anyone made a conscious decision to avoid music

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

No. It'd feel like a photographer who'd decided to keep their eyes closed and not look at anything.

except, as a photographer you are dependent on input coming externally; it is part of your creation to need to have your eyes open.

There is a differentiation between that which one sees, and what one looks at. Furthermore there is a further distinction in what one looks for, especially in the utility of one's art. There is passivity in seeing, activity in looking at, and discrimination in looking for.

Photographers arent capturing everything they see, they ostensibly choose to seek specific places or events at specific points in time where they decide to carry out their craft. My point is that to give up looking at things would be to resort to passivity only

Im not sure why you're trying to make refute my response. I stated my personal reality of this, and yet you choose to quibble, as though I should rethink the manner in which I separate myself as a creator of music from myself as an audience for it. There is no debate to be had, I stated exactly what I meant, and exactly how I respond to the two differing situations. They are different; I do not need to stop looking at.

i am not denying the importance of inspiration, but i also doubt you are suggesting you'd be unable to compose without listening to the music of others.

Ive never composed by listening to the music of others. I compose by listening for the elements of the sounds I am working with. Actively. And that the intrinsic discrimination of that exempts other people's music from being an impediment to that. That's what Im 'suggesting'.

i don't see where i quibbled about your personal reality. nor am i arguing against the distinction between seeing and looking

i was just refuting your suggestion that making music without the input of external influences is akin to trying to take photos with your eyes closed

[Hink]

It's an unconscious or subconscious decision. I love classic rock till I get tired of it. I love the blues till I get tired of it. I love jazz till I get tired of it. Eventually I tire of everything and take a hiatus from it all. (usually when I'm in my most creative mindset) and rediscover everything I love all over again.

I don't need to listen to music for the memories of songs to creep into my brain. I can sit or walk or drive or a million other things and the songs will play all the same.

A major problem with listening so much and having your brain permanently stained with songs you love is that in a moment of inspiration a great song might come to mind only to find out later when you are playing it out... Is that it's someone else's song entirely and you aren't writing anything new. Instead your brain gave you an unwanted flashback / brain snap. Then you walk around wondering if everything you've ever done you thought was an original may have been drawn from a distorted or forgotten memory of something else.

not me, I know a lot of people who think nothing is original and that argument could go on for days, you mention blues...well a lot of blues songs are the same song with different lyrics. If my songs sound like someone else it could be coincidence, it could be my interpretation of a song, genre or what have you or it could just be the result of listening to music as you say, but in that case it can simply be a case of Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I'm not selling my music so I am not ripping off someone else's music.

Also the subject line says "anyone made a conscious decision to avoid music" but the post then says the music of others for the sake of self improvement. It doesn't say "do you have to listen to music of others all the time to get inspired". There are times where I avoid listening to music, the number one place is in my car. After my accident I have not been able to drive while listening to music...ESPECIALLY MY OWN (in the late 90's I ran a stop sign and almost went head on into another car because I was distracted by my music and tbh it scared the crap out of me). However I do not need to listen to music everyday (though it's hard to avoid, the tv, in stores, visiting friends, music is everywhere), there are other things in my life and I believe that there needs to be balance which is a two way street

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

to each their own, I could never do such a thing. Since my earliest memories music has been a part of my life. I love music, I love music of all kinds, I love making music and I love listening to music. Music is not just a pastime, music is the foundation on which my life is built, listening to music has many benefits in my life and to avoid music of others would surely have negative effects toward my health, happiness and my own music. I'm 55 and I can still be inspired by a small child playing music or the elderly alike, I believe that no matter where you go in this world if you have an open mind you can learn something from absolutely everyone. It simply is not just inspiration, it's also about learning and growing and at 55 I am still growing, I am still learning, there is nothing that I already know everything there is know about. When I stop growing it's because I am likely on the verge of dying and even then I will be learning how to die.

Music from other artists can make me laugh, it can make me cry, it can spark wonderful memories, it can change a mood, it can heal me, it can keep me humble, it can anger me and it can also enhance my life with the people music brings into my life. I love it when someone shares music with me I have never heard and vice versa, many a time that has led to meeting new friends with common interests further improving the quality of my life.

