When I used to compose music a while back, I would work hard to make things as complicated as possible to impress myself and those whom I thought would be dazzled by my 'intellectual prowess.' When I think back on the games I used to play as a composer, I shake my head a bit as I realize how off base I was to think that was what composition is all about.
Composition can be whatever you want it to be. You can compose to challenge others' ears, to challenge your own limitations, to create beauty... the list goes on. I suppose it is really not for me to say why you "should" or "should not" compose music, but I found when I went down the road of trying to flex my intellectual muscles, the result was not nearly as worth hearing as when I simply "let the music come to me" and didn't work so hard to construct material I thought would impress. I must admit, the desire to impress came in part from the college environment, especially when I studied with a composer briefly at Harvard for a few lessons. I could tell he wanted "complexity" and I felt some pressure to deliver what he perceived as "legitimate music."
Once I left college, I wrote my very best music. I believe that wholeheartedly. I learned many valuable things while in school, but when out of school, I felt freed up to write what I heard within, without so much concern over whether the music was "complex enough." It's okay to keep it simple. It's okay to write gorgeous melody. It's okay to not be so complex. If I had heard those words in school, it would have been like a breath of fresh air...
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