Why Do You Create Music (part 2)?

Yesterday I started an article entitled Why Do You Create Music? In it I stated that I started out this process by trying to decide what drives me to be creative, and why I keep creating music even though I don’t really have any goal of that music ever bringing me money or fame.

I ended up asking the question in a couple of forums with the intention of compiling the information and summarizing them into a blog post.  Instead I felt that everyone who responded brought something interesting to the table, and instead I decided to just quote what they said.  Yesterday I took the quotes from forum.cockos.com. Today the responses will come from homerecordingconnection.com

CptTripps (homerecordingconnection.com)

Why do I write music?

Because I hate playing cover songs!!!

Honestly though I think it applies to all things art. It is just awesome to create something from nothing, to mold something exactly the way you want it. It is also a nice release for me, If I’m down I get sappy which to me is like getting it of your chest. If I’m pissed or having a bad day I can pound out some punk and have a great release doing so.

In the end though, I write music because I love it more than most things in life. To me it’s like eating or drinking, it’s a necessity in my life and I would go into withdrawls if I avoid my instruments too long. It’s my drug of choice

I think this sums up things pretty well, and fits in with a lot of what was said yesterday, too.  It’s a way of expressing yourself, and it’s something that we often just feel like we need to do.

Deon (homerecordingconnection.com)

I ask myself that question from time to time.
I can only really say i feel i dont have a choice. I just have to do it. i feel im meant to be doing it.

Fragile (homerecordingconnection.com)

For me, writing isn’t much of a release really. Its grueling. Music is a release. letting it all just take me over and wash away whatever emotion i was feeling replacing it with the vibe of the music. Thats a release. But thats the finished product. And if i’m angry at someone, nothing relaxes me better than pounding the snot out of my mesh drum heads until i can’t move my arms. But thats more physical than mental. Actually writing a song takes too much effort to be something i can be “lost in the moment” or truly passionate about the entire time. There are definitely quite a few nice moments of passion in there. But a lot of it is just work to get to that next passionate moment. Something inside me just feels like this is something i should be doing. Like i just have to or i won’t be happy ever.

I can’t say that I feel like this all the time, but I certainly have from time to time and I understand it.  There are moments when I don’t want to be working on music, but I have to pound through it to get to that next amazing moment.

crux (homerecordingconnection.com)

Let me jump on the “I have to” wagon. I really do, not just write music, but be musical in general. Mine is the classic highschool dork story who sought refuge in music but now as an adult i cant get through a day without doing something musical.

I have so many more reasons, but their more of a case by case thing, such as the feeling i get from playing in a band, its a kind of connection and human honesty i think u cant get doing anything else, its almost supernatural as well as seeing great live bands play. I mean those kinds of bands taht transcend playing “well” and seem like their generating an energy of their own beyond music. Thats the closest thing in the world i think u can go to seeing “magic”.

But the overarching reason is music is more or less my religion

Quincysan (homerecordingconnection.com)

To communicate with an audience.

I’m not entirely sure what Quincysan meant (perhaps if he reads this he will respond in the comments), but I could take it 2 ways.  #1, it could be a more general sense meaning “whoever listens” being the audience, or it could mean that he is creating music that he performs.   When I was playing in bands, the audience was certainly a driving force in my creativity.

DeftonedRyan (homerecordingconnection.com)

I love playing music, it grows and festers in my brain until i have to let it breathe.. lol. the drive to do it for me is that i believe that i have been given a gift with the ability to play music and that i should use it for the benefit of others, as well as myself. what is art or music other than an individuals self expression in an attempt to connect with others, in music’s case, connection with the listener.

i do write fun songs, sweet songs and other stuff. most of my stuff though, its kind of like this: when you see someone walking down the street, and you know that they NEED something whether it be advice, encouragement, or maybe just an outlet to let it go; what would you say to that person and how would you use music to express and completely envelope the idea that you are trying to present to them? how would you grab their emotional and spiritual being? music is the best way to do that.. i write music because there are things i need to say and things people need to hear and music is the emotional conduit. what if the song you have playing in your head but didnt write was the song that someone else could have heard when they decided not to commit suicide? what if the song you didnt write was the one that kept someone hopeful when the were in their worst state? I love creating music, but i think that being able to create music is a powerful thing, because if you are good, people listen.. the ability to create is a gift, and for as much is given, much is required..