I cant sit and make music 24/7, thankfully because that would ultimately destroy making music for me, but I cant imagine my life without music in it and listening to the music of other artists is another great form of enjoying music, my passion. When I had a tragic accident it was music that saved me from despair and from myself as I was very self loathing then.

Like I said to each their own, but to deprive myself of that much of my life would be hurting myself for no apparent reason. If I felt I needed to stop listening to music from other artists to improve my music I would question what is wrong with my passion of making music. If I am not inspired it's my inner Hink saying, "dude you need to do something else for a while" because that would be a sure sign I need a break. Which once again is very healthy, but I wouldn't intentionally avoid the music of others. Hard times in my life have made it so I had no means to listen to the music of others and those were the worst times of my life. I know I dont want to go back to where I was then, the only direction I wish to go is forward and music of all kinds has been my partner and my guide through life for as long as I can remember

to clarify further : i am not suggesting that i totally give up listening to music. i love it, why would i deprive myself ??

all i am looking to explore is whether listening to other artists music for anywhere between 5 & 8 hours a day is having a negative effect on my ability to create, way past the point at which the listening provides necessary inspiration. i happen to think that is a lot of time, but maybe this would be considered normal

further to that, it is possible (as i alluded to earlier), that i am missing out on what many consider are go-to's for getting inspiration e.g walking down by the lake, listening to birdsong etc etc.

what i am really proposing is trying an all out ban for a week or so to see if there is any difference (and i am not just thinking in terms of creativity). once i can get some kind of base level, i can think about introducing it back in. what i imagine is that i will eventually set out clear periods of intentional listening, as opposed to just having the constant 'soundtrack to my life'. the flip-side would be to stipulate certain periods/activities where i absolutely leave the ipod at home

[budweiser]

You're an internet/overconsumption society victim. Soundcloud, youtube, facebook and the like are not your friends.

you started well, then it all went to shit !!

Lol.
I was not saying you (in particular) are a facebook/soundcloud and the like addict, but that everything today is organized towards overconsumption so that in the end you loose the value and taste of things, especially things like music, movies, etc, that can be forced.
It's so easy... music is on the net and the net is everywhere. But in the end you loose the taste.
Back to k7 !

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

You're an internet/overconsumption society victim. Soundcloud, youtube, facebook and the like are not your friends.

you started well, then it all went to shit !!

Lol.
I was not saying you (in particular) are a facebook/soundcloud and the like addict, but that everything today is organized towards overconsumption so that in the end you loose the value and taste of things, especially things like music, movies, etc, that can be forced.
It's so easy... music is on the net and the net is everywhere. But in the end you loose the taste.
Back to k7 !

gotcha

k7 ??

[Hink]

to each their own, I could never do such a thing. Since my earliest memories music has been a part of my life. I love music, I love music of all kinds, I love making music and I love listening to music. Music is not just a pastime, music is the foundation on which my life is built, listening to music has many benefits in my life and to avoid music of others would surely have negative effects toward my health, happiness and my own music. I'm 55 and I can still be inspired by a small child playing music or the elderly alike, I believe that no matter where you go in this world if you have an open mind you can learn something from absolutely everyone. It simply is not just inspiration, it's also about learning and growing and at 55 I am still growing, I am still learning, there is nothing that I already know everything there is know about. When I stop growing it's because I am likely on the verge of dying and even then I will be learning how to die.

Music from other artists can make me laugh, it can make me cry, it can spark wonderful memories, it can change a mood, it can heal me, it can keep me humble, it can anger me and it can also enhance my life with the people music brings into my life. I love it when someone shares music with me I have never heard and vice versa, many a time that has led to meeting new friends with common interests further improving the quality of my life.

I cant sit and make music 24/7, thankfully because that would ultimately destroy making music for me, but I cant imagine my life without music in it and listening to the music of other artists is another great form of enjoying music, my passion. When I had a tragic accident it was music that saved me from despair and from myself as I was very self loathing then.

