the piano players played the songs all day long to interested singers and other performers. gershwin was one of the youngest piano players in tin pan alley. soon, he was considered one of the finest there. he was already writing his own songs. he succeeded in getting one published when he was only 18 years old. it had a long title: "when you want 'em, you can't get ‘em, when you've got 'em, you don't want 'em. "