Until recent times, the term "composer" referred to someone who wrote classical music. Those who write popular, country, jazz, and folk music were traditionally called songwriters. However, the term “composer” today can mean anyone who writes any kind of original music. It can also refer to someone who arranges music, writes lyrics or melodies, conducts or produces music. The kind of music to be composed depends entirely on the person doing the songwriting. Composers write all kinds of music – jazz, rock, classical, band, orchestral, country, folk, choral – just to name a few.

Indeed, modern composers might never be required to write a complete orchestration; in fact, some are known for their small works. Some composers specialize in one form of music, such as commercial music for television and radio ads; some write pop and classical music, others write both jazz and classical or folk and jazz music, and still others write country or rock-n-roll along with other genres of music. Music compositions can include vast orchestrations for important films, or can be simply a pleasant melody meant to share with friends, family, with enthusiasts online, or just for their own pleasure.

Music composing can be done today on computers using relatively cheap software programs. Newbies and professional musicians alike are taking advantage of sophisticated music software where very little expertise is needed to create an expert sounding score. Newcomers will be satisfied with electronic sound quality, but the professional composer will use electronic devices only to alleviate themselves of the tedious task of writing scores by hand, knowing full well that electronic musical instruments cannot compare with the quality of sound made by the real thing.

Those who write full orchestral instrumentations have a thorough understanding of musical instruments, and often are capable of playing several instruments with considerable expertise. Some composers also write lyrics (these folks are known as lyricists), and will collaborate with songwriters and singers to complete musical compositions. They may collaborate with film and television directors on projects, arranging and composing themes to specifications. It is not unheard of for professional composers to conduct musical orchestras.

The art of composing comes naturally for some, but most composers today benefit from formal education programs in noteworthy music schools. Modern-day music education allows them to draw from vast quantities of information and influences of historical composers, conductors, musicians, and others involved with music. Classrooms provide discussion forums for sharing ideas, techniques, and traditions of classical music as well as non-classical forms of music. Educational institutions may allow students to study all forms of music or to focus on their own internal drive to compose music, knowing that critiques and professorial input will influence development of music composition skills.

This article provides an overview of music composers. If you would like to submit an article about composers or music composing, please feel free to do so here at Media Positive Radio.