Don't tell me what to do (I got my own idea)

[deepndark]

Benedict, I'm not after advice here.

So what are you after then if you keep saying this thing?

The title said "I don't need advice" and then you still give it?

[normen]

The title said "I don't need advice" and then you still give it?

So who's this directed at then? Afacis nobody told you what to do - opening a thread in a public forum is an incentive for discussion in case you weren't aware..?

[deepndark]

The title said "I don't need advice" and then you still give it?

So who's this directed at then? Afacis nobody told you what to do - opening a thread in a public forum is an incentive for discussion in case you weren't aware..?

I am aware, which would be weird if not, as I have a forum myself.

[deepndark]

Hey people, keep on posting what you want - it's all good!

[avasopht]

But that's where they're "doing what you tell them to do" and playing music that doesn't resonate with them, yet still serving your vision.

But have them play a piece they love, that they're poured their soul into, that has inspired them to practice and play for hours on end, and it's a completely different story. They're artists with something to say as much as any other artist. But like any other artist there are constraints on what can be said if other people are involved in the process.

That's really not how it works. A concert musician still pours their heart, but they do so in harmony with the other musicians and the conductor. It is a form of expression by acting as a vessel through their high levels of concentration and skill they are able to align their own mind with the mind of the creator and as such, express themselves through the original inspiration of the conductor and composer.

[forensickbeats]

(...)

[avasopht]

It's always that never ending battle between making music that touches you most versus those you wish to entertain.

What I tend to find is that simply listening to and developing an appreciation for your target genre is enough to influence the type of music you create. So all you then need to do is just create as you normally do, and occasional apply some pragmatic decisions in steering the song towards and specific direction.

Having worked with highly creative individuals who get uncomfortable with structure, I've found that they can strike the balance best with either collaboration or by using structure as a minor guide to challenge their creativity. In any case it's all about balance.

[Theo.M]

Well, I think it all depends on what your motivation is to make music... If someone hires you for instance to create a soundtrack for a video and has certain ideas it might be best to figure out how to approach this within the given specs... In that case you are being asked to offer a service... And it might help to give the client something that they can use... You being really happy about it is added bonus...

If you are just producing (or writing, performing, etc.) music because that's what you want to do then you can do what you want...

But I talked to a jazz musician friend today who told me about famous musician being very frustrated with people demanding "familiar stuff" in a familiar style from them... Maybe even the big heroes don't really enjoy playing their famous hits from 30 years ago either...
It's tricky stuff...

D.

actually this is a really good point. For example you could be hired to do composition for a singer but not given free reign on the creative decisions.. It's totally up to the individual whether they want to take that sort of job.. Personally that one I would do if i was healthy enough, cause i'd still get to compose my own stuff behind he scenes so to speak.

I'd actually love to know some examples of artists that are just creating what they love without absolutely no particular audience or any money whatsoever in mind, and have been discovered by chance and become popular. I think that could be a cool discussion for another topic. Also exploring how their future music might have changed under the influence of a major label.

I actually don't know anyone who has bought Reason/Logic/Cubase - any DAW, purely for the pleasure of writing music, in a style 100% of their own choosing, at home, and become famous from it. But I know these guys must exist. Actually I think Robert Miles with "children" might be an example. A one hit wonder but a memorable one that came out of nowhere. I guess daft punk maybe also. Very hard to tell now as they are all about the fame and image, they are never seen in pics as real people, only in costumes for many years. So it's interesting how fame has shaped their future after the initial hit. Da funk was awesome hehe.

[pLansford]

I like to get my remix fix every couple months or so. When I attempt a remix, I try to find some middle ground between myself and the original artist. I'm not totally free for the obvious reasons but also not all that restricted. I enjoy it.

[jappe]

I like to get my remix fix every couple months or so. When I attempt a remix, I try to find some middle ground between myself and the original artist. I'm not totally free for the obvious reasons but also not all that restricted. I enjoy it.

