Belief in the Music we make
Belief in the Music we make
I think it is sometimes too easy to loose self belief in the music we make.
Loose self belief in ourself.
We seem to have little say in this. Just happens.
I think it is so important to somehow imprint upon ourself : the music we make that is Personal to us, we can hold up amongst any music made in history of music, simply because it is personal to us, we know what we put into it.
It is this Personal aspect that makes our music comparable to any music by any famous musician.
Not the technical, compositional, musical ability side of things.
If there is one thing I could give to a musician, this would be it.
Without this self belief in our music, all the theory all the compositional musical ability in the world can become torturous for us.
I would wish those loosing lost self belief and or don't think much of their music (I've been there several years) would see things this way, no matter how many knock backs.
I know it's easier said than done. Sometimes we want to chuck it all in the bin, trash our gear, format our files.
I like humbleness humility of not thinking much of ourself musically, yet this shouldn't erode our belief in our music, ourself.
::
I've never shared on SoS any music I've made.
I've never contributed to SoS Forum Album. **
Yet I would put my Keyboard album up with any Keyboard music ever composed / improvised by any famous musician ever, simply because it is personal to me, I know how much of me went into it.
Similarly my Guitar, Plucked instrument album.
I've reached this realisation over 3decades after I first picked up an instrument.
I hope others get there before 3decades lol.
**(Also tbh I have no desire for anyone to plug their ears whilst listening to my music lol and or for doggies to start howling disapprovingly lol).
Loose self belief in ourself.
We seem to have little say in this. Just happens.
I think it is so important to somehow imprint upon ourself : the music we make that is Personal to us, we can hold up amongst any music made in history of music, simply because it is personal to us, we know what we put into it.
It is this Personal aspect that makes our music comparable to any music by any famous musician.
Not the technical, compositional, musical ability side of things.
If there is one thing I could give to a musician, this would be it.
Without this self belief in our music, all the theory all the compositional musical ability in the world can become torturous for us.
I would wish those loosing lost self belief and or don't think much of their music (I've been there several years) would see things this way, no matter how many knock backs.
I know it's easier said than done. Sometimes we want to chuck it all in the bin, trash our gear, format our files.
I like humbleness humility of not thinking much of ourself musically, yet this shouldn't erode our belief in our music, ourself.
::
I've never shared on SoS any music I've made.
I've never contributed to SoS Forum Album. **
Yet I would put my Keyboard album up with any Keyboard music ever composed / improvised by any famous musician ever, simply because it is personal to me, I know how much of me went into it.
Similarly my Guitar, Plucked instrument album.
I've reached this realisation over 3decades after I first picked up an instrument.
I hope others get there before 3decades lol.
**(Also tbh I have no desire for anyone to plug their ears whilst listening to my music lol and or for doggies to start howling disapprovingly lol).
-
- tea for two
Frequent Poster - Posts: 3712 Joined: Sun Mar 24, 2002 12:00 am
Re: Belief in the Music we make
I can compare my stuff to other people's stuff, and do a comparative ranking exercise, along the lines of 'Well, my guitar work's in the vicinity of Nick Drake's, but nowhere as good as Richard Thompson, but more interesting than Dylan's.' I can stand back and do that intellectual comparative analysis. But I stopped doing *value* comparisons a long time ago. That type of comparison often serves no purpose, makes you either miserable or obnoxious, and turns the whole exercise into a competition. Nothing wrong with competition, especially if it produces stellar work, but if the main thing it does is make you unhappy, it isn't your friend.
"My previous experience of ill-informed, glory-hungry man-babies rioting against the authorities suggests this conversation is going nowhere, but I’m glad it’s happening here."
Re: Belief in the Music we make
I don’t know what to say, except, a lot of my music doesn’t sound like anyone else’s, especially my electronic music, I’m being honest, my piano music is more conventional, and may be compared, others are doing similar things, but not quite.
A band member said "I’d know your stuff anywhere"
Do I have confidence in it, I don’t know, sometimes, maybe, I’m not really in the mood to say one way or the other.
