Music: Yourself or Others?

**ViciousDelicious** · 07-26-2008, 09:24 PM

Re: Music: Yourself or Others?

Personally? **** money. If I couldnt make a living off purely making music, Id get some crappy job to help pay the bills, combining that with the income from concerts and whatnot. But that's just me..

**PlayTrumpet** · 07-26-2008, 09:46 PM

Re: Music: Yourself or Others?

It's interesting. I know people who write amazing music and it comes from them, their feelings and emotions.. But they work for a recording/importing/exporting soundtrack company and their music really does make them money.

Those who are more freelance.. If they only compose their music superficially, you know that in most cases, the listener won't have that sense of real emotion or connection to the music. Some can contradict this, but it can't be easy to create music one can feel without feeling something yourself.

So I can't say I support those who won't write from within themselves and do it just for the money. Because if the music they produce lacks much emotion, it seems to defeat the unexplainable content of music; the content that isn't just sound, and cannot be articulated in an objective way with words.

**lord_carbo** · 07-26-2008, 10:13 PM

Re: Music: Yourself or Others?

I can write "emotional" music and it can be for money.

As a composer of symphonic and piano pieces (read: no lyrics), I never really understood the "emotional" thing about music. I'm sure that the pieces I write convey emotions to the listener, and I'm sure my conditions don't apply to people who use lyrics in their music... but I've never felt as if my music ever stemmed from my emotions. It just doesn't seem right. I just use music theory to compose after I think of something totally awesome. Does somehow being sad instinctively trigger oneself to use more Neapolitan sixths or something?

**sleeplessdragn** · 07-26-2008, 10:29 PM

Re: Music: Yourself or Others?

I don't expect nor want to ever make a single cent from my music. And the argument that musicians should be "rewarded" for their efforts is crap in my opinion. A good musician doesn't become better by getting paid, and a real musician in my opinion would be so interested in perfecting their own craft that money should not even raise their eyebrows.

I think a problem that many people have is the notion that since music entertains, whoever makes it should be paid. I however would leave the entertaining to the jesters, and the art to the artists.

**SpookG** · 07-26-2008, 10:52 PM

Re: Music: Yourself or Others?

My speculation is that most of you don't know what it is like to have no money, and how much it sucks to eat every couple of days because you can't afford to eat more frequently. Going through periods like that will no doubt change your opinion on getting paid to do something you love.

I've done many things where I've been paid for my music (it's obviously not much and few and far in between), whether it was DJing, a band performance, or people wanting to use FGJ! music for a project.

I don't believe it's negatively affected my music at all. If someone is going to make money off something and somehow I'm involved then I better get compensation, that's just fair.

**Xx{Midday}xX** · 07-27-2008, 09:33 AM

Re: Music: Yourself or Others?

A person who doesn't make a living off of his/her music can be just as competent as a person who makes a living off of his/her music. You don't have to make music your profession to make music.

On the contrary, I think people who don't make a living off of his/her music makes better music because they don't necessarily have to care about anything except the music that he/she wants to make. No restrictions based on public opinion, no worries about finance and money. Music is free expression. You don't want your own expression hindered by such external factors.

If the external factors encompass your expressions, then great. Having external factors can only provide chances of restriction, just saying.

**championanwar** · 07-27-2008, 02:01 PM

Re: Music: Yourself or Others?

Its more about the fun you have whil making your music, the reward is the finished product, I dont expect to make money from music, being it could take the fun out of it, and mae it more like a choar. I wouldnt even go as far as saying I am that good. Besides Ive made musicfor myself and other people, and their reaction is all that counts in my books

**lord_carbo** · 07-28-2008, 02:29 AM

Re: Music: Yourself or Others?

Originally posted by sleeplessdragn

I don't expect nor want to ever make a single cent from my music. And the argument that musicians should be "rewarded" for their efforts is crap in my opinion. A good musician doesn't become better by getting paid, and a real musician in my opinion would be so interested in perfecting their own craft that money should not even raise their eyebrows.