Limiting the options for the musicians can have a great effect on creativity as well!
A good example is yesterdays 1-subtractor competition.
I wonder if all people get triggered by limited options? Or is it mostly the personality type that has difficulties with structure (which Avasopht mentioned - I believe I belong to that group)

Another example of what triggers my creativity and in fact memory: Nouns as keys to imagination and real life memories:
I used to entertain my kids while we were on longer car rides (these days it's mostly mobile phones that entertain them ), by telling them stories from my life. It was hard to just pick things from memory, but I found a trick:
I'd have them tell me a noun, and from that I would associate a memory from my life that somehow pops up when I hear that noun.
It works 100% of the time for me.

[CharlyCharlzz]

POP was a term invented to name something that most peoples liked în the now !

so everything popular is POP but some peoples think everything should be POP so the created Groupes that was formated POP and so POP became a styll ¨.

what I try to say here is that some peoples think there opinions are good for everyone and these peoples think they are the world without anderstanding that we all are .

so to get to the point you can do what you want and it will be popular once it get to various ears unless it's really bad or if you pass by others that don't like it to promote it .

[Benedict]

WARNING: if this post is too deep for you please ignore it.

Peter & Jappe

Limits are essential to everything. There is no life-form without a structure and therefore resulting limits. It always amuses me when I see people try to say there are no limits as it denies the laws of nature (physics). Often they seem the people least able to generate a result.

Of course it is the nature of life to try to expand or push the limits. We desire to be Superman so we can do the things our bodies (and gravity) deny. Of course Superman still has his rules and limits so even as you push the envelope the basic rules of life have to be obeyed or some form of wall-hitting, or ceasing to exist, must be the result.

All great artists learn to use structure and limits. And then to see how they can (and should) be expanded.

Without initially realizing it the limit of making my entry for the Rob Papen Vecto Song Comp lead me to the theme for my latest album Watchers. It didn't really expand my sonic boundaries but it did lead me to the place I needed to be as an artist for that theme and it's revelations for me (and hopefully people who listen).

[pLansford]

Peter & Jappe

Limits are essential to everything. There is no life-form without a structure and therefore resulting limits. It always amuses me when I see people try to say there are no limits as it denies the laws of nature (physics). Often they seem the people least able to generate a result.

Yes...there are limits to everything. I watched a video today of superstar Reason user Lucky Date talking at a presentation about how he uses the same clap sound in a lot of his tracks and he advised getting a group of sounds together to use quite regularly. I'm not a fan of the guy's music but he is obviously good at what he does. It makes sense to have a hand-picked collection of sounds to use in regular production because that is how an artist can fortify their sound if you know what I mean. I'm still struggling to come up with a vague definition of my sound and I think I will benefit from some limitations.

[Benedict]

Hi Peter

Shouldn't be too hard to work out what your "sound" is. I went to your Soundcloud but it has emptied itself. I seem to recall liking some of your stuff in the past, just can't remember what it was like.

The thing is your "sound" is not made from a certain soundset (but Mr Date is smart to make an immediately usable palette, even tho that is not how I work). Your unique style will transcend the instruments you use. Think Bruce Springsteen or Van Halen for their steps into electronics whilst keeping their essence intact.

The real style of an artist in in the meta-story they tell. Jackson Browne told stories of relationships, being on the road and even politics but his meta-story was always the human condition as told in his poetic voice.

You have a sound it is just that you may not have recognized it, or you may still be stopping it from coming out as you think you need to sound more like Artist X or some other school based phobia.

[pLansford]

The real style of an artist is in the meta-story they tell.

I agree. +1000

[Emerton]

WARNING: if this post is too deep for you please ignore it.

Peter & Jappe

Limits are essential to everything. There is no life-form without a structure and therefore resulting limits. It always amuses me when I see people try to say there are no limits as it denies the laws of nature (physics). Often they seem the people least able to generate a result.

Of course it is the nature of life to try to expand or push the limits. We desire to be Superman so we can do the things our bodies (and gravity) deny. Of course Superman still has his rules and limits so even as you push the envelope the basic rules of life have to be obeyed or some form of wall-hitting, or ceasing to exist, must be the result.

All great artists learn to use structure and limits. And then to see how they can (and should) be expanded.

Without initially realizing it the limit of making my entry for the Rob Papen Vecto Song Comp lead me to the theme for my latest album Watchers. It didn't really expand my sonic boundaries but it did lead me to the place I needed to be as an artist for that theme and it's revelations for me (and hopefully people who listen).

This. Yes yes yes.