A band member said "I’d know your stuff anywhere"
Do I have confidence in it, I don’t know, sometimes, maybe, I’m not really in the mood to say one way or the other.
Re: Belief in the Music we make
I'd agree with this. As soon as we stop comparing we can then start believing in our music in our self.
::
I would say confidence is different from belief in our music.
(Here's something weird I still don't have confidence in my music yet I believe in my music).
-
- tea for two
Frequent Poster - Posts: 3712 Joined: Sun Mar 24, 2002 12:00 am
Re: Belief in the Music we make
tea for two wrote: ↑Tue Sep 14, 2021 7:53 pm
I'd agree with this. As soon as we stop comparing we can then start believing in our music in our self.
Yup. And I don't know if you'd agree with the following idea, but for me it's part and parcel of believing in oneself: I don't pinch stuff and I don't copy stuff, I'm looking inside when I write and play, not outside. I mean, that's why I believe in it - it's the real deal, not a facsimile.
"My previous experience of ill-informed, glory-hungry man-babies rioting against the authorities suggests this conversation is going nowhere, but I’m glad it’s happening here."
Re: Belief in the Music we make
This is all very well, but does it stand up to the test, at three in the morning, out of my head on Tequila, headphones on, listening to a Bach organ work, a Beethoven quartet, an Opera aria, Miles Davis, or a Charlie Parker solo, and I think, hang on, these were the real deal, the tears start flowing, and I just want to give up completely.
But the morning after is fine, all is forgotten, and I’m back in the studio, thinking I’m just a genius, as you can see, there’s a distinct lack of middle ground here, as usual.
Re: Belief in the Music we make
When I listen to Bach or Vivaldi (or Aldous Harding or Hank Williams), I'm lost in admiration, appreciation, and love for the beauty of their music. But I'm not responsible for their music. It's their music, not mine. But my attitude to my own music is different - I'm responsible for it. The danger of harsh self-judgement is so present that I simply don't go there. I can't afford it. Or rather, the creative process can't afford it. It thrives on being nurtured, not being attacked. So although I beat myself up regularly over all sorts of things, I've learned to leave that self-abuse out of the mix when it comes to music. Even at 3 am.
I've probably compartmentalized things psychologically, and there may well be a reckoning at some point, but that's the best I've managed to come up with so far.
I've probably compartmentalized things psychologically, and there may well be a reckoning at some point, but that's the best I've managed to come up with so far.
"My previous experience of ill-informed, glory-hungry man-babies rioting against the authorities suggests this conversation is going nowhere, but I’m glad it’s happening here."
Re: Belief in the Music we make
I always have ideas for music I want to write, and my biggest concern is figuring out how to do it. I don't really compare my music with anyone else's.
I'm not going to rival the late Beethoven quartets, but so what? I'm not going to win 100m at the Olympics either. It's still fun to watch.
I'm not going to rival the late Beethoven quartets, but so what? I'm not going to win 100m at the Olympics either. It's still fun to watch.
-
- John Stafford
Regular - Posts: 156 Joined: Sat Jun 27, 2020 8:51 am Location: Ireland
Re: Belief in the Music we make
I came to terms, a while back, that the reason I never got beyond my brief recording deal was that as a musician i'm simply not good enough.
So for me it's all about trying to write songs that are as good as I can get them and hoping that they might work for a few other people along the way.
It does make things easier to understand your target market.![Wink ;)](./files/images/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif)
So for me it's all about trying to write songs that are as good as I can get them and hoping that they might work for a few other people along the way.
It does make things easier to understand your target market.
![Wink ;)](./files/images/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif)
- Drew Stephenson
Apprentice Guru -
Posts: 25795 Joined: Sun Jul 05, 2015 12:00 am
Location: York
Contact:
(The forumuser formerly known as Blinddrew)
Ignore the post count, I have no idea what I'm doing...
https://drewstephenson.bandcamp.com/
Ignore the post count, I have no idea what I'm doing...
https://drewstephenson.bandcamp.com/
Re: Belief in the Music we make
I have a friend who is a song writer, he’s extremely critical of other people, rarely himself, but he’s not arrogant in any way, exactly the opposite.