RockWood610 (homerecordingconnection.com)

I write music to get thoughts and feelings out, mostly anger through my metal tracks. My last band called Light the Shadow had a pretty cool song called ‘Die Alone’ witch is a whole 5+ minuets about my biological father who was no father at all.

It was a huge release to get it on ‘tape’ (even though it was recorded to hard disk of course) but it was even a more release to get it out there for free online and play it out to hear the response of it.

Now, I RECORD music for a lot of reasons, some being the same as why I write music. Like Tripps said, its just amazing to take from ground 0 and build a whole project from the ground up. I think thats why so many of us come here day after day to find help and ways to do it better (and some of us like yours truly who works a crappy fast food job and goes more in debt every day getting better gear). But honestly, to me, the debt is well worth it if I know my results will be better or are constantly getting better.

When you can take 20 to 40 seperate sounds and ideas and blend them together to make one, no only is it a since of creative power, but a release. And honestly, I don’t think its something that any non-musician will 100% full understand…

I have to be honest, I’ve been blessed with a pretty good life without too many life-changing things like RockWood mentioned about his father, so it’s hard for me to really relate with getting out thoughts and emotions.  I really wish I could personally do that better.  Not only that, I’m not an overly emotional person by nature, so those emotional feelings don’t really stick with me very long.  A couple of the lyricists that I’ve been in bands with have been so good at pouring their emotions and feelings into their songs, and to be honest, I think my songs lack some of the feeling and passion that theirs had.

J-bot (homerecordingconnection.com)

Hmmm, you know, I don’t think I’ve ever been asked “why” I write music. Honestly, there’s probably more reasons than I’m aware of. I think the primary reason though, is that I like the feeling of the accomplishment of getting a song, or other piece of music done, and having people listen and enjoy the music. Now, granted I’m not a prolific writer, but the feelings are there all the same.

On the recording and mixing end. I’d say the driving force for me, is to get a studio up and going so that I can help bands get their music out there without having to go through the hell of the music labels. I mean major labels look like they make things an absolute chore. Like the artist HAS to be there so that the record label can make their money. I want to keep things on the friendly side, and show that recording, mixing, working with bands; it can all be a very fun and pleasant experience. I wouldn’t want an artist to feel like they’re chained to me, I want them to have options. Also knowing the fact that it would help bands get their tracks together and out there to distribute or take it to the next level, whatever that may be, leaves me with a very good feeling.

Granted I’m still saving up to actually build a studio, and that’s a long way off yet, my ideals and goals are very much still there.

Izzy Dutch (homerecordingconnection.com)

For me it’s a combination of different things. I’ve always had the need for a creative outlet since I was a kid, I used to draw alot and when I started playing guitar it became writing music. In my mind I’m always writing, over the years it has changed more from ’stumbling on a riff’ to hearing complete songs in my head, with vocal melody and drums. The trick is to work out the details and try to get it sound in real life as it sounds in my head. But sometimes it’s just a phrase or something that can be inspiring. Sometimes even a word, which becomes a song title and lyrics follow. It can go any way.

After I write or record I just feel good.. satisfied, proud sometimes. It just gives a kick. There’s nothing, you start something, it’s an open canvas and you build it up to whatever you want until you like it. It’s a kick when either you create something you hear in your head, or how it ended up better then expected. Some days when you play guitar nothing works and other days it’s like magic.. when you’re recording one of those magic days or moments, it’s just really awesome. When I record something I have the basic song down, but mostly never actually played that part fully before to practice or something. It’s all determined on the spot in no more then 3 takes. And since I usually record in the style of ‘rhythm guitars-left panned of 12 songs on a saturday, bass guitars of those songs the next week, rhythm guitars-right panned the week after’ it stays pretty fresh and you build it slowly each week, while it all unfolds after it’s completed.

There’s also a side about keep doing it better or going into new territory. Which for me isn’t really to try to write ‘the best song ever’ or something. Cause for me when it’s good it’s good and otherwise it sucks. But when I started out I just wanted to have atleast one song done where I could listen to it and say ‘if every other song I do from now on is crap, atleast I’ll have this song sounding good’. Then when I got to that point it changed to making sure I’d have a whole cd with good songs, sounding good instrumentally and production wise. When I was satisfied with that I started to concentrate more on vocals to get them to sound decent. There are always challenges to be found.

