Are composers generally socially reserved or shy?

Originally Posted by DOFTS

...all good composers are gay...

Um.. of course all of the good composers are gay... look at this forum and me... duhhh... such situational evidence provides for all of the proof in the world!

I compose for the same reasons I enjoy mathematics - it's fun, there are elements of problem solving, it's a mainly solitary activity, and I get the same sense of achievement when I write something I'm proud of as when I solve a difficult problem.

Hey! I've told you that!

I'm shy around girls.

...


If you want to get your stuff performed, if you want to have people LISTEN TO YOUR SONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you have to have a... certain attitude.

Think rock & roll star. It don't mean you have to be a jerk or a pretentious brat. It means you have to be so passionate about music that you don't even care there's people, SO LONG AS THEY LISTEN TO YOUR MUSIC!"$!$)I$W·TRWTIJESPGSGJsPIG AAAAAAAAAAAAAH.

And people are bound to respond to that, either with euphoric enthusiasm or by punching you. But it's a PASSIONATE musical PUNCH. Which is progress anyways.

You'd rather people think you're just some dude who composes some musics or someone who rocks?

...Well, that's concerning public appearance. I'm of the "ties are for businessmen" crowd. I really wish the "classical" tradition of people dressing up to perform crap would end.

Why can't you just wear some jeans and such to your own concert?

I'm for the music, not what the musicians are wearing, or any of that crap. They could as well all be naked for all I care (if they're nice looking girls, I would rather endorse this behavior.)

...But that's something else entirely.

Originally Posted by SSC

I'm shy around girls.

...


If you want to get your stuff performed, if you want to have people LISTEN TO YOUR SONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you have to have a... certain attitude.

Think rock & roll star. It don't mean you have to be a jerk or a pretentious brat. It means you have to be so passionate about music that you don't even care there's people, SO LONG AS THEY LISTEN TO YOUR MUSIC!"$!$)I$W·TRWTIJESPGSGJsPIG AAAAAAAAAAAAAH.

And people are bound to respond to that, either with euphoric enthusiasm or by punching you. But it's a PASSIONATE musical PUNCH. Which is progress anyways.

You'd rather people think you're just some dude who composes some musics or someone who rocks?

...Well, that's concerning public appearance. I'm of the "ties are for businessmen" crowd. I really wish the "classical" tradition of people dressing up to perform crap would end.

Why can't you just wear some jeans and such to your own concert?

I'm for the music, not what the musicians are wearing, or any of that crap. They could as well all be naked for all I care (if they're nice looking girls, I would rather endorse this behavior.)

...But that's something else entirely.

Would females feel that you are you worth endorsing for a nude performance?

The only "composer sterotype" I guess I fall into is that I can be a little theatrical...I guess I tend to be more of a "wise guy".

? I suppose the ladies would appreciate my nudeness on stage, if I appreciated theirs. It's common courtesy.

Actually the question is a valid one. Depending on how one interprets 'generally', the answer is of sociological interest. In drug tests (real vs. placebo) if the real one only performs better by 55:45, it's still a positive outcome. Does this mean the drug is 'generally' efficacious?

But back to the question. If one claims 'orchestral conductors are generally men', the fact that there are women conductors does not invalidate the statement.

Personally though, I don't think extro/introvertness has a correlation with being a composer. I could be wrong!

What about a poll?

You are comparing apple and oranges. Does being a composer effect your personality, or does being a certain personality predispose you to be a composer. Perhaps the later, but hardly the former. Which seems to be what the original post seems to indicate.

There can be no parallel drawn between seeing if a pill can effect someone and seeing if composers are mostly gay. Even if most composers are gay, it doesn't matter, no real correlation can be made.

I'm pretty outgoing. So there, the statement's false.

How one handles himself/herself socially is applied more to somebody as an individual than somebody as a profession. I'm generally pretty soft-spoken, I'm shy around new people, but I try to make an effort to really know somebody. Is that evident in my music? I don't know.

I've wondered about this myself. By no means do I think all composers are shy or introverted but I have noticed that a lot seem to be. I, myself, am rather soft-spoken and it takes awhile for me to warm up to people. Even still, it's hard to get close to me and I don't have many friends because of it. Whether or not this has anything to do with writing music, I have no idea. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't write as music if I had more friends to occupy my time (not that I wish for more friends). I think maybe I internalize a lot of thoughts and feelings that manifest themselves in my music. If I were a more outgoing person, maybe I would externalize a lot of more my emotions and therefore not have it come out in my music. This is all just theoretical though. There is no way to prove any of this. I'd say the majority of composers are introverted but by no means are *all* that way. I know plenty of outgoing people who enjoy writing music.