I’ve been on a recording session with him, he knows "exactly"what he wants, he’s 150% confident that was he is doing is right, and it will work, and it does.
If it doesn’t, he lets others know in no uncertain terms, as it’s probably not his fault.
He has a cool, calm and undoubted sureness in the way he works, and he always works to a formula, everything is pre-planned, to the last detail, I’ve worked with him in a creative capacity, and I made a mistake once, there was no option to continue.
He is one of the most respected and talented musicians I know, I just wish, I had his confidence, and certainty about what I do.
I’ve been on a recording session with him, he knows "exactly"what he wants, he’s 150% confident that was he is doing is right, and it will work, and it does.
If it doesn’t, he lets others know in no uncertain terms, as it’s probably not his fault.
He has a cool, calm and undoubted sureness in the way he works, and he always works to a formula, everything is pre-planned, to the last detail, I’ve worked with him in a creative capacity, and I made a mistake once, there was no option to continue.
He is one of the most respected and talented musicians I know, I just wish, I had his confidence, and certainty about what I do.
Re: Belief in the Music we make
I think this a complex one! It’s hard to justify saying that any piece of music is objectively better than another. But I do feel that, even if I can’t justify it - for example I feel that Bach is better than Vivaldi, and Mahler better than Vaughan Williams.
For me it’s important that I think my music is ‘good’ rather than just ‘mine’ before I release it. I guess I mean it has a good architecture, and sense of flow, and that it gets me emotionally. If it doesn’t ‘work’ I won’t release it.
For me it’s important that I think my music is ‘good’ rather than just ‘mine’ before I release it. I guess I mean it has a good architecture, and sense of flow, and that it gets me emotionally. If it doesn’t ‘work’ I won’t release it.
Re: Belief in the Music we make
"Bach is better than Vivaldi"= I like Bach better than Vivaldi
Hope you agree with my tweak.
So, if 'Air on a G String' moves you more than anything you've ever written yourself, does that mean you don't believe in your own stuff as much? From what you've said, it sounds like you believe in your own stuff as long as it achieves a certain standard of excellence.
"My previous experience of ill-informed, glory-hungry man-babies rioting against the authorities suggests this conversation is going nowhere, but I’m glad it’s happening here."
Re: Belief in the Music we make
awjoe wrote: ↑Thu Sep 16, 2021 5:40 pm
"Bach is better than Vivaldi"= I like Bach better than Vivaldi
Hope you agree with my tweak.
So, if 'Air on a G String' moves you more than anything you've ever written yourself, does that mean you don't believe in your own stuff as much? From what you've said, it sounds like you believe in your own stuff as long as it achieves a certain standard of excellence.
Yes, that's what it comes down to - even though I feel one is better than the other, I know that doesn't have any objective basis.
Re: Belief in the Music we make
Okay, we seem to be on the same, or a similar, page. So can we go a bit deeper on this one? This thread title caught my attention right away, and right from the start I was having trouble with the meaning of 'believe in' - that terminology doesn't really seem to apply to my attitude toward my own music. I mean, do you 'believe in' your body, for example? I don't 'believe in' my body and I don't 'believe in' my music - they're both just facts of existence.
Maybe it would be easier for me to deal with questions like:
How much do you like your own music?
What is your music worth to you?
If I understand tea for two correctly, he's (she's?) saying you have to feel your music has an inherent positive value, even if you compare it to other people's music.
Maybe it would be easier for me to deal with questions like:
How much do you like your own music?
What is your music worth to you?
If I understand tea for two correctly, he's (she's?) saying you have to feel your music has an inherent positive value, even if you compare it to other people's music.
"My previous experience of ill-informed, glory-hungry man-babies rioting against the authorities suggests this conversation is going nowhere, but I’m glad it’s happening here."
Re: Belief in the Music we make
awjoe wrote: ↑Thu Sep 16, 2021 8:31 pm Okay, we seem to be on the same, or a similar, page. So can we go a bit deeper on this one? This thread title caught my attention right away, and right from the start I was having trouble with the meaning of 'believe in' - that terminology doesn't really seem to apply to my attitude toward my own music. I mean, do you 'believe in' your body, for example? I don't 'believe in' my body and I don't 'believe in' my music - they're both just facts of existence.
