"If you aim at anything lower that is expecting your audience to be really alert and aware, then you're going to be caught out sooner or later as a composer"

This quote by Peter Maxwell Davies is a pointer to authors to pursue excellence in their work. He is suggesting that if a composer sets their expectations too low, they will become exposed as a crappy composer. He is encouraging authors to challenge themselves and to produce music that is of a high standard. He is likewise recommending that if an author does not put in the effort to produce something of quality, their audience will be able to inform. This quote is a pointer to composers to take their craft seriously and to pursue excellence in their work. It is also a reminder to the audience to be familiar with the quality of the music they are listening to and to be able to acknowledge when a composer is not putting in the effort to produce something of quality.