dear friends...
i have always made music with a listener in my mind (everybody does it i think)..
hoping one day someone would listen to my music..
at 31, i now understand music will never be the work i wanted it to be.
it will only be an hobby.
i think it's the same for a lot of you.. you already have a job, you know music is only an hobby for you..
so tell me, how can you keep interest in music? in MAKING music i mean..

i can imagine your answers, and i also know this is only my transitional 30er crisis..

i now understand music will never be the work i wanted it to be.

Why not?

Well I do make music/entertain, that is my job. Well my interest in music keeps itself on the surface cause I listen 2 lots of music i like, but on the other hand, there r some days, where I can't be bothered moving forward and I want 2 give up cause I think it is never gonna happen. Thankfully those days never last more than 2 days 4me, yay. i flip through my songbook, with lyrics etc in there from when I started it, then listen 2 Prince or read something he or someone else has said in an article, and that inspires me, i remember why I am going 4 this goal in the 1st place. Hope this helps
much love

My interest, no, passion in music is kept alive every time I learn about something else or hear something I've never heard. With history and the music that ties to eras, it's never ending. Also cultures and their history of their music, I know I'll never know and understand it all. I am going to give it a go though; I start back to college next week for music (I'm 35).

Also every time I pick up the guitar, drum sticks, bass or sit at the keys/synth, the power of the mind to create new music (based on favs or not) is something that I can't ignore. Life happens, work happens but music in its entirety is why I'm alive.


Oh yeah, good to hear from you, where ya bin Dr.?

Man, I am almost 33 and I still believe/ hope that I can be a (semi) professional producer one day. I just keep pumping out jams and hope to release some of them one day. I also want to try making good commercial music for singers, so they can be in the spotlight while I will be "undercover" making some money out of it. Yeah, that still sounds like a good plan to me, but if I won't be able to do it: too bad...

To keep interest in making music? I don't know, just LOVE for music I guess? Self-expression? Having something nice to do? I am probably not the right person to give you advise, because I've always had interest in making music, excpet in times that my personal life got a little rough....

mmm you all are right.. i knew it..
i love music, my problem is not in lovin it.. or studying it (i write articles about afro-american culture), etc, etc

my point was about MAKING music.

that's why i talked about "interest" and not "love".
the question was more profound:
the main motivation why you all stay in front of your computer, recording track after track, is: ????

because you have to express something,
or maybe you want someone to listen to your stuff, cause it's your way to communicate with the world.
or you wanna be rich and famous.
so maybe love for music it's what made you choose this vehicle to communicate instead of another (like painting for example).

i think i answered to my question by myself.. maybe actually i have nothing to say, so my music (if i'd record it) would be a shape without content.

DEPRESSIONNNNN!!!!!

To myself, Music is a language. It comes out of me. I haven't recorded anything for months. Most importantly I find it heals me. If I play to people stuff happens, like ooh! ; is that hard? I liked that.( Or, which I don't enjoy : jealousy )
I don't play with others at the moment, the cycle has gone introverted, but still 'The Passion' to play is there. Seems like something inside has to come out.If I don't play I feel constipated. Like not having a shit every morning.
I love my guitars, they are my friends.It's not a hobby, more a Religion. It's a funny thing to just play and not even think, and let it just create itself through me. A positive way to spend time . Goosebumps are addictive , and that there is the passion.

FLUX said:

yes i agree totally.
i'm playing right now and nothing compares to music when it comes to cure illnesses of the spirit.
my problem is composing, not just making the music flow, but organize it in a logic monologue to the world.
i'm still studying some technics in which i feel low on my bass guitar and i'm pretty excited by that.. but i don't feel the urgency to compose a song..

i'm also afraid of one thing (please don't agree with me!):
after a long time period listening to music which tells something (stevie wonder, prince, ecc) i've fallen into this vault that is FUNK MUSIC.
i adore it but i must admit that is too often shape without contents..
after more than a year composing songs alà bootsy collins, my brain is no more trained in "story-telling".. it's only able to sing something like "i wanna feel free, girl come with me! let's do the freak", etc...
and this is valid also for an harmonic topic, the chords progressions topic..
is it me or i'm right? i think i must take my prince cds back and listen to them.

O.k. I wont agree. I think I know what your saying. Sometimes I have to not listen to music, so that I'm not influenced, and can create 'My sound'.
Dunno, whatever works for you.

I find if I take a break from music and do something TOTALLY different, like go to the gym, then I often come back inspired with more energy and more to express. Alternatively, I am a bit of an advocate for as a way to get more spiritual with your art...in moderation, of course. Meditation is also good and as I said, basically any form of exercise. Travelling is also fun as it can give you time to explore new environments which can be highly inspirational for your mental canvas.