Like I said to each their own, but to deprive myself of that much of my life would be hurting myself for no apparent reason. If I felt I needed to stop listening to music from other artists to improve my music I would question what is wrong with my passion of making music. If I am not inspired it's my inner Hink saying, "dude you need to do something else for a while" because that would be a sure sign I need a break. Which once again is very healthy, but I wouldn't intentionally avoid the music of others. Hard times in my life have made it so I had no means to listen to the music of others and those were the worst times of my life. I know I dont want to go back to where I was then, the only direction I wish to go is forward and music of all kinds has been my partner and my guide through life for as long as I can remember

to clarify further : i am not suggesting that i totally give up listening to music. i love it, why would i deprive myself ??

all i am looking to explore is whether listening to other artists music for anywhere between 5 & 8 hours a day is having a negative effect on my ability to create, way past the point at which the listening provides necessary inspiration. i happen to think that is a lot of time, but maybe this would be considered normal

further to that, it is possible (as i alluded to earlier), that i am missing out on what many consider are go-to's for getting inspiration e.g walking down by the lake, listening to birdsong etc etc.

what i am really proposing is trying an all out ban for a week or so to see if there is any difference (and i am not just thinking in terms of creativity). once i can get some kind of base level, i can think about introducing it back in. what i imagine is that i will eventually set out clear periods of intentional listening, as opposed to just having the constant 'soundtrack to my life'. the flip-side would be to stipulate certain periods/activities where i absolutely leave the ipod at home

that's why I said to each their own, I think it's a wonderful experiment...not one that I would intentionally do myself but that's just me. I have to agree with Tapper Mike where it's not something I decide on...it just happens. If I go for a walk often I am with my better half, I leave the music home because that would be rude. When I go for a walk alone I like to think, I dont want distractions but then sometimes I do...it depends on my mood. You asked if anyone made a conscious decision to avoid music, I think subconsciously my mind knows when and when not to listen to music.

Living in an apartment like I have since like 1978 I have found that music also helps keep unwanted noises from bothering me. Noise can disturb me (someone once here posted in OT about a personality trait where some people are easily disturbed by noise and I believe I have always been this way). I have a nice stereo with speakers in front of me and behind me which masks the noise of others in the building (and 7.0 surround when watching tv, no sub woofer because I wont do that to my neighbors) I dont crank my music anymore, I have an SPL meter and I have found louder than 65-70db depending on the content is as loud as I want it and that does not disturb my neighbors. I simply cannot enjoy music if I am worried I am disturbing others and tbh that drives Denise nuts, I cannot count how many times she has said "why bother caring when the neighbors dont care if they disturb us" but I'm just not wired that way. Having surround I am in my own little cocoon of sound which has served me well and kept me from aggravations I do not need in my life. That's not to say I have not plugged my guitar into my half stack and said "you want loud, I'll show you loud" but that is rare.

Good luck with this though, I will be interested in the results but for me it's like the time I went a neurologist for my headaches and the first thing he wanted me to do was take nothing for a month when I got a headache to see what happens. All I could think was "are you out of your freaking mind?" (not saying you're out your mind )

[Rah]

I am so horrible at sound design and musicianship that everything I make is an attempt to directly plagiarize some other work. I suck so bad at it that I end up with a piece entirely my own.

No really, seriously though, I'm actually not joking.

Whenever I've tried to plagiarize, or copy someone, or use elements of another work, that always happens. Mutation.

[Deep Purple]

I deliberately avoid top 40 radio stations.

But usually that's for a different reason - 90% of it is complete shit.

[ntom]

2 pages....I don't know if my response matters at this point, but:

Yes and no. Typically when I am in a creative mood, the only music I listen to is my own music. However, when I am not feeling creative I typically find one artist to latch on to until the next creative spurt.

Also unrelated, but I have made a conscious decision to avoid my music (and even music as a whole) in conversations with people I may know more personally.

