Why do musicians make music?

[Thanatopsis123]

No, I'm not talking about those that do it for money, chicks, etc. Why do the others make music? What's the goal? To simply create something that they themselves would enjoy listening to? To make their own favorite album?

I've often heard musicians says that they get sick of their own material yet so many claim they make it for themselves.

I don't think I've ever heard of a musician that places one of their own albums as a favorite. Why? Do they not know what they like? Why can they not seem to make something that has lasting appeal for themselves?

 

[lurch70]

Ask Erik ...

 

[AsModEe]

whyn't?

 

[NAD]

any musician who thinks too highly of their own music is an asshole.

i make music because it's what i do. i have no explanation for it, nor do i need one. if i could no longer play bass, i would likely end. not kill myself, just end.

 

[Conspicuously Absent]

any musician who thinks too highly of their own music is an asshole.

i make music because it's what i do. i have no explanation for it, nor do i need one. if i could no longer play bass, i would likely end. not kill myself, just end.

You'd cease to be NAD and would become Lord Adrian the Pure?

 

[AsModEe]

any musician who thinks too highly of their own music is an asshole.

Does that mean Erik is an asshole? 0.o

 

[NAD]

Does that mean Erik is an asshole? 0.o

well he may be an asshole, but not because his opinion of his own music. seriously though, i don't think erik thinks very highly of his music. what i mean by that is that you don't have to say "this shit sucks" but if you come out saying "this album i made is the best fucking thing in existence" then you're an asshole. i think being humble is very important in being a musician. hey here's a good one, search in the agalloch forum (edit: duhhh, the end records i should say) for a thread on when quorthon died. haughm gained a lot of respect in my book that day.

You'd cease to be NAD and would become Lord Adrian the Pure?

hahahahaha let's hope we never find out.

 

[E-bortion]

I myself make music for release and expression. As meaningless as that seems nowadays, and as equally useless, meh. I stand by it.

 

[Erik]

well he may be an asshole, but not because his opinion of his own music. seriously though, i don't think erik thinks very highly of his music. what i mean by that is that you don't have to say "this shit sucks" but if you come out saying "this album i made is the best fucking thing in existence" then you're an asshole. i think being humble is very important in being a musician. hey here's a good one, search in the agalloch forum (edit: duhhh, the end records i should say) for a thread on when quorthon died. haughm gained a lot of respect in my book that day.

True, very true. I mean, one thing, false modesty is gay and lying, so if Nasheim is obviously superior to other bands then I'm going to say so, I mean I do have some sense of what's shit and what's not even if I've written it myself, but when people say shit like "Nasheim is better than Bathory" or whatever I can not take it as a compliment because quite frankly that's just a bunch of fucking bullshit.

Anyway, I'm only in it for the chicks.

 

[Erik]

I've often heard musicians says that they get sick of their own material yet so many claim they make it for themselves.

Um, yes, that's not particularly strange. You write songs, you're satisfied with them, you go record them (maybe at this point you start tiring of listening to and playing them 50000 times) and then I think it's a pretty natural thing to after a while go "ugh, this is bollocks" which obviously makes you want to do better... So getting sick of your old stuff is a vital part of... ugh... progressing as an artist, 'cause if you didn't feel like doing better than your old stuff what point is there really to go on at all?

 

[Ellestin]

what i mean by that is that you don't have to say "this shit sucks" but if you come out saying "this album i made is the best fucking thing in existence" then you're an asshole.

What happens then when jounalists agree that your album rules the universe and you remain silent about it?

The new Circle of Dead Children has the widest music value/production gap I've ever heard.

 

[Claws of Perdition]

Although im by no means an acomplished musician very far from it.
Theres not a whole lot in my life other then music, so playing guitar and writing songs comes naturally as an extension to that.
I enjoy the challenge of creating something to the best of my abilities and being able to hear and feel the end result.

 

[NAD]

What happens then when jounalists agree that your album rules the universe and you remain silent about it?

i'd say "hey thanks" if that happened to me, while probably trying to promote some other much more worthy band. and if i ever went to some bullshit awards ceremony like the grammies, it would rule if i won because i'd chuck it at some dude after spewing forth my vastly radical political agenda while wearing a taake shirt or something.

True, very true. I mean, one thing, false modesty is gay and lying, so if Nasheim is obviously superior to other bands then I'm going to say so, I mean I do have some sense of what's shit and what's not even if I've written it myself, but when people say shit like "Nasheim is better than Bathory" or whatever I can not take it as a compliment because quite frankly that's just a bunch of fucking bullshit.

my friend once told me (like 10 years ago) i was a better bassist than that idiot from green day and i said "yeah prolly." then about 3 months ago several of my friends said i was better than flea and i said "well thanks but you're off your fucking rocker."

oh and when three sheets to the wind are three sheets to the wind, we claim to be the most amazing band in existence. then when sober, we say "yeah i think we're pretty alright" so beer comes into play. just like real life.

 

[Demonspell]

<<I don't think I've ever heard of a musician that places one of their own albums as a favorite. Why? Do they not know what they like? Why can they not seem to make something that has lasting appeal for themselves?>>

Probbaly because it's one thing to take pride in your work and another to claim you've surpassed your influences, putting your own album in a favorites list without joking is just arrogant...I also think it's natural for a musician to grow disillusioned with his work after it becomes more past than present or becomes tied to an image.

 

[Thanatopsis123]

So getting sick of your old stuff is a vital part of... ugh... progressing as an artist, 'cause if you didn't feel like doing better than your old stuff what point is there really to go on at all?

So you began making music knowing you wouldn't top your favorites? Then why make it at all?

And progressing as an artist in that fashion just seems odd to me. I can understand it but it seems more natural to simply progress as your taste in music evolves.

Ah fuck it. I don't think I'm explaining myself well at all.

 

[NAD]

So you began making music knowing you wouldn't top your favorites? Then why make it at all?

ummm, this is really silly to me. being an artist is not a competition, it's having something in you that needs to get out. it's like, expressing yourself or something. i don't do this to win any prizes, i do it just to do it.

besides, do you only have complete and total masterpieces in your album collection?

 

[Thanatopsis123]

ummm, this is really silly to me. being an artist is not a competition, it's having something in you that needs to get out. it's like, expressing yourself or something. i don't do this to win any prizes, i do it just to do it.

besides, do you only have complete and total masterpieces in your album collection?

Yeah...I must not be explaining this well.

I didn't mean as a competition in any way and what does that last sentence have to do with it? Not they're not all masterpieces but they were made by others. I would think that if I could tailor songs for myself as I wished, that I would believe it a masterpiece.

 

[Conspicuously Absent]

cuz it's fun.

 

[NAD]

I didn't mean as a competition in any way and what does that last sentence have to do with it? Not they're not all masterpieces but they were made by others. I would think that if I could tailor songs for myself as I wished, that I would believe it a masterpiece.

i think you're assuming musicians have complete control over what they create. my shit just spews forth, i can only hope to guide it. i mean yeah, sometimes i'll sit down and think "write a thrash riff" but 99% of the time the muse says "go write a thrash riff" in the middle of the night and i just do as i'm told.

ummm, i can see how from a non-musician's perspective this doesn't make a lot of sense.

 

[Thanatopsis123]

Um, well, why do you listen to bands other than your absolute favourite? Waste of time since they're worse, innit?

That's a good question but I don't think it's all together relevant here. My question has nothing to do with people listening to other's music.

I guess what I've been trying to ask has been answered a bit. But one last thing will probably help. Do you other musicians agree with NAD that you don't really have control over what you write? If there is a general consensus there, I guess my curiosity will be fairly sated.