I think a problem that many people have is the notion that since music entertains, whoever makes it should be paid. I however would leave the entertaining to the jesters, and the art to the artists.

If a "real" musician shouldn't raise an eyebrow at getting paid for his art, his passion, why should he even raise an eyebrow at getting paid for anything at all? Money is money, whether it comes from beautifully performing some awesome concerto or from flipping burgers at Mickey D's. Personally I think a slight divergence from ones own "personal" musical goals to become financially successful from music makes a lot of sense, especially considering that somehow one needs to make money. It's not about becoming better from getting paid. It's about getting paid, getting money. I'd rather have music as a hobby and a career instead of having music as a hobby and something boring like packing boxes as a career.

**Erothyme** · 07-28-2008, 02:38 PM

Re: Music: Yourself or Others?

Pretty irrelevant right now if you live in the US and aren't ultrawealthy, in any case; if said description fits you, you are about to get economically assraped and your savings are going into the shitter.

Do what you can while you can, and make the music you've always wanted to make asap. 8)

**iPatcH** · 07-28-2008, 03:27 PM

Re: Music: Yourself or Others?

I honestly don't think there's anything wrong with wanting some cash from your hard work be it music, woodworking or back rubs. Money is vital for living and I pretty much have the same opinion as SpookG. Besides, there are people out there who genuinely like your music. It's worth something to them, and they want to do what the can to support you to keep enjoying your stuff. Since music isn't a really big money market (unless you are signed to one of the big major labels), money is a nice thing to have in a recession like this, and you entertain and audience and help them get through every day. Pretty fair trade.

**Cyanite** · 07-29-2008, 12:30 PM

Re: Music: Yourself or Others?

I think selling music is fine as long as it's not your primary goal.. if you're making music just for the sake of selling it, you're making it for the wrong reason.

But if you're creating it without even thinking about whether or not it's going to sell well, and then try to sell it due to positive feedback from those who've listened to what you made.. I honestly don't see how anyone could see a moral problem with that.

**sleeplessdragn** · 07-29-2008, 06:28 PM

Re: Music: Yourself or Others?

Originally posted by Cyanite

But if you're creating it without even thinking about whether or not it's going to sell well, and then try to sell it due to positive feedback from those who've listened to what you made.. I honestly don't see how anyone could see a moral problem with that.

I'm going to have to agree to this, but I think that it would be difficult to continue to create without thinking if it will sell well, after realizing that it did sell. I think that once money enters the mind it always influences the creative process.

**purebloodtexan** · 07-29-2008, 07:12 PM

Re: Music: Yourself or Others?

Originally posted by lord_carbo

I'm sure that the pieces I write convey emotions to the listener, and I'm sure my conditions don't apply to people who use lyrics in their music... but I've never felt as if my music ever stemmed from my emotions. It just doesn't seem right. I just use music theory to compose after I think of something totally awesome.

Wow. This is almost exactly how I feel about emotions in my work.

Money essentially doesn't matter to me; if I get money, I get money, and being a producer isn't going to be my main occupation. As for doing it for myself or others, however, some would probably say that I do it mostly for others.

Don't get me wrong. I enjoy playing, producing, composing and arranging music thoroughly. But although art (by dictionary definition) isn't always meant to have spectators, I really don't see the point in having artwork that isn't atleast somewhat geared toward an audience. What I mean is if I devote lots of time and effort into good music but get no real reward out of it, I don't see any reason behind it.

**Verruckter** · 07-29-2008, 07:19 PM

Re: Music: Yourself or Others?

I wouldn't write because of a recommendation I heard or because I'd like to target a specific audience (other than the one I'm actually part of), but I don't think there's anything wrong with making music in order to make money.

**wickedawesomeful** · 07-30-2008, 03:43 AM

Re: Music: Yourself or Others?

Originally posted by Cyanite

I think selling music is fine as long as it's not your primary goal.. if you're making music just for the sake of selling it, you're making it for the wrong reason.

That's great, but sometimes you get sick of living out of the back of your van eating ketchup sandwiches.

Music: Yourself or Others?

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