What Does It Mean To Be A Composer?

This is a question I’m asked oddly regularly and it is something I asked a composer (Jazz saxophonist Ned Bennett) many years ago that still makes me cringe with embarrassment.

What does it mean to be a composer?

Well, quite frankly, it’s someone who writes music. Sometimes that music is good and sometimes music is less good but the trick is to make sure that the music gets marginally better each time. As long as you follow the ‘Latest is the Greatest’ rule then you know that you’re always going in the right direction.

I also followed this up with :

‘Do you like to be a composer?’

I have a lot more clarity on this twenty years later and I have a bit more sympathy for younger me with retrospect. Ned’s answer was that he liked having composed something, he got joy from having completed a piece, jumped over the hurdle and creating a work of art but that he found the act of writing quite a chore. I, on the other hand, love the creation process. I find it scratches a creative itch that needs to be dealt with and makes me quite uncomfortable if ignored for too long!

Whilst there are university courses, millions of scores to study, week residencies and online tutorials galore, there are actually very few real qualifications to be a composer. Being a good (or great composer) comes with some more challenges but…

If you write music then you are a composer.

If you used to write music but stopped then you were a composer.

If you have insanely thick skin and write music (and maybe earn some money) then you are a professional composer.

If you wrote music and subsequently died then you are a decomposer.

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Explore More from Nick Pike

Nick Pike is a London-based composer, pianist, saxophonist, producer, and educator with over 15 years of professional experience. His music blends neoclassical piano with jazz, funk, and contemporary influences, drawing comparisons to Ludovico Einaudi, Yiruma, and Ólafur Arnalds. Alongside original compositions, Nick offers music services including scoring for film, TV, and advertising, piano and saxophone recording, arranging for strings and horns, and professional mixing and production.

Music & Albums – Original releases from solo piano to orchestral scores.

Services – Composition, recording, arranging, and production for artists, media, and brands.

Contact – Get in touch for lessons, commissions, or collaborations.