a question of patience..

[joekool]

just out of curiosity, this is a question to people who feel very confident in their tunes atm, confident enough to think that, given the right time and space, those tunes could make a serious impact..

not too long ago i found myself trying to make space in the world for my music in ways that are unnatural. by this i mean flooding a forum with spam posts (we've all seen it plenty of times, definitely not just here on DSF), using friend adding machines on myspace, taking every gig that gets thrown at you, passing your tunes to anyone and everyone (including people who don't want them!), etc.. i'm sure we've all been guilty of this kind of stuff at some point. so, you go on like this, sooner rather than later realize that you're not getting the response that you wanted, and some people stop altogether. they decide the world just isn't ready for their sound, or whatever else that allows them to stop trying. some people keep at it, and end up with hundreds of thousands of plays that should be a concrete measure of success for them, but i find more often than not that even with all the profile views in the world they eventually realize that it's not actually what they were looking for. so they move away from that, and let off on the promo button. they go into the studio and work on their craft because it's what they love, they play a gig and come prepared and professional. and there's no artificial hype. everything is still, but at some point, you know something has to happen, whatever that might be. many of us hope to be "discovered", to get that tectonic single, that deep medi stamp of approval, to be on the pirates and to be able to look at it all and say, "look what i've accomplished through all my hard work. it really did pay off." but the fact of the matter is that some of us will work very, very hard for a very, very long time, and we'll have the chops, we'll have the style, we'll have the ideas, but there still just won't be space for us. so did we waste our time?

what im trying to get at here is that there can't always be an external reward for our dilligence. it's just not possible, and i think many of the people here are already very aware of that, even if only subconsciously. so what i want to know is this: what is really at the heart of it all for YOU? what makes you wake up every single morning (or afternoon for some of us eh?), sit down at your computer, and bang out another tune that will probably never see the light of day? where is the source of the energy that keeps you going? what about this whole thing is so satisfying in and of itself that it gives you the patience you need to walk the walk? and, possibly more importantly, what do YOU need to do to keep that thing alive and vibrant?

i think many of you will find the answer is very obvious, even if you hadn't considered it before

[nowaysj]

this is a question to people who feel very confident in their tunes atm, confident enough to think that, given the right time and space, those tunes could make a serious impact..

I am patently outside of this class of anticipated respondent, but that has very infrequently prevented me from offering my opinion on a subject. So...

I have given this years of thought, close to being able to say decades of thought.

I don't believe that there are true rewards in life. The bare horrible truth is that everything just is what it is. Those of us who produce music do so because that is what we are. It is our nature to do so. The worldly manifestation of how we practice this art changes between genres and generations, but that too is illusory.

We are a musical animal.

[joekool]

this is a question to people who feel very confident in their tunes atm, confident enough to think that, given the right time and space, those tunes could make a serious impact..

I am patently outside of this class of anticipated respondent, but that has very infrequently prevented me from offering my opinion on a subject. So...

I have given this years of thought, close to being able to say decades of thought.

I don't believe that there are true rewards in life. The bare horrible truth is that everything just is what it is. Those of us who produce music do so because that is what we are. It is our nature to do so. The worldly manifestation of how we practice this art changes between genres and generations, but that too is illusory.

We are a musical animal.

i really do think it comes down to that, simply. there's something that binds us to a certain focus, sometimes in ways that are totally irrational. but telling someone who IS music to quit creating music is like telling a corpse to wake up. its a state of existence that is entirely unaffected by external influence.

[jobbanaught]

I don't believe that there are true rewards in life. The bare horrible truth is that everything just is what it is. Those of us who produce music do so because that is what we are. It is our nature to do so.

Wise words imo... just want to add, i make music because its fun. i like the process and how i feel when the creative rush kicks in... There might be a reward in terms of releases and fame at some point, or there might not. you never know, but since that is not what drives me to make music, i dont worry about it.

[OlzaMK]

My patience definitely comes from my lifestyle. There's no clubs, stores, anything fun where I live. I'm 17 and can't get a job, my whole lifestyle is going downhill. I live on my own with only this small dream of production and a shitty part-time job. It's at the point where I'm researching everything as hard as I can endlessly, even if it's a pointless forum post. I look for something to give me more ambition and drive to be better at what I'm trying to do.

I'm a confused person, I'm in a clusterfuck of deciding to finish school, or just keep this small ambition to become a poor producer. It's at the point where if I want to graduate, it is going to be something related to producing some sort of electronic music.

[setspeed]

My patience definitely comes from my lifestyle. There's no clubs, stores, anything fun where I live. I'm 17 and can't get a job, my whole lifestyle is going downhill. I live on my own with only this small dream of production and a shitty part-time job. It's at the point where I'm researching everything as hard as I can endlessly, even if it's a pointless forum post. I look for something to give me more ambition and drive to be better at what I'm trying to do.

