Hot take: We should spend more time composing original piano music and less time playing the works of others
Today, our culture seems to celebrate those who excell at playing the piano. Pianist who bring to life the music written by the greats before them like Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt, Schubert, etc.
And while playing the piano beautifully is a skill worth honoring - there is so much that goes into making music sound good, I think we should equally recognise those who compose beautiful music today. To me, it feels like many piano teachers and players primarily worship composers of the past without acknowledging that there is a whole body of great piano muskc that is perhaps less famous, but just as worthy of being played.
I also think learning to compose music is a foundational skill that is often overlooked when playing the piano. For example, I took piano lessons in my teenage years, but the topic of composing never came up. I only discovered composing accidently a few years later.
I'd love to hear your thoughts: do you think composing is an underrated skill and practice, or an optional extra for piano players that can be learned later in the piano playing journey?