[Tricky-Loops]

When I'm hiking in the nature or I'm working somewhere, I can survive 12 hours without listening to any music. But on other days I'm listening to music for many hours.

The previous months I worked part-time in a supermarket and they always played one of the two Bavarian mainstream radios. I dreamed of switching the radio off because I couldn't hear the mainstream chart stuff from the 80ies and 90ies anymore...

But the only reason why they play music in stores and supermarkets is to distract you. Then you might buy a lot more stuff because you're distracted.

[Zombie Queen]

I don't feel listening abstinence can do any good in terms of creative push, personally I think it would just make me close in to what I've already learned. It's better to put away listening to music you know and like and try to understand/explore something different, possibly something you don't get at all. You are EDM guy? Try listening to operas or folklore. You do Hip-Hop? Try listening to ambient for a change. You do experimental stuff? Try some dance electronica...

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

I don't feel listening abstinence can do any good in terms of creative push, personally I think it would just make me close in to what I've already learned. It's better to put away listening to music you know and like and try to understand/explore something different, possibly something you don't get at all. You are EDM guy? Try listening to operas or folklore. You do Hip-Hop? Try listening to ambient for a change. You do experimental stuff? Try some dance electronica...

i don't have any genre, i listen to what i like. this is more about over-exposure to music in general, rather than feeling devoid of inspiration due to a limited field of listening

[jancivil]

"close in to what I've already learned" - I don't see that as a problem creatively, that seems like the premise is creative action in music requires brand new input.
When I do replenish, typically it's through my traditions. Tradition being eg., Indian Classical Music, I'm bound to find a new expression of the raga because it's never the same unfolding of it even as it's always the same ground.
I have a couple of pretty radical things where I was absolutely _not_ needing new information, or awareness of some notion that was hitherto unknown to me to get to.
Now, what I don't want to do very much is repeat myself. This is why I'm never going to be a very commercial entity. So for me to end up 'dry', the well to return to is tradition; or the thing I did with certain Satie compositions made me work differently and put me in mind of things I knew how to do but here's the best excuse to; on my own maybe I was too cool for school to.
It's not being in a style rut like I need to hear 'dance electronica' or something, there is zero mystery there. And I tend to eschew proceeding from a position of genre*. I could decide 'oh, let's see about a passacaglia' and I could arrive at a counterpoint that pretty much is JS Bach's but I'm actually pretty much a free agent here.

I am entrained, many of us are, to be a fairly good tape recorder. So tunes and motifs knocking around in my head, earworms, is for me not very conducive to this quiet space I enjoy being in for *composing*. Additionally, actually I don't much expect to hear totally new ground out there anywhere. I've been very curious all my life.


Above I saw it said that someone believed there is 'no such thing as originality'. That is an absurd position, and I guess one could formulate that on a very narrow path of *pop music/rock/blues or what-have-you where the basis is always a cookie cutter, chord changes and like that. But for that statement to be really true, it would have the corrolary, ultimately, of 'there is no such thing as personality, or thought'. It is true that many people do not authentically think their own thought, but it is possible.
Or the definition of 'original' is special, 'absolutely original', informed by nothing previous, arrived out of a vacuum as it were.

[jancivil]

5 & 8 hours a day is having a negative effect on my ability to create, way past the point at which the listening provides necessary inspiration. i happen to think that is a lot of time, but maybe this would be considered normal

further to that, it is possible (as i alluded to earlier), that i am missing out on what many consider are go-to's for getting inspiration e.g walking down by the lake, listening to birdsong etc etc.

what i am really proposing is trying an all out ban for a week or so to see if there is any difference (and i am not just thinking in terms of creativity). once i can get some kind of base level, i can think about introducing it back in. what i imagine is that i will eventually set out clear periods of intentional listening, as opposed to just having the constant 'soundtrack to my life'. the flip-side would be to stipulate certain periods/activities where i absolutely leave the ipod at home

I think it's a very good idea for you. 5-8 hrs a day to me is an awful lot anyway.

[foosnark]

I just want to avoid bad music. But I'd have to stop going to restaurants, shops, or my workplace...