I'm a confused person, I'm in a clusterfuck of deciding to finish school, or just keep this small ambition to become a poor producer. It's at the point where if I want to graduate, it is going to be something related to producing some sort of electronic music.

dude

take it from me. i finished a music production degree at uni. i am now 30, write music for a living and earn considerably less than minimum wage.

what you should do is persuade your parents to let you do a short production course this summer or next - maybe a few weeks to give you the basics. then do a marketing degree. seriously!

the biggest issue in music now is not writing it, everyone's doing that - it's getting people to check out your tunes...

[FSTZ]

I am a firm believer in DIY

there were no dubstep parties in my town, so I started throwing them

no labels would sign my tunes, so I started one

patience, perserverance and networking

be a nice person that makes mean tunes

you'll be set

[jaydot]

If I didn't produce music right now, being a university dropout with no money, I would feel depressed. It gives me a great rush. As far as patience goes, who knows. I don't have any goals that aren't realistic. One day signed and get an EP released or something. But right now if it doesn't happen, so what? I do it for the love of it.

[FSTZ]

If I didn't produce music right now, being a university dropout with no money, I would feel depressed. It gives me a great rush.

yeah I dropped out of uni to make music too

was a long time ago

[jaydot]

If I didn't produce music right now, being a university dropout with no money, I would feel depressed. It gives me a great rush.

yeah I dropped out of uni to make music too

was a long time ago

I didn't drop out purposely to make music, I dropped out and THEN discovered production. If it wasn't for dropping out I never would have

I know someone who does a music degree who is thinking about dropping out in order to focus more on music, specifically production though.

[nowaysj]

To anyone thinking of choosing school over music, the choice is clear. School is the answer. If you have a laptop you can make music anywhere, anytime. Music will not feed your children, and trust me, you will have them. If you like to fuck, you will have them. Take time now to do your schooling so that you can get a decent enough job. There is always time for music.

[joekool]

i didn't make it through highschool before i went on tour with my first band never really made it back from that one...

i've never had much of a drive to go to school, but goddammit, if there was a course at my local community college in sound design you know i would be all over that bitch.

i think its interesting that a couple people have said that without making music life would be depressing. i find that my music is often at its best when its an extension of the joy i feel in life. i really don't know what i would do without it, though. probably veg out for a thousand years.

[BLAHBLAHJAH]

I think something massive to consider is that the most successful 'artists' are the ones that are initially fuelled less by musicians/fellow producers and more by 'consumers'. Producing music becomes very consuming, and whilst I'm always up for basking in other people's creativity, the focus is always at home. To me, the bigger picture of the lesson in this is that other producers and people at your level are unlikely to be the crowd to make your project popular, apart from the cruel ironic side of negative publicity that soon spreads a name (the big mt eden etc etc etc scenario).

Find peace with your style though and know where it's coming from. Even if at present you're not into making sounds that are more likely to sell, you're still developing the transferable skills with which to produce them one day. I've had quite the mental struggle you mention, as I make music for only one real reason: to enhance/document the experiences of altered reality. As a result, I'll often just become too mashed and produce sounds to trip me out and steer my mind around the place - I clearly know the majority of these vibes arn't going to fill a club, because I can see how they'd drive the masses off the dancefloor hah. Strangely enough, to me that isn't too big a problem, as I'd be at home doing a set in the smaller trip out rooms that sell cake and laughing gas with an abundance of blanketted wasters that can't outcrawl the sound and so my sounds can play with them mentally. I guess I'm just curious to see if I've managed to essentially use music to capture the feeling of being influenced much like a camera captures light to make a photograph. I hope that doesn't come accross as pretentious, as my vibes are pretty shitty dark n trippy efforts

Top advice with anything though is to divide things into mechanical and creative elements, then focus on each when the time is right

[Basic A]

Its a coping mechanism, an expression of joy... thats art innit? The tediousness of production...or at least how I write... I find it soothing... my whole life ive done pointless, tedious shit just to take my mind off the world... learned to make video games when I was a kid, that turned into learning programming, picked up music, graphics... but all of these, though they could be seen as very dynamic, expressive mediums, for me, have been about law, repetition, simple tedious task...

I find only recently have I began being able to put feelings into what I write... to translate my current state of mind, into (even if Im the only one who gets it) into a piece...

Im inspired by alot... the serenity of environment, I have a big connection with the natural beauty ofthe still-natural side of my region... Is pend alot of time lost in the mountains... My own feelings, my deepest fears and joys, love, life,and death... those have always, been the three biggest for me, in art before I was into production even...

