I seem to have lost my passion for making music. How do I know if it's just a phase or permanent?

[iDumi]

I've been at it since around 2002. I started making music while in my first year of college. I've made good progress to the point where I'm proud of my music. I learned a lot, but I've come to a point where I feel I've lost passion.

I know everyone gets "producer's block" I sure had it a good few times and it passed away naturally and I returned to making music with newfound excitement and enthusiasm. Only that every time I returned I found my self less and less invested in this hobby. I never made money off of it, save for a few paid dj gigs but if I draw the line that didn't even cover the cost of one of my APC20, let alone speakers, other controllers, computer etc... But that is completely OK - I was never in it for the money, nor for the fame I never had.

It was a glorious example of how the journey is more important than the destination. I loved making music because I loved making music.

However that all changed gradually over the last couple of years. I began finishing less and less tracks, to the point where in the last couple of years I only made a bit over half a dozen tracks. Now, I feel everything I do is derivative, uninspired and a copy of my previous work. Furthermore I don't really enjoy the process anymore... I get bored quickly shut down my DAW and go play games, or smoke joints and watch TV, or surf the web... I used to be very passionate about this and used to read a whole-f**king-lot about production, mixing, mastering, VST news, all that jazz. I had a very vivid interest in music production which I seem to have lost gradually over the last couple of years.

Making music used to be may biggest passion, my number one hobby... now it's not even top 3 anymore and I started thinking of selling all my gear to reinvest in what currently are my biggest passions (MMO gaming and Android phones).

I'm sorry this post has turned into such a wall of text... I guess I needed to vent.

Anyway, to wrap this up... before I do something I might regret, how do I know if this is another of those phases or if I have just outgrown this?

[wrench45us]

time.
There are some passions that ebb and flow. Some keep tugging at one's sleeve with varying urgency for a lifetime. Some fade away as some aspect that kept it interesting gets exhaused or used up.
Or my personal favorite -- the associations with a particular activity begin to fill with memories of bad or frustrating experiences. This is an aspect of a certain personality type ('depressive') that stores memories of the 'bad' more than memories of the 'good'. OTOH, this same personality type tends to learn more and faster because of the impact of the failures.
There's something to be said for the ability to forget and start fresh.

So we don't know .
This is why my wife's work space is filled with projects from neon tube bending, to silversmithing to wood block prints, letterpress, beading, rubber stamping etc etc. With various storage requirements.
Music and writing and a few other activities seem to have the most tugging at the sleeve persistence.
My coping mechanism is to alternate between learning a live instrument an dintegrating that in soem fashion with the electonice DAW production. There are plenty of opportunities for bad and frustrating experinece with learning a new instrument, so it has to be approached carefully, but the reward of playing something without the need for a a computer and a DAW and the latest whatever is immediate and encouraging.

best of luck

[Sendy]

I went through a similar block to yours during the 2006-2008 period. I think I put out 6 finished tunes during that whole time... (And a whole lot of crappy doodles). Ask yourself, would you be sad if you could never make music again? If the answer is no, forget about it for a while. If the answer is yes, forget about it for a while.

[iDumi]

Ask yourself, would you be sad if you could never make music again?

No... It doesn't feel like I would... this is my answer right now.

[Sendy]

Ask yourself, would you be sad if you could never make music again?

No... It doesn't feel like I would... this is my answer right now.

Hm, it's tricky. When someone told me I should just give up on music and accept that I'd lost it, it was like a stab to the heart. We're not friends now due to several reasons . But there were certainly times where I was more interested in gaming and other subjects, and did them more, even though deep down my identity was "musician" and that's what I wanted in an ideal world.

Maybe try throwing off some of the shackles, the expectation of making what you usually make, using a computer for music, or your usual modus operandi, and combine that with a hefty dose of time?

[iDumi]

Well you see... I never saw myself as a musician, but rather as a button pusher. I can't play any instruments, I can't read music and I use loops and samples almost exclusively.

I tried making stuff from scratch, with synths starting from an empty patch, programming and writing melodies with midi notes but every time it all sounds bland, uninspired, sloppy and generally terrible.

