What do you think the biggest problem is in learning or participating in music today?

[KBSoundSmith]

I'm curious, because I've heard people say things like "my wife wanted me to stop playing, so I haven't touched a violin in 14 years" and others say "I want to make music, but I get so nervous about someone hearing me practice." For others, that they feel guilty indulging in the time of music making.

A couple other ideas just to start discussion: is it that teachers aren't very good, or that you have trouble finding a teacher altogether? Is the theory just hard to understand, or do you not have an interest in it/don't find it important? Is it that you aren't sure how to practice your instrument effectively? Is it just not a priority for you, so you lag behind or quit? You prefer to learn on your own, but don't know where to start? You write music in a DAW, but don't know how to read traditional notation? Can't find people to play with?

It can be anything you can think of.

[Hink]

over the years I have wrongly blamed many things for getting in the way of making music. Truly there have been things that could be viewed as getting in the way of making music, but then hindsight is 20/20 and looking back it is clear to me that these so-called obstacles were nothing more than life being what it is, life. IMO we need breaks, we need fluctuations in our daily lives and unfortunately there will serious issues in life that will take priority and many of those will be at a time of great stress or loss. But that's life, the gift of being an artist is not a measurement of talent, it's about how your passion helps you to get through these times in life as well as enjoy the finer times in life. I'm thankful for this gift.

I say all the time everything is in cycles and sometimes the artistic cycle drops as other cycles rise, I have learned to not mourn the loss of time with music but embrace the time with other things in life. The music always comes back and when it does it's that's much sweeter for having missed it. You cant miss something if it never goes away and I find I do a tremendous amount of growing during those downtimes.

I guess it's just how you look at it.

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

too many things competing for the same amount of time and space. too many internet sites to surf; too many computer games, on too many devices; too many tv channels, for too many hours.

too much.......NOISE !!

need...to....dis.....co.....nect.......

[Sendy]

Easily, getting heard.

I SAID, GETTING HEARD!!!!!

Too many people climbing over eachother and willing to pay and swim through shit for plays. That's right, people are paying to have their music heard. Some would say that's the only way to stand a chance. Spamming the hell out of everything. LISTEN TO MY BEAT! NEW URBAN SONG TO LISTEN TO! BLAH BLAH BLAH.

Beyond that, it took me a long time to kinda get over myself (some might argue I still need to ). When I was young I was that "shit hot engineer who thought everything was easy". I'd hear most stuff and think "I could do that but better!". This was exacerbated by going to college to do a Music Technology course that had just started up, and frequently helping the tutors out, and consequently I was always wanted in team efforts and respected. It was a blessing, though, because my social anxiety was terrible and I doubt I'd have made it through without that break.

My music lacked cohesion and roots, and a sort of message, even though I had the technical identity down. I was convinced that "every track should sound different" and that's kinda the worst thing you can do, because you want to build a world. I was just a bored shutin making very elaborate doodles. It was an easy trap for me to fall in. When I opened my mind and got more humble, I was able to focus on more than just the details. I acquired some lore, some personal backstory and a bit of imagination beyond the music it's-self.

[KBSoundSmith]

over the years I have wrongly blamed many things for getting in the way of making music. Truly there have been things that could be viewed as getting in the way of making music, but then hindsight is 20/20 and looking back it is clear to me that these so-called obstacles were nothing more than life being what it is, life. IMO we need breaks, we need fluctuations in our daily lives and unfortunately there will serious issues in life that will take priority and many of those will be at a time of great stress or loss. But that's life, the gift of being an artist is not a measurement of talent, it's about how your passion helps you to get through these times in life as well as enjoy the finer times in life. I'm thankful for this gift.

I say all the time everything is in cycles and sometimes the artistic cycle drops as other cycles rise, I have learned to not mourn the loss of time with music but embrace the time with other things in life. The music always comes back and when it does it's that's much sweeter for having missed it. You cant miss something if it never goes away and I find I do a tremendous amount of growing during those downtimes.

I guess it's just how you look at it.

That's a great perspective, certainly more matured a view than I was anticipating. I'm definitely too young to have experience-based/broad perspectives, still in the gun-slinger years

Out of curiosity, what were some of the things you blamed for getting in the way, and how did you find your perspective changing to what it is now?

[arkmabat]

too many things competing for the same amount of time and space. too many internet sites to surf; too many computer games, on too many devices; too many tv channels, for too many hours.

too much.......NOISE !!

need...to....dis.....co.....nect.......

Yeah. I have more Steam games than hard drive space. There's a problem with that.

[KBSoundSmith]

too many things competing for the same amount of time and space. too many internet sites to surf; too many computer games, on too many devices; too many tv channels, for too many hours.

too much.......NOISE !!

need...to....dis.....co.....nect.......

Haha, I hear you (or am trying to... ).

Last weekend, I posted a piece of music I made with the 2cAudio Kaleidoscope demo. While I was working on it, my sister and her husband came to visit with their kids--my niece is almost 3, and my nephew is about 6 months. They were so noisy! I was composing the piece while they were visiting, and I just remember being so frustrated with how hard it was to concentrate. On the one hand, I was happy that I managed to stay productive and get a piece composed--on the other, I was irritated that I must have appeared so anti-social. The kids will only be that age once, so I have to remember to keep a perspective on things,

What have you tried to do to keep things balanced, to block out or minimize the noise?

[KBSoundSmith]

Easily, getting heard.

I SAID, GETTING HEARD!!!!!

Too many people climbing over eachother and willing to pay and swim through shit for plays. That's right, people are paying to have their music heard. Some would say that's the only way to stand a chance. Spamming the hell out of everything. LISTEN TO MY BEAT! NEW URBAN SONG TO LISTEN TO! BLAH BLAH BLAH.