Like yesterday, every one of these answers makes you think.  I really appreciate the people that took the time to respond to me on these two forums.

The final part (part 3) of this article is found here:  Why Do I Create Music?

Why Do You Create Music (part 1)?

At one time I had dreams of being a Rock Star!  Well, sort of.  That was the term I always playfully gave it, but it wasn’t really the fame or the fortune that I was chasing.  It was the fact that I wanted to play my music for a living.

As I got older, I started realizing that the chances of that happening were getting slimmer and slimmer.  But, I never lost the passion to create music.

Recently I’ve been thinking about these things and wondering what drives me.  Why do I want to spend so much time creating music if it isn’t for some kind of financial or career goal?  Why do I put so much effort into making cool sounds if no one but a handful of friend and family members are ever even going to hear them?

I decided that those were interesting questions that may not have a direct and concrete answer, but I thought it would be interesting to see what some other musicians think.  So, I decided to go to my two favorite songwriting/home recording/music creation forums, forums.cockos.com, and homerecordingconnection.com and ask the musicians at those sites about their thoughts.

When I first asked the question I had the idea that I was going to compile the list, analyze it, and turn it into an article based on my summaries.  To be honest, I had a hard time doing that.  Many people who answered said very similar things, but at the same time they all gave their own twist and I didn’t really want to lose the essence of what anyone said.  So instead I am just going to lists the responses and maybe add my own comments here and there.

I got a lot of responses to the question, so I’m going to split it up into two posts.  Tomorrow afternoon I will post part 2.

manning1 (forum.cockos.com)

done over 300 songs in my life..
from easy listening thru blues n rock n heavy metal.
why do i do it ??
simple answer…I LOVE THE FUN OF IT !!

I think the simple answer “I love the fun of it” is something that is important not to overlook.  While it’s true that a lot of us are driven by creativity, if we forget about “the fun of it”, I’m not sure it can ever be as good.  If as songwriters we lose the feeling of having fun, it’s hard to pour ourselves into our music.  I know I’ve fallen into that trap before.

toyhouse (forum.cockos.com)

When I made my first mulitrack and heard the parts come together it was life-changing. I knew at that moment it was something that would always be a part of me.

Now, 30+ years later, it’s the same. Pure nirvana when I hear a piece come together.

I can completely relate.  When I made my first multi-track song, it was on someone else’s recorder.  I immediately started saving money for my own.

pac-man (forum.cockos.com)

Being creative is kind of the only thing i’m really good at. And it shows, people love me when i do stuff… maybe not the “results”, but it feels like i become a better person in the process.

GermanFafian (forum.cockos.com)

I do because I can.
There is something that drives me to it and gives me great satisfaction when it is done.
I guess in my case it is a selfish situation as I make artistic things to amuse myself.

jopatius (forum.cockos.com)

My main reasons for creating music, when I last thought of it, are:

1) It is a way for me to define who I am. On monday I am “person A”. On tuesday I write a song which hits the nail for me. On wednesday I am “person A who has created this nail-hitting song”. I like myself on wednesday more than I did on monday.
If I try to tell somebody who I am, I oftten try to do it though these nail-hitting songs then.

2) It is a way for me to live though this life in a self-fulfilling, most satisfactory way.
When I am “on the roll”, the last thing I do before going to bed is to sit on the piano/PC to work with some song. Even for a couple of minutes only. Then typically the first thing I do on the morning is to fill in something new which has found its way to me during the night.

Having this mode “active” is like having two engines running within me all the time (instead of just one). Very fun!

3) It is a way to synchronize with other people for me.
Music, especially my own music, often serves as a “catalyst” in human communications for me. “cutting the bullshit and getting to the point”.

Artbay (forum.cockos.com)

i get a kick out of creating something new and never seen or heard before. an additional and somewhat contrary aspect for me is sometimes to mimic other music. early on it was more as a tribute to artists that inspired me (larry fast of “synergy” first), and only recently as parody, like i attempted in this song. i never want to copy a song exactly though, just to adapt its “essence” into my own style.
www.valtraxysblue.com
www.reverbnation.com/valtraxysblue

I understand this angle of it.  I also enjoy making something that nobody has ever heard before, but at the same time I like trying to put in the feel of some of my favorite music from time to time.