I really feel like any kind of external satisfaction for what I do, has always been a bi-product... Im a pretty nice guy to those who are cool to me, and that helps alot... Those in my direct surrounding, my fam, they get it, but they would, because even if its only partial, they get me. I backed out of a digital release recently on my own ups and downs, sure, alot was to do with the people involved, but, I dont want money. the more I thought about itI wont take a digital release unless its through someone I like who really just enjoys the music... I dont want to be expected to 'sell' but if someone wants to put it in the hands of the people for some reaosn I guess thatd be cool.

I guess really Im just a hermit who has a bit of cred with those who get me, noone more though. I would rather have a few solid respects, then some sort of mass reward...

But I expect no gratification. Its mine. Noone but me is going to really get it anymore, and idc. Its about, the fact, that I can do it, and pass hours with it. Its for me. Im my own gratification.

SOme people say that, but I tihnk few mean what I do from it... Im shit with words...

Deep post, big up OP

[joekool]

Its about, the fact, that I can do it, and pass hours with it.

Deep post, big up OP

thanks kinfolk, big up yourself eh?

and i think that what you said there, that you can pass hours with it, says everything. hours and hours and hours, and some of those hours we're getting better, some of them we're stagnant, some of them we may even be regressing, but if we keep at it eventually it all adds up and we end up not necessarily where we want to be, but always where we need to be, naw mean?

[Astral]

I do it because I enjoy it.

Some people modify their cars, some play tennis, some play online games.

I make electronic music and It makes me feel better about myself, as long as my desktop is working, I never have any reason to be bored.

I must admit, I do seek recognition, but in that Burial-esq kind of way. One day I want to hear one of my friends play one of my tunes, not knowing its me.

[Over7hink]

I keep to myself for the most part and create/mangle sounds, it's probably the only way I get out of my head, other than radio. And when your someone who keeps to yourself, you sort of create your own reality...for some that can turn out BAD....but with something like music it's healthy as fuck as far as I'm concerned.

Whether or not other people feel my music is irrelevant to me, though I won't lie, it would be nice if someone did. I'm more on the vibe that if someone stumbles across my shit and enjoys it, then so be it. I've never understood the concept of selling something as invaluable as music, even though I cop a lot of tunes/albums/etc. I could never do it myself to be honest, even if my music was marketable.

The shit that stimulates me the most is the roughest sort of sounds, shit that sounds like it shouldn't work but to me it does in some weird way. Unbalanced music......and this isn't something I hear much of anymore. Obviously that sort of vibe isn't exactly popular, but I enjoy it. Which by default throws me in the category of shit that will never be heard.

I realized a long time ago that making music for the purpose of being noticed won't work. I guess for some it does...but how "real" is one's music when made for the purpose of popularity. Then again, who am I to say how real or unreal something is...

anyway, as far as pursuing music on a level outside of the bedroom, I'm enrolling in a radio broadcasting course come this fall. Spent some years doing it for fun....now it's time to get a bit more serious. To me that's what I want to get involved in. Radio is the shit.

[wayoftheworld]

it really does come down to patience and passion

i've gotten rather discouraged at several points along the line of my production history, where i began to question my own abilities and started having doubts if i'd ever be "good enough" as a producer, and oddly enough, i've never had any major musical aspirations or whatever, it's never been about money to me or being successful or supporting myself with music. so "good enough" for what exactly i cannot say.

yet every time ive tried to walk away from the daw and producing in general i've always been met with some sort of nagging void in my life where things don't feel quite right, and it's only when im sitting down at the desk in front of the computer does it all make sense. that's when you know you're balls deep in this shit and it's real. i dont know if it's good or bad, if im wasting my time for nothing, but i can at least say this shit is real.

i've plowed through it at least long enough to know that results will come if you're passionate and patient with yr craft. and hell if it doesn't take long enough to start seeing those results, but it will happen if you genuinely care about music on a deep level and keep at it. i'm only just now starting to see those results and i can attest that when it works, there's no better feeling in the world.

[ketamine]

I don't make the music for any reason other than that its fun, but after its made I would like my music to be heard and enjoyed.

Anyone that makes art would like that art to be enjoyed by others and they're lying if they say otherwise. Even if they only hang it in their room, its still up there ON THE WALL because they want it to be seen. And I'll bet when people come over, out comes the sketch books and the stories about what drove them to create it... Art is inherently social.

Sometimes its enough just to let friends hear it, sometimes you wish big for the Hyperdub signing or vision yourself on Ed Banger with Oizo one day... but that's a completely divergent thing from the constant internal drive and push to Create It--which, is what drives myself and most of us to continue year after year. Its the love.

[creeptown]

I don't believe that there are true rewards in life. The bare horrible truth is that everything just is what it is. Those of us who produce music do so because that is what we are. It is our nature to do so.

Mate, true words of wisdom you made my sig.