Beyond that, it took me a long time to kinda get over myself (some might argue I still need to ). When I was young I was that "shit hot engineer who thought everything was easy". I'd hear most stuff and think "I could do that but better!". This was exacerbated by going to college to do a Music Technology course that had just started up, and frequently helping the tutors out, and consequently I was always wanted in team efforts and respected. It was a blessing, though, because my social anxiety was terrible and I doubt I'd have made it through without that break.

My music lacked cohesion and roots, and a sort of message, even though I had the technical identity down. I was convinced that "every track should sound different" and that's kinda the worst thing you can do, because you want to build a world. I was just a bored shutin making very elaborate doodles. It was an easy trap for me to fall in. When I opened my mind and got more humble, I was able to focus on more than just the details. I acquired some lore, some personal backstory and a bit of imagination beyond the music it's-self.

Oh my god, that's so true. It's either sad or hilarious how people are willing to pay for a chance...to get paid, haha. Ultimately, what is fame for other than leveraging your paycheck?

It's kind of funny, because people say how you need to use social media to promote your music, get gigs, blah blah blah, but every time I get a facebook message asking me to check out a cd or go to a gig...click, delete...no second thoughts

Your personal story is quite interesting. you mentioned your mind opened and you became more humble. How did that happen? What encouraged you to develop in that way, and how has it affected the way you make music now?

[mandolarian]

too many things competing for the same amount of time and space. too many internet sites to surf; too many computer games, on too many devices; too many tv channels, for too many hours.

too much.......NOISE !!

need...to....dis.....co.....nect.......

Haha, I hear you (or am trying to... ).

Last weekend, I posted a piece of music I made with the 2cAudio Kaleidoscope demo. While I was working on it, my sister and her husband came to visit with their kids--my niece is almost 3, and my nephew is about 6 months. They were so noisy! I was composing the piece while they were visiting, and I just remember being so frustrated with how hard it was to concentrate. On the one hand, I was happy that I managed to stay productive and get a piece composed--on the other, I was irritated that I must have appeared so anti-social. The kids will only be that age once, so I have to remember to keep a perspective on things,

What have you tried to do to keep things balanced, to block out or minimize the noise?

Why fight it? If it were me, would have recorded the kids, then fed it into KS with some 'extreme' settings and then made the kids sit down and listen to it - tell them: "this is how you're going to sound when you grow up."

That would be enough to keep them quiet for years.

What I have planned is very expensive. Booked a flight to the ISS. In space, no one can here you scream at your VST. Plus to make really great space music, it's gotta be created in zero G. Until then, I can browse KVR guilt and productivity free.

[Tricky-Loops]

What I have planned is very expensive. Booked a flight to the ISS. In space, no one can here you scream at your VST. Plus to make really great space music, it's gotta be created in zero G. Until then, I can browse KVR guilt and productivity free.

Be careful not to confuse the destination! There are also flights to the IS but you might strand somewhere in the desert between some veiled aliens instead of the space...

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

too many things competing for the same amount of time and space. too many internet sites to surf; too many computer games, on too many devices; too many tv channels, for too many hours.

too much.......NOISE !!

need...to....dis.....co.....nect.......

Haha, I hear you (or am trying to... ).

Last weekend, I posted a piece of music I made with the 2cAudio Kaleidoscope demo. While I was working on it, my sister and her husband came to visit with their kids--my niece is almost 3, and my nephew is about 6 months. They were so noisy! I was composing the piece while they were visiting, and I just remember being so frustrated with how hard it was to concentrate. On the one hand, I was happy that I managed to stay productive and get a piece composed--on the other, I was irritated that I must have appeared so anti-social. The kids will only be that age once, so I have to remember to keep a perspective on things,

What have you tried to do to keep things balanced, to block out or minimize the noise?

actually, i meant noise in a not-so-literal way, although that is part of it also. mean noise as in a constant barrage of distraction, energy, content, media, responsibility

in fact, the noise you describe is the best kind of noise it's the possibility of real interaction with little crazy human beings, that have so much to teach us. this distraction i speak of just tries to drag us away from that experience of life (which is where i think the music exists).

i still find it rather disturbing to be sitting with a group of people who are all staring into their phones, even emailing videos to the person next to them. even more surreal is watching footage of people watching live gigs - none of them are watching it through their eyes, deferring to standing with their arms outstretched, and watching it through the back of their phone screen.....that's noise. that's distraction

in your situation, i'd have dropped everything and try to enjoy it rather than fight it. then, when they'd gone home, it would be possible to really appreciate the calm after the storm, and actually make some music........AFTER checking in on kvr, gmail, facebook....blah....blah...blah

[Tricky-Loops]

Easily, getting heard.

I SAID, GETTING HEARD!!!!!

too much.......NOISE !!

Can you hear me?

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

charlie brooker on 'noise' :

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... ie-brooker

[skipscada]

What I have planned is very expensive. Booked a flight to the ISS. In space, no one can here you scream at your VST. Plus to make really great space music, it's gotta be created in zero G.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaOC9danxNo

[mandolarian]

What I have planned is very expensive. Booked a flight to the ISS. In space, no one can here you scream at your VST. Plus to make really great space music, it's gotta be created in zero G. Until then, I can browse KVR guilt and productivity free.

Be careful not to confuse the destination! There are also flights to the IS but you might strand somewhere in the desert between some veiled aliens instead of the space...

True, enough, but at least I'll be composing with Alchemy 2 while the aliens are experimenting on me. So, there's that.