# Only 3 years left to make music - what would YOU do?



## MartinH. (Jan 3, 2022)

A little thought experiment: what would you do if you only had 3 years left to make music? Priorities change, life happens, the specifics don't matter. You just know you have three years left to write what you want to write, and then you'll step away from music for a long time. Doesn't need to be forever necessarily, but who knows, it might be. 

Would this motivate