think so it's because you've done nothing more than "doodle on your horn" (which does kind of sound obscene, doesn't it?)

I meant in terms of exploring an instrument or other instruments to know its limitations and techniques. I don't know, I just needed a contrast like in my first statement. XD

And believe me, I've done a lot more than "doodling on my horn" (yes, that DOES sound obscene) it's just I have better experince with my horn so that makes it easier to string up melodies for me. I have had small instances where I get a musical idea and try to replicate it on piano or finale, so I do know the diffulty in composing away from an instrument.