Collaborating with people like you
Comin soon... hope if i wont stop changing the lyrics and melody. God I hate my voice.

paisleypark4 said:

ehehe you're so kind..
i'm working right now on a new song, i hope i'll be able to upload it soon, i want to know what you all think of it!

i guess you're help has worked, i'm composing again!
thanks!!

I went through the same thing, and here's my solution: I got into jazz. Here's the advantages:
1) at thirty you have your whole jazz career ahead of you
2) you'll never stop finding new musical challenges when you play jazz (after doing Hendrix licks for seventeen years, they become a little stale)
3) performing in small clubs is the norm, not a loser substitute for playing
stadiums
4) (and of course most importantly) I LOVE the music. Hope you do too!

hectim said:

eheheh that would be a nice solution!
the only problem is: i'd have to study jazz if i wanna play it.. jazz is not exactly the same level of difficulty of funk or rock..
and you can listen to prince/madhouse project to understand what i'm talking about..
the swing is not the same as the groove.. i feel (i really FEEL it!) the groove when i play.. but the swing.. it's a whole different thing!! if not the complete contrary (if i might say it)..

all my musician friends are jazz players.. i've been for years in their world.. and i know it's not my world! i'm not for the improvisation even in my private life! i don't feel the jazz in my veins.. i feel THE GROOVE!
anyway i understand what you mean, and i agree with you. Look around, change, try new things..

DrStone said:

Same here. Electric Purple encouraged me 2 make SUM WEIRD FUNK last night...very weird. It sounds like a damn video game or somethin for an old Sega or Nintendo game.

1 out of 5 songs you record, make it for you instead of for the people you hope will like it. Do something entirely oddball just to get a feel for something different.

That's what i do, well, that and threaten to give all my shit away and totally give up.

otan said:

to tell the truth, funk in italy is TOTALLY unknown.
nobody listen to it. and the few italian stars who tried in the past to do something funky had to change their attitude, cause it didn't last.
so 1 out of 5 songs i do is for the people and the last 4 are already done for myself!

That is a shame that funk is unknown in Italy. But, Dr. Stone, you are the funkiest man I ever heard from Italy.

To answer your question, yes, music is a hobby to me. But, governing society is a key priority to me, and music is another part of that society. The New Funk Order was another one of my concepts in which the goal is to bring a social equality to music through change in the corporate and communal process. Kind of a "social order" of sorts. Funk was just the initial genre, but now everyone is welcome.

Social governance is, and will be, one of my actual jobs. I have already spearheaded many organizations (including the NFO) in where the goal is to bring a social equality to mankind.

Music is my creative outlet in this area of politics. Music is also a place where I share my spiritual teachings as well. My music is pure hobby. If God happens to bless me with a record deal one day, then that is fine also. I still have fun in the process. The Holy Bible and the Gospels of Jesus Christ are particularly an inspiration to my music and writing, and my other main influences are George Clinton, Prince, Bootsy Collins, and James Brown.

Peace,
JD
[Edited 1/10/05 13:01pm]

ditto to what everybody has said. In essence, where would we be without music? Music is part of our mainframe. It is how we are wired. Have u noticed how differently u think in comparison to an average person? Music is body,mind,and soul. It is not a chore to keep an interest in making music.It practically writes itself. I feel like the interpreter if u will.It seems to come from another realm and I intercept the signal and bring it into this reality.I thank God that He gave me this incredible gift.

talmuzic said:

ok i'm happy for you, but i have already explained what i meant for "interest" in making music.
my moment, it's only a moment of depression and even if i thank pinocchio (always remember please i don't believe in your same beliefs) for my gift, it's not this the point of the topic.

to speak with a language you christians like, "i have only lost the way and i can't see the light anymore"

excuse me if u find me offensive for you, but i find you offensive also, with your attitude of teaching me things and trying to convert me ("Have u noticed how differently u think in comparison to an average person?"), u all have the entire forum to talk about god, etc.. please at least in a topic i have posted, try not to feel like u'r doing a crusade to convert the world.

that doesn't help me in my moment of depression. i think it's the contrary!

by the way.. go tell the spice girls "the music writes itself".

Please don't take Talmuzic the wrong way, Dr.Stone. He is one of the nice Christians like myself. He was meaning no offense in his post.

All Christian people are not in agreement with these evil "crusaders" who have stolen our nation and looted Iraq. Those kinds of so-called "Christians" are who we real believers oppose.

Tal is one of our freedom fighters, Dr. Stone.

