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Things I sort of believe about making music

johnwhiles.com

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Re: Things I sort of believe about making music

#3

Post by smitty1e »

stuntkite wrote: post #2

"Making your own work is a good thing to do, even if no one else is interested in what you are making. To create is to be human." Tattoo that on my forehead backwards.

I just had a big project land with a dull thud.

It felt great though; the learning along the way was invaluable.

Principle: be patient with yourself on this heuristic journey and keep improving.

Re: Things I sort of believe about making music

#4

Post by threefour »

On the topic of getting things done, I’ve applied a bit of software development skills to making music. Instead of creating an increasingly growing body of works I focus on a smaller number of “products” that I improve on over time. I get some ideas that are my backlog and I implement them and release a new version. I think of it as an analog to Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass; one work that he made and just kept improving over the course of his lifetime.

Re: Things I sort of believe about making music

#5

Post by thisismitch »

I've had a similar approach to music except, instead of field recordings, I started with MIDI keyboards in the mid-90s instead. For me, it's been a fun hobby to keep my toes in music while I play software engineer most of the week. I can confirm all six of the tips in the article are correct.

> Anyway, I eventually discovered a life changing life-hack which I have now used for years to force myself to finish and release music. It’s called ‘Christmas Music’.

Funnily enough, my life-hack was 'Birthday Songs'. I would write 30-60 second songs, most not very good and some parodies, for my friends' birthdays just to keep busy musically. Eventually I wrote a full-length birthday song for my friend's dad's 70th birthday. I also wrote a Christmas song and a Thanksgiving song.

> 6: Making your own work is a good thing to do, even if no one else is interested in what you are making. To create is to be human

Now I have a fancy audio interface, Universal Audio Apollo x4, and a small collection of high quality microphones and instruments. And I'm still happy recording pointless, joke songs.

Example songs

First birthday song: https://soundcloud.com/mitchell-anicas-project/easy-29

Korn parody birthday song: https://soundcloud.com/mitchell-anicas-project/happy-birthda...

Full-length birthday song: https://soundcloud.com/mitchell-anicas-project/ferrell-dise

Thanksgiving song: https://soundcloud.com/mitchell-anicas-project/ooh-its-thank...

Re: Things I sort of believe about making music

#6

Post by YPCrumble »

smitty1e wrote: post #3
stuntkite wrote: post #2

"Making your own work is a good thing to do, even if no one else is interested in what you are making. To create is to be human." Tattoo that on my forehead backwards.

I just had a big project land with a dull thud. It felt great though; the learning along the way was invaluable. Principle: be patient with yourself on this heuristic journey and keep improving.

What was the project?
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