Maybe it would be easier for me to deal with questions like:
How much do you like your own music?
What is your music worth to you?
If I understand tea for two correctly, he's (she's?) saying you have to feel your music has an inherent positive value, even if you compare it to other people's music.
I think Tea For Two means something different by ‘believe’ than ‘believe in the existence of’ but that’s just my interpretation. I interpret them to mean ‘believe it’s worthwhile’. So I think you’re right.
Re: Belief in the Music we make
Having completed two SOS forum album projects, being in the process of preparing the 3rd for release, having heard the works submitted to Dave B's several epic One Synth Challenges and having bought more albums than I care to mention from forum members with Bandcamp offerings it's clear that there is a wide variety of excellent music being produced by people in our own Sound On Sound community.
Many folks here massively undersell themselves IMHO. I would name names but I don't want to embarrass anyone. Sure, many of us have a ways to go to improve our mixing and engineering chops but a number of folks here are superb at those skills.
I 'believe' in the music I create but I'm equally aware my weaknesses mainly lie in the engineering, though I continually work on it and it's improving with input from the folks who generously take the time to help when I ask, either directly or through the Self Promotion forum which I can recommend highly.
It's easy to conflate good music with good engineering. I've heard the works of many amateurs/hobbyists who wouldn't claim to know one end of a mic' from the other but who write, record and provide (on SoundCloud, Bandcamp and so on) brilliant material.
A few people get to the point where they can both create original material and engineer it to a high standard but if you can't engineer as well as you'd like then that certainly has no bearing on the music itself.
I know with certainty there are a number of 'undiscovered gems' amongst our membership because I've heard their work and if anyone takes the trouble and time to seek them out it's greatly worth the effort as a lot of them don't promote themselves for one reason or another.
Many folks here massively undersell themselves IMHO. I would name names but I don't want to embarrass anyone. Sure, many of us have a ways to go to improve our mixing and engineering chops but a number of folks here are superb at those skills.
I 'believe' in the music I create but I'm equally aware my weaknesses mainly lie in the engineering, though I continually work on it and it's improving with input from the folks who generously take the time to help when I ask, either directly or through the Self Promotion forum which I can recommend highly.
It's easy to conflate good music with good engineering. I've heard the works of many amateurs/hobbyists who wouldn't claim to know one end of a mic' from the other but who write, record and provide (on SoundCloud, Bandcamp and so on) brilliant material.
A few people get to the point where they can both create original material and engineer it to a high standard but if you can't engineer as well as you'd like then that certainly has no bearing on the music itself.
I know with certainty there are a number of 'undiscovered gems' amongst our membership because I've heard their work and if anyone takes the trouble and time to seek them out it's greatly worth the effort as a lot of them don't promote themselves for one reason or another.
- Eddy Deegan
Moderator -
Posts: 9131 Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2004 12:00 am
Location: Brighton & Hove, UK
Contact:
Some of my works | The SOS Forum Album projects
Re: Belief in the Music we make
I was digging back in a forum search looking for something completely different and saw this along the way.
I don't want to blow smoke up the proverbial Drew but I disagree with your conclusion. The finer points of engineering and musicianship are always up for discussion but heaven knows it's something we all work at. The Zukans and Elfs of this world leave most of us in the dust on the former and in addition to them there are more people still who can help the latter but you're certainly able to render worthy renditions of your musical works.
Maybe you didn't find the right A&R person, or whatever the equivalent is these days, but in terms of lyricism/storytelling my humble opinion is that you're right up there with the best of them and those strengths have enormous potential were you to be aligned with someone who can 'embrace and extend' such things as chord progressions and formal musical chops.
You could read that as a criticism but it's anything but. I know more than one artist who has taken their work to the next level by getting help with things that aren't their comfort zone whether it's engineering, arrangement or contributing sections of original composition. Meanwhile they've been able to focus on their own strengths and responding/working with that qualified input.
