# What keeps you looking forward?



## Mike Marino (Jul 27, 2011)

What keeps you looking forward in the business of music? What keeps you motivated?

- Mike


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## RiffWraith (Jul 27, 2011)

1) A passion and love of what I do

2) Being my own boss (of sorts) and not having to answer to anyone

3) Being able to wake up in the morning and go to work in my boxers. Pics available upon request.


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## TheUnfinished (Jul 27, 2011)

Knowing I can always do better.

Knowing that music makes me happier than anything (except for my lovely girlfriend, of course!).

The people I meet through making music.


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## EastWest Lurker (Jul 27, 2011)

1. Knowing that there is always more to learn and that I do so contantly.

2. The joy of the writing process.

3. The great musicians out there.

4. The stack of bills.


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## germancomponist (Jul 27, 2011)

To know that my wife is there and to know that I am not a slave, nor in the music industry and nor somewhere else.


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## dinerdog (Jul 27, 2011)

The inability (or desire) to do anything else!


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## lux (Jul 27, 2011)

the fact i always find at least two girls, a big sushi set and twelve pairs of roses in my hotel room. The fact I have my Les Paul Custom to play in hands just snapping my fingers (i have a guy for that). The fact i get all the NFR's at Namm with my fakest smile (look at photos) at the stands...


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## wst3 (Jul 27, 2011)

While I much prefer Lux's answer, my reasons are more prosaic - I love writing, the process, the results (well, ok, most of the time I love the results<G>), and truthfully, I'm not sure I could not do it. It is a combination of art and science that appeals to me on many levels.


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## rgames (Jul 27, 2011)

For me it must be insanity: there's no rational explanation.

I think music is an addiction for some people: they'll do it regardless of whether or not it makes any sense to do so.

rgames


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## Patrick_Gill (Jul 27, 2011)

The hope that some day I'll convince enough people to like my music, so I can make it to where I want to be..



To be able to quit my day job and actually start making money!..

To make my family proud..

Time.. Knowing that life is short so its best to get on with it.

To pass on the knowledge and inspire the future generations..

Dreams...

My ears..

The fact it is my life.. 

Oh... and awesome sample libraries.

; )..


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## Patrick_Gill (Jul 27, 2011)

RiffWraith @ Wed Jul 27 said:


> 3) Being able to wake up in the morning and go to work in my boxers. Pics available upon request.




Lol..!


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## maraskandi (Jul 27, 2011)

Because I love music so much, I could give a damn about having a girlfriend if she didn't accept me hanging around my studio 24/7 or bumming around with musicians, etc. 

Because the audience (some of them colleagues) keep telling me I'm talented and that I'm my own worst critic, but I still want to do better, and even if noone cared I'd still be amazed for myself that I actually made music that I can later listen to and think, hey, that's music, how did I do that, can I go play it on the piano, figure out what I did there? 

Because clients express their appreciation and feedback that they had lots of positive responses about the music and it really helped their project.

Because someone out there listens to your music and it really means something to them and touches them deeply and perhaps brings them joy or a good mood or some kind of positive "peak experience", it has value above what you think yourself as it's creator, it has a life, someone somewhere else had it enter their life, and you know nothing of the variety of places and situations your music integrates with (largely thanks to the internet)

But perhaps mostly because of the wonderful people you meet who share your passion! 

And when they're not about, there's still music to keep you company! 

In the past (and now) many have isolated themselves to do nothing other than to write music that gives us a feeling that we transcend the here-and-now and gives us a glimpse of the sublime, which many promise to give you but fail to deliver, music truly is a mystery, and one we can share and grow with, together.


The 20 minute answer, so wonderfully put:


http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/benjamin_zander_on_music_and_passion.html (http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/benja ... ssion.html)



And perhaps also because when my flat is boiling, I can happily just wander around in my undies and learn to play duduk, or whatever new instrument comes in


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## autopilot (Jul 27, 2011)

A desperate and debilitating fear of failure and worthlessness.


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## Mike Marino (Jul 27, 2011)

Music is just too essential in my life. I feel as if I'm hard-wried to create and play music; there's no getting around it.

I often get motivated form listening to the music of others (whether it's here on the forum or a soundtrack in my iTunes). It becomes a mystery (to me) to solve how that person made things sound like that....or how they got to that melodic line.