Carbon (forum.cockos.com)

I create because it’s the way I can check myself – do I still exist?
Also I like to explore new paths and ways that make music.
Performing on musical instruments – guitar, keyboards, fx, equipment – is a bit like meditation. It’s a big part of the addiction.

When I get the ingredients right, something other-worldly happens – the sounds that make a piece of music stop just being sounds, they become a dreamlike space, journey or because it’s so difficult to describe, perhaps rather a feeling.

I think I’m hooked on that feeling. I’m continuously looking for it and finding it in my music, other artist’s music and even in musical instruments, equipment and software.

Like a calm yet mysterious refuge from the petty everyday problems of the world.

kindafishy (forum.cockos.com)

If I was asked in a casual conversation, I would probably talk about the satisfaction that comes from working out a heavy groove or an infectious riff, but in thinking about it, I have come to realize that there is more to it. What I just described is just the end result of us having the ability to reach beyond our material perception. There is something much bigger at play here.

There are inexplicable things that we as humans experience that are an extension of life, nature and our unimaginable existence. I often think about the unlikely occurrence that we represent and the wonderment that we experience because we are so intelligent and acutely aware of what is happening around us. Despite our intelligence and awareness, there is a magical unknown side to our existence that is all around us.

I think that human artistry is a way for us to tap into the unidentifiable things that surround us and everything we do. Dance, music, film, photography or any other kinds of visual or aural arts are a way for us to express that which cannot be expressed through any other means. I am a very small part of something I don’t understand, and having the ability to tap into what surrounds me and express it though creating beautiful, sad, harsh, aggressive, mellow or otherwise emotionally charged sound is satisfying and fulfilling beyond anything else I have ever experienced. It is addictive and consuming and there is literally no end to the creative obsession.

I create because I am lucky enough to have an awareness of the hidden spheres of our existence and the ability to both express and share it with those who don’t.

dazzathedrummer (forum.cockos.com)

I don’t know why I do it, I mean, I absolutely love doing it – but I don’t know why I love doing it.
I supose it’s what I was cut out for in a way, I never get bored of music, I enjoy doing other things, but I get bored of other things and need to walk away from them, that doesn’t happen with music – it’s a truely ‘for beter or worse’ relationship.

I just don’t know why!

If won the lotery, I’d buy more audio equipment and spend my time really mastering the instruments that I play, I suppose it’s an obsession. Several times I have only eaten beans and rice for a month just so I can by some new piece of audio technology.

Crazyness – some people are equally passionate about watching football, or going out drinking with their mates – I always say at least I get paid when I go to the pub

kelldammit (forum.cockos.com)

i just always have done it in some way shape or form…it’s hard for me to understand how people just DON’T.
i do it primarily for my own enjoyment. when something comes together and just works…the feeling is unreal. i love being able to just enjoy something i did six months ago…again, it’s just an amazing feeling. when friends and family also seem to get enjoyment out of it, well…bonus!

it’s also constructive therapy, like someone else said. you can voice things that bother you, and the process itself seems to help put things back in order, however metaphorically. i’m also ocd about cleaning when i get upset…so i guess it makes sense in a psychotic sort of way. at least the results of dealing with hard times are something positive, beyond the character building!

The Great Dictator (forum.cockos.com)

Sometimes creating music, whether writing it, or interpreting it, can be unbelievably frustrating. I’ve thought about giving it up more times than I can count. But something drives me forward. I can’t stop consuming information about music. I literally my every waking moment with music. Whether I am participating in it, or just thinking about it, I’m always doing something with it. I wish I had a good answer for you, but there is no good answer. I create because I have to. I create because it’s who I am. I’ve been resistant to it at times. The drive however, is greater than myself. It’s something deep, and primal. At times it’s a spiritual experience, especially in improvisation. It’s a sort of meditative one. Other times, it’s more scientific. Contemplating harmonies, attempting to learn to compose on paper and create something bigger than my self. And sometimes, it’s just fun. I think about music all the time. I dream in music. The art consumes my every waking and dreaming moments. Have you ever sung to a car alarm? I do it all the time. There’s a pulse to it, and a defined pitch. It serves as a wonderful ostinato. I can’t help it. It’s an immediate response. Music for me, is instinct.

Very good thoughts from everyone.

Part 2 to this story can be found here:  Why Do You Create Music (part2).

If you want to check out the conversation on the forum, HERE is the link.