[forbiddensilence]

dude i've been through the lot...I wanted to be in a band the most...when that fell apart i didn't know what to do... but as i got older and wiser i realised that there's more to life than being in a band or becoming a composer. So i just went with the flow. But the withdrawls come back to haunt you...so what. only lasts a few mins.
The worst thing about choosing a creative hobby or career is that your soul and mind is imprisoned Forever...its curse...you need it like a drug. If you can break free...then do it!!!!

Monroe once said...dreaming about being someone is more exciting than being one...so Fking true!!!! I would kill to be where i wanted to be 15yrs ago...today i cldnt give a toss...however, it doesn't mean i dont dabble in music anynmore...or even want to write a score to hear it get played one day.

Truth is writing on a computer can suck soooo much. Lets face it...its too much hard work. pen n paper and endless supply of money will do. ..forgot bout it.

Have a nice day...sit back,throw it all of your shoulders, put your feet up and take a deep breath on your fat Bong!!
Oh and you will be back...i told you...its a CURSE.

[VitaminD]

Music Theory.

I'd recommend you learning the basics.. and preferrably a little more than the basics.


Forget making music, pushing buttons, smoking toxins, playing games, or anything else you have been doing for years and get deep in a book (or video) on music theory.

Your main music issue seems to be you're not able to deeply relate your ideas into music.. you can do this with some knowledge of music theory. What chords are.. how they relate.. how they can connect to create a progression.. how to create melodies from your progressions.. etc.


I'd also recommend picking up an instrument.. piano.. guitar.. etc.. as long as it involves chords.

[iDumi]

I appreciate your kind words.

We'll see how this goes.

[SolarRainUK]

Maybe the 'MMO gaming' is the real problem? I know how it is, I was a big MMO gamer for a number of years and it tends to become a priority for some people, and sucks up time and creativity like crazy, it can be a huge distraction. Over about 4 years of gaming I think I finished only 1 or 2 tracks. Music for me fell into the background and I just had no motivation to do it, when the alternative was to have hours of fun playing Rift which I found much more rewarding. I was also running a guild which required even more of my time and responsibility, hell the whole thing was consuming my thoughts even when I wasn't playing.

Once I ditched all that, music when straight to the top of my priorities, my enthusiasm just naturally returned. In just this last year I created more music than in my entire life. Ok, they weren't all great, but it's not the point. MMOs are amazing at fulfilling our needs for enjoyment etc I can't honestly imagine a more rewarding hobby. But what are we left with at the end, for all that time invested?

Maybe you have it all under control, but I just wanted to share my thoughts on that.

[iDumi]

I can see your point, but I'm not playing MMOs anywhere near the amount of hours I used to when I was also very enthusiastic about music.

If I can rack up 5-10 hours of gaming every week I'm happy, but most weeks I don't even have time for that.

[ariston]

Art and creativity thrive on experiences. Going out and seeing the world, experiencing new things, trying out new things, meeting new people, rethinking old points of view, going places you've never been to before...

Maybe your art is suffering because you spend your time surfing, smoking and playing games?

[geroyannis]

Like VitaminD said, start learning an instrument. I'm surprised that you've spent all these years "pressing buttons" and didn't spend any time to actually learn a real instrument. It's infinitely more fulfilling and mind expanding than just putting loops together. That comes not only from playing the instrument, but even from the process of studying and finding out new things on it.

[MIDICH1]

I appreciate your kind words.

We'll see how this goes.

Have to agree with VitaminD. I did everything by ear for years and always admired those artist who, say it with me, "couldn't read a note of music."

Then I met a session player here in Los Angeles (was dating his daughter) and he inspired me to learn to read music. So I took a summer music theory class at Pierce College (MooU). Talk about EASY. Learning to read music opened up a whole world to me. I continued with harmony, counterpoint, orchestration. I'm not much of a student, so if I could do it, you could do it. Even took some film scoring classes.

Not knowing how to read music is like wanting to an auto mechanic without knowing anything about working on cars. You tinker. You get some things right. Maybe even gets some things great. But you really need to know the nuts and bolts of what you're doing.

Besides, learning the nuts and bolts is, as I found, a lot of fun!

[1-2-Many]

This one's Easy! Everything's a Phase, Everything!