Connections

Music for me is about connecting with people.  But it isn't always straightforward.  The performer I had in mind while writing a piece may not be the person who finally picks it up and plays it.  Maybe it's the wrong kind of material for that performer, or maybe it's the wrong composer.  Or maybe it's just not the right time for that piece.

What has happened more than once, though, is that musicians I've met later, long after a piece was written, have turned out to be interested in what I've done, and as a result things I wrote years ago have been resurrected and performed.
My ideas about the whole process of working with a performer haven't always been accurate, either.  Mostly there haven't been a whole lot of questions about scores of mine; instead of the back-and-forth I expected, people who have played my music have often simply gone into the practice room, and emerged later with everything in place.

So composition isn't a great way to meet people in and of itself.  Going to concerts is better for that: you have a natural topic of conversation, and a shared experience, that helps break the ice.