Your recent invite for others to collaborate with you is a wonderful idea and with a little patience, I think it'll yield great results.
- Eddy Deegan
Moderator -
Posts: 9131 Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2004 12:00 am
Location: Brighton & Hove, UK
Contact:
Some of my works | The SOS Forum Album projects
Re: Belief in the Music we make
@ GilesAnt
Mm. How many concertos did Bach write? I'm familiar with six.
Mm. How many concertos did Bach write? I'm familiar with six.
"My previous experience of ill-informed, glory-hungry man-babies rioting against the authorities suggests this conversation is going nowhere, but I’m glad it’s happening here."
Re: Belief in the Music we make
Eddy Deegan wrote: ↑Thu Sep 16, 2021 11:37 pm I would name names but I don't want to embarrass anyone.
We could all name names.
Eddy Deegan wrote: ↑Thu Sep 16, 2021 11:37 pm
the Self Promotion forum which I can recommend highly.
Me too, but you know what? What I would like to hear is music being made (or contributed to) by the SOSers (saucers?) who don't post their stuff in the self-promotion forum. Just saying there must be a *ton* of music made by people here which never gets heard by people here. Am I wrong? Can I get a witness?
(Gets off soap box, heads back to self promotion forum)
"My previous experience of ill-informed, glory-hungry man-babies rioting against the authorities suggests this conversation is going nowhere, but I’m glad it’s happening here."
Re: Belief in the Music we make
I took nearly a decade breather from making music (late 2010 to late 2019 although I widdled on ipad in between, brought some gear) after I realised how limited I am.
It was liberating, brought a sense of peace inside me this realisation.
::
awjoe wrote: ↑Wed Sep 15, 2021 3:02 pm When I listen to Bach or Vivaldi (or Aldous Harding or Hank Williams), I'm lost in admiration, appreciation, and love for the beauty of their music. But I'm not responsible for their music. It's their music, not mine. But my attitude to my own music is different - I'm responsible for it. The danger of harsh self-judgement is so present that I simply don't go there. I can't afford it. Or rather, the creative process can't afford it. It thrives on being nurtured, not being attacked.
I totally agree with this. Others music is others. Ours is our.
This why I wrote we can hold up our music to any music in history of music because it is personal to us same as famous musicians music is personal to them.
We can't hold it up in terms of theory, compositional musical ability yet that is different from the personal belief in our music.
It's this personal belief that should help us nurture our musical self.
::
John Stafford wrote: ↑Wed Sep 15, 2021 4:25 pm I always have ideas for music I want to write,
...
I'm not going to rival the late Beethoven quartets, but so what? I'm not going to win 100m at the Olympics either. It's still fun to watch.
Exactly. Music in its Source is never about comparing, rivalry (some musicians have made it so).
Music in its Source is about the personal impact it has upon us.
::
This judgement is an essential aspect of making music.
What to keep and polish, to cut and cull, to alter improve.
I would never put on an album any of my doodlings. As they are pants. Yet I still belive in my doodlings to keep on doodling lol.
::
RichardT wrote: ↑
I think Tea For Two means something different by ‘believe’ than ‘believe in the existence of’ but that’s just my interpretation. I interpret them to mean ‘believe it’s worthwhile’. So I think you’re right.
Maybe this
I'm finishing an album working on final track it's 5th on the album.
In myself I have belief in the melodic music for this album.
It is this belief that makes me make music for this album.
Yet if anyone anywhere, excluding family, said let's have a listen I'd shrug blow a raspberry eurrrggghh it's just doodling : no confidence.
I gave an album to a Grammy winning Mastering Engineer last year to be mastered yet I never released the album even though I believe in the album.
::
Arpangel wrote: ↑Thu Sep 16, 2021 8:29 am I have a friend who is a song writer,
I’ve been on a recording session with him, he knows "exactly"what he wants, he’s 150% confident that was he is doing is right, and it will work, and it does.
... he always works to a formula, everything is pre-planned, to the last detail
...
I just wish, I had his confidence, and certainty about what I do.