I know it is hard sometimes for you to understand our dialect here in the states, Dr. - just trying to keep the peace.

Your friend,
Jason

Flashpointe said:

eheh yes that's right, it's obviously a problem of language as always for me, but with no meaning of offense, i wanna explain:
i was not referring to "evil "crusaders" who have stolen our nation and looted Iraq" (i think you're talking about terrorists) but to the cristian "crusaders", the ones defending the sacred ground (is it the right term in english?) in year 1100. I was ironic to the way cristians in general always SEEM to feel themselves in war with something (and i know you all agree cause i read what you wrote in the electricpurple's "thank you for taking part in this experience" topic). it's a war for you all to "bring all negativity into the exposure of light, so that those who are unsure may see where their enemies are". obviously this marvellous sounding phrase is very very subjective, since everyone can be the "enemy" and everything can be the"negativity", being us only human beings with no power to judge noone (and you christians should know it VERY WELL).. so (as non-believer) if i found offensive talmuzic's approach is why i was treated like someone who didn't simply recognize what was obvious to talmuzic's eyes and he brought the truth to light for me to recognize it.
i don't like this attitude, that's all. nothing more nothing less. with no offense for nobody.
i know talmuzic didn't do it with evil intentions cause it's his normal christian way to approach things, but i only ask not to approach ME that way. And of course i really appreciate your (as always) amazing work of mediation. you're a true politic man, jason!!
you know i really truly agree with your politic and economic and free idea founding the NFO, but i want to have nothing to do with any religious "sort of" crusade. Freedom for me has nothing to do with god.

your friend, truly
Paolo

P.S: now let's go back to topic! i know i'm in minority in the org when it comes to talk about religion, so let's talk about music!

Oh dear. Whenever religion is caught in words, something seems to go wrong. According to my religion, only your actions can truly express your insights. So let's get back to making music indeed!

hectim said:

holy words hectim.

DrStone said:

No, actually I was talking about George Bush and his rich friends.



Me and EP don't mean it in a harmful way though. People who kill, steal, and physically harm people are who we speak of- those kinds of people who break the law should be brought to justice by the law.



Thanks, man, you know I have much respect for you also, Dr. People's personal beliefs should never be legislated. The political and social movement that I bring is for all people, regardless of their personal faith.I am glad to have you as a part of it. I'm sure Tal respects you and meant no harm, and I am very glad to have you all in the NFO- you are absolutely right, we all have free will, and that free will should not be infringed upon.

Peace,
JD

let me clear my throat and say, what I meant was, as a musician versus a quote, unquote non-musician(i.e. average person).I think musicians and average people think or process life very differently. Maybe as would a painter, sculptor, dancer,poet or anyone who is "artistically" driven. Forgive me for bringing God into your anti-christian post.

talmuzic said:

ok no problem, really.
it's now perfectly clear what you meant, and i can only agree with you.
it's naturally different the way people who approach arts process life, from average people's way to doing it.
so your answer to my question was:
given this way "we all artists" approach music, your main reason to continue making music is because you feel yourself as an interpreter of god's word, is it right?
to be clear, i don't understand if you see music as a vehicle of god's word, or you only thank god for this gift he gave you but then you see music in another way u dind't explain.

Just want to mention that there seems to be a lot of putting people in boxes in this thread. real believers vs evil crusaders, artists vs average people... Don't you think that's a bit narrow-minded? People are all the same AND we're all unique. Categorizing and pigeonholing just obscures both what we have in common and what makes us unique. And anyway, just because I play guitar passionately, write, etc. doesn't mean I'm not an average joe. And I've met "average people" who just blew me away with their wisdom, strength and positivity. Also, the fact that I work very hard at my religion doesn't mean I won't one day look back and say: boy, did I get things wrong! There's enough division in the world already, right?

hectim said:

i see.. but you have to admit that we're in a forum right now, we don't even know our real names. it's a "must" of this kind of medium (latin) to simplify things to make them understandable for everybody all over the world. It is not the right place to understand all the incalculable differences we all have as human beings (so are television, cinema, etc). I don't even know how is your face expression when you say what you say for example.
talmuzic has paid attention in putting all the misunderstable words between "..." or (...) just because he was trying to CLEAR (this means necessarly simplifying things) his point of view to me.
that's all.


oh, just to joke.. i surely know "YOU ALL BELIEVERS" will one day look back and say "i get things wrong!"

And will you, Dr Stone?

hectim said:

sure i will!!
i'm getting my suitcase done for my holyday in hell!
i'm sure everybody are really enjoying themselves there!
heaven must be so boring.. no funk or heavy metal.. only classical music or worse new age!!!