Is the fact that most likely you have less talent than Mozart a reason for you to refrain from trying to compose music?

There are many reasons to say absolutely not! First of all, it’s important to remember that Mozart’s composing abilities were as much a product of his environment as his natural talent. Mozart’s father, Leopold Mozart, was also a composer and musician, and Mozart began learning music before the age of four. It’s likely that Mozart’s musical prowess was indebted to the thousands of hours he spent practicing before adulthood. Malcom Gladwell and others have argued...

There are many reasons to say absolutely not! First of all, it’s important to remember that Mozart’s composing abilities were as much a product of his environment as his natural talent. Mozart’s father, Leopold Mozart, was also a composer and musician, and Mozart began learning music before the age of four. It’s likely that Mozart’s musical prowess was indebted to the thousands of hours he spent practicing before adulthood. Malcom Gladwell and others have argued that to achieve mastery at any subject, it takes 10,000 hours of high-quality practice—Mozart had an excellent head start on this number due to his upbringing. Viewing Mozart’s talent as the result of diligent practice implies that anyone who is willing to put in the same time and effort—their 10,000 hours—can also reach lofty heights of musical achievement. More importantly, if you derive joy and delight from composing, there is absolutely no reason to refrain from trying your hand at writing music, even if you don’t have the talent of Mozart. In my mind, anyone who loves music has every reason to put as much into it as their heart desires—the process of playing, writing, and expressing emotion through music is its own reward.