He sounds like Hitchcock lol. Hitchcok said he pre-planned everything to the last detail before filming. Then it was just following through.
As a teen to mid 20s I was brimming with confidence. Then as with most of us life hits, knocked the stuffing outta me / us.
I don't think I will ever be confident and I'm grateful because in return it has brought several other things that's been enriching.
::
Eddy Deegan wrote: ↑Thu Sep 16, 2021 11:37 pm Having completed two SOS forum album projects, being in the process of preparing the 3rd for release, having heard the works submitted to Dave B's several epic One Synth Challenges and having bought more albums than I care to mention from forum members with Bandcamp offerings it's clear that there is a wide variety of excellent music being produced by people in our own Sound On Sound community.
Many folks here massively undersell themselves IMHO.
I 'believe' in the music I create but I'm equally aware my weaknesses mainly lie in the engineering, though I continually work on it
For sure.
I mentioned in Musicians Lounge if I had the connections I would given SoS forum album to the Cohen Brothers, Wes Anderson, to be included in their Movies. This is the confidence I have in the music on those SoS forum albums.
Belief in our music is essential to keep on making music. We need not have confidence in our music.
At the same time awareness of our weaknesses to improve where we can without beating up ourself.
Humbleness Humility in our compositional, musical ability is preferable to confidence I would say. Yet to become a musical *star* somehow have to blag being confident "fake it till you make it" kinda.
-
- tea for two
Frequent Poster - Posts: 3712 Joined: Sun Mar 24, 2002 12:00 am
Re: Belief in the Music we make
Absolutely - that was pretty much what I was trying to say but you put it better
![Thumbup :thumbup:](./files/images/smilies/icon_thumbup.gif)
- Eddy Deegan
Moderator -
Posts: 9131 Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2004 12:00 am
Location: Brighton & Hove, UK
Contact:
Some of my works | The SOS Forum Album projects
Re: Belief in the Music we make
Interesting topic generally. It wouldn't be possible for me to not believe in the music I make. Sometimes I feel a bit of a fraud in that the best ideas seem to just arrive without conscious effort on my part - often in the middle of the night!
My take on this is that music is just a part of me. I never made a decision like 'I want to be a musician'. Things just happened. When I was a kid, there was a beat-up wood framed piano at home and I started messing about on it. Soon I was playing simple tunes on it.
I think I previously mentioned being inspired by a glass model sailing ship when I was 14. I held the basic melody for that in my head for years before I had the kit to be able to reproduce it. That was not a decision. I just found myself humming it from time to time.
My take on this is that music is just a part of me. I never made a decision like 'I want to be a musician'. Things just happened. When I was a kid, there was a beat-up wood framed piano at home and I started messing about on it. Soon I was playing simple tunes on it.
I think I previously mentioned being inspired by a glass model sailing ship when I was 14. I held the basic melody for that in my head for years before I had the kit to be able to reproduce it. That was not a decision. I just found myself humming it from time to time.
- Folderol
Jedi Poster -
Posts: 18739 Joined: Sat Nov 15, 2008 12:00 am
Location: The Mudway Towns, UK
Contact:
Yes. I am that Linux nut {apparently now an 'elderly'}
Onwards and... err... sideways!
Onwards and... err... sideways!
Re: Belief in the Music we make
I attended a Zoom talk from a person who worked in the Hollywood film music scene. She said that sometimes success in that business is down to who you know, so networking is important.
Other times it’s just dumb luck - being in the right place at the right time, having your track show up on the right desk exactly when a track like that is needed.
So do we control our destinies or are we just blown about by the winds of karma?
Folderol’s got posted before I finished typing. For me never any question about doing music and related. It just unfolded that way.
Other times it’s just dumb luck - being in the right place at the right time, having your track show up on the right desk exactly when a track like that is needed.
So do we control our destinies or are we just blown about by the winds of karma?
Folderol’s got posted before I finished typing. For me never any question about doing music and related. It just unfolded that way.
- ManFromGlass
Longtime Poster - Posts: 6904 Joined: Sun Jul 24, 2011 12:00 am Location: O Canada