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Turning music into a chore is how I became a musician (2022)

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Re: Turning music into a chore is how I became a musician (2022)

#21

Post by giantg2 »

helloplanets wrote: post #9

I don't believe this is how great music usually comes about, not even Techno. It's missing the other essential piece. Being influenced by and completely immersed in a niche of other brilliant people. (The most extreme example of this would be the 90's Detroit-Berlin connection.) Paired with an obsessive work ethic in the studio. If it's only obsession in the studio, things come out dry, uninspired. If there's no surg…

"Being influenced by and completely immersed in a niche of other brilliant people."

The author does mention that part of the process is collaboration with other musicians. It seems by setting their "chores" they are increasing their immersion.

Re: Turning music into a chore is how I became a musician (2022)

#22

Post by 0x1ceb00da »

titanomachy wrote: post #11
helloplanets wrote: post #9

I don't believe this is how great music usually comes about, not even Techno. It's missing the other essential piece. Being influenced by and completely immersed in a niche of other brilliant people. (The most extreme example of this would be the 90's Detroit-Berlin connection.) Paired with an obsessive work ethic in the studio. If it's only obsession in the studio, things come out dry, uninspired. If there's no surg…

Justin Vernon disappeared to a cabin in Wisconsin for months, where he wrote and recorded one of the greatest and most popular folk rock albums of all time.

Most likely he made the album normally and the story about the cabin was made up by jimmy and bob from the marketing department.

Re: Turning music into a chore is how I became a musician (2022)

#23

Post by swingboy »

titanomachy wrote: post #11
helloplanets wrote: post #9

I don't believe this is how great music usually comes about, not even Techno. It's missing the other essential piece. Being influenced by and completely immersed in a niche of other brilliant people. (The most extreme example of this would be the 90's Detroit-Berlin connection.) Paired with an obsessive work ethic in the studio. If it's only obsession in the studio, things come out dry, uninspired. If there's no surg…

Justin Vernon disappeared to a cabin in Wisconsin for months, where he wrote and recorded one of the greatest and most popular folk rock albums of all time.

Did he not listen to music made by others when he was isolated in the cabin?

Re: Turning music into a chore is how I became a musician (2022)

#24

Post by TrackerFF »

Like with so many other artistic things, people can have very different workflows. Some people need to produce a lot of material, consistently, and then filter out. Stephen King is known for having such a workflow. Others will only produce when they find the motivation, and can go for long periods without producing anything.

In the end, whatever works for you.

Re: Turning music into a chore is how I became a musician (2022)

#25

Post by ericyd »

One challenge I've always had with having many concurrent project tracks is how to name them so they are distinct in my head. I made instrumental music so there's no lyrical line to hook into. Using "created at" datestamps for filenames is not great, but neither is obscure codenames.

Re: Turning music into a chore is how I became a musician (2022)

#26

Post by msteffen »

IAmGraydon wrote: post #20

I’ve been a recording musician for 28 years. Making music a boring chore is not the answer. The best musicians do two things: learn to turn off the over-thinking part of the brain that blocks creativity and second, understand music theory in depth for when that fails and you get stuck.

> learn to turn off the over-thinking part of the brain that blocks creativity

This is all pretty vibe-y but I think that might be what the post’s author found the ability to do and is trying to teach? TFA links to this other post in a similar vein: https://commoncog.com/get-numb-get-good/

Re: Turning music into a chore is how I became a musician (2022)

#27

Post by DennisP »

helloplanets wrote: post #9

I don't believe this is how great music usually comes about, not even Techno. It's missing the other essential piece. Being influenced by and completely immersed in a niche of other brilliant people. (The most extreme example of this would be the 90's Detroit-Berlin connection.) Paired with an obsessive work ethic in the studio. If it's only obsession in the studio, things come out dry, uninspired. If there's no surg…

I don't think this is about becoming a great musician. Maybe that comes later. As the title suggests, this is just about becoming a musician in the first place.

As a piano player who's been noodling around for a few years, trying to learn to write original stuff and not making much progress, something like this is probably what I need.

Re: Turning music into a chore is how I became a musician (2022)

#28

Post by miyoji »

0x1ceb00da wrote: post #22
titanomachy wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Justin Vernon disappeared to a cabin in Wisconsin for months, where he wrote and recorded one of the greatest and most popular folk rock albums of all time.

Most likely he made the album normally and the story about the cabin was made up by jimmy and bob from the marketing department.

What marketing department? For Emma, Forever Ago was initially self-released and got noticed, then an indie record label signed Justin Vernon to distribute the album with an official pressing. The story and the album and its success all predate any marketing department's involvement.

Re: Turning music into a chore is how I became a musician (2022)

#29

Post by WillMorr »

ericyd wrote: post #25

One challenge I've always had with having many concurrent project tracks is how to name them so they are distinct in my head. I made instrumental music so there's no lyrical line to hook into. Using "created at" datestamps for filenames is not great, but neither is obscure codenames.

You can always go full Danger and just title tracks with the time you finished them at

Re: Turning music into a chore is how I became a musician (2022)

#30

Post by adrianh »

ericyd wrote: post #25

One challenge I've always had with having many concurrent project tracks is how to name them so they are distinct in my head. I made instrumental music so there's no lyrical line to hook into. Using "created at" datestamps for filenames is not great, but neither is obscure codenames.

I also make instrumental music, and I have this same problem. What I do is: find a word or phrase that matches the rhythmic phrasing of my main melody. That becomes the working title.

An example is how Paul McCartney’s original title for “Yesterday” was “Scrambled Eggs,” since those words fit naturally over the start of the melody.

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