It's that feeling of humility when I've spent a week working on something, then hear something that's far better, put together in 1/4th of the time.

It's the pursuit of perfection...

Oy, I love this crap! lol


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## MichaelL (Jul 28, 2011)

RiffWraith @ Wed Jul 27 said:


> 1)
> 3) Being able to wake up in the morning and go to work in my boxers. Pics available upon request.



You're running for congress too? :lol:


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## MichaelL (Jul 28, 2011)

I (temporarily) stopped composing for a living 11 years ago to go to law school.

While I was in law school, or practicing law, I can't remember, I heard a musician on NPR say that he's grateful everyday to be able to make music for a living..."it's the coolest job you can have."

While I was practicing law, almost every lawyer that I met asked WHY I would ever give up music to practice law. Yesterday, I met a lawyer that I know on the street. He's running for judge. I told him that I don't practice anymore, and that I'm back to writing music. He said "oh man, that's what I Really wanted to do (sigh)..." 

What keeps me looking forward? It's the coolest job you can have, and I'm grateful everyday!


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## Ned Bouhalassa (Jul 28, 2011)

Knowing that I'm going to die, I want to make as much music as possible before that.


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## Daniel (Jul 28, 2011)

people have a life only once. I have to do the things thatI like in my life, so I left my position as chief accounting in the office 5 years ago and turn to the music world. Crazy enough, but life only once

Best,


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## Ned Bouhalassa (Jul 28, 2011)

Thanks for the great story, Daniel, and congratulations!!


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## Daniel (Jul 28, 2011)

You are welcome Ned, o-[][]-o . 
Thanks for your Liberis demo, really inspiring me.

Best,


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## nikolas (Jul 28, 2011)

I'm looking forward to my next work, my every next work. The fact that at some random point in life, someone will offer such feedback, one way or another that will prove that 'they got it'! 

I'm looking forward to getting more works performed live and more gigs that I love. I love my every gig, although I've come to despise a couple of my clients sadly (and it's definitely not my fault...),

I'm looking forward to waking up to my wife next to me every morning and the kids come running in asking what new music I've written.

And, yes, I feel blessed (and quite a bit romantic, considering the awful economic circumstances in Greece).


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## rgames (Jul 28, 2011)

Daniel @ Thu Jul 28 said:


> people have a life only once. I have to do the things thatI like in my life, so I left my position as chief accounting in the office 5 years ago and turn to the music world. Crazy enough, but life only once
> 
> Best,



Yeah - kudos for having the courage to do that. Maybe one day I'll find that sort of courage...!

rgames


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## lux (Jul 28, 2011)

what a bunch of romantic pussies...my glycemia just had a sudden bump up


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## Aaron Sapp (Jul 28, 2011)

Sometimes when I sleep, a full orchestra plays an original composition that completely surpasses anything I can write fully awake in the studio. If I can come close to bridging that gap before I'm 80, I'll die a happy man.


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## RiffWraith (Jul 28, 2011)

MichaelL @ Thu Jul 28 said:


> RiffWraith @ Wed Jul 27 said:
> 
> 
> > 1)
> ...



My name is Jeff, not Anthony. :lol: 

And to all those who have requested pics, I will be sending them out in the next couple of days - thank you for your patience.


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## poseur (Sep 6, 2011)

recurring, occasionally painful bouts of idiotic optimism.


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## impressions (Sep 6, 2011)

Getting to the level of greatness and craftsmanship of the masters.

But it's usually a very desperate and suicidal motivation. That, and the fact that I never felt real success from my art-also a very suicidal goal.

I envy those that are, and I wonder if they, on my condition would go forward or quit.


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## Kralc (Sep 6, 2011)

Cause I'm pretty sure I suck at everything else.
And I just really don't know what else I would do, and that kinda freaks me out.
And the boxers thing, yeah.


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## midphase (Sep 6, 2011)

Kralc @ Tue Sep 06 said:


> Cause I'm pretty sure I suck at everything else.
> And I just really don't know what else I would do, and that kinda freaks me out



That is unfortunately the curse of our profession. An irrational fear that if we didn't compose, we'd be doomed. It's that fear that leads to desperation, and for people to agree to work for progressively lower and lower wages.

Ironic that the very thing which we're most afraid of is the one thing which is making us turn it into a reality.


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## Guy Bacos (Sep 6, 2011)

Knowing you're alive.


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