Why Compose When You Can Play the Piano?
- Diana Mascari
- May 8
- 4 min read
My Beginning
When I was in high school, all I wanted to do was play music.Gradually, that led to my desire to become a full-time professional jazz musician.
Although I had written a bossa nova and recorded it with the group I was playing with at the time, I didn’t think much about composing.
A Turning Point
When I was a junior in college, I had the opportunity to jam with the world-famous jazz organist Jimmy Smith.
Based on my performance, I was offered the chance to record—if I could compose two jazz pieces in the two weeks following the jam.
I met the deadline.
There was no recording after all.
That may sound disappointing, but something important had already happened:my interest and motivation to compose had been ignited.
Over the next two years, I wrote many jazz compositions, which my quartet performed.
Another Door Opens
At the same time, I was taking music theory and history classes.
One assignment was to compose a short piece of chamber music.
I wrote a brief trio for flute, cello, and piano, which we performed in class.
I was never the same after that.
A Long-Standing Pull
Although I continued composing and performing jazz for several years, my desire to write classical music never left me.
Twenty years later, I finally stepped fully into composing when I studied at the New England Conservatory with William Thomas McKinley.
Composing Changes Everything
Lest you think I gave up other parts of my musical life—I did the opposite.
Composing deepened everything:
My understanding of music
My teaching
My work as a church musician
My solo piano playing
It all became richer, more connected, more alive.
A Pause—and a Return
After sixteen years of composing—writing chamber music, orchestral works, and choral pieces—I stopped.
Life, career, and personal circumstances intervened.
Seventeen years passed.
After retiring as Music Director of the Hartford Street Presbyterian Church—a position I held for 41 years—I returned to composing.
And as you might expect, the passion came back stronger than ever.
Why Compose?
Before writing this article, I asked myself:
Why compose when you can play the piano?
And then other questions followed:
Why paint?
Why write—poetry, short stories, books?
Why play an instrument?
Why act in a play?
Why sing in a choir?
Why dance?
Two Ways of Creating
If we look closely, we can divide these into two broad kinds of creative expression.
1. Private (Introverted) Creative Work
Composing, Painting, Writing
These forms result in something created:
A composition
A painting
A story
You work on them alone, over time.The process is private. The result is shared later.
2. Real-Time (Extroverted) Creative Expression
Playing an instrument, acting, singing in a choir, dancing
Here, the act of creation happens in real time and is shared as it unfolds.
An Important Connection
These are not separate worlds.
The “introverted” arts—composing, painting, writing, even arranging or choreography—can exist within real-time creative work.
I have experienced this for years.
Composing has enriched everything else I do:
My jazz piano playing
My writing (books and blogs)
My teaching
So… Why Compose?
Because it allows you to create something that did not exist before.
Because it deepens how you hear, think, and feel music.
Because it changes how you play.
Because it connects you more fully to your own creative voice.
Final Thought
You can play beautiful music written by others.
But when you compose—even something small—you step into a different relationship with music.
You are no longer only interpreting.
You are creating.
Interested in Exploring Composition?
If you are an adult student with some musical background and have ever been curious about composing, I would love to help you begin.
Composition Lessons https://www.mascaripiano.com/composition-lessons
One-on-one guidance for composers at any stage—whether you’re just beginning, returning after time away, or developing your own musical voice.
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Free Consultation https://www.mascaripiano.com/contact Not sure where to start? Schedule a free consultation to talk about your goals, questions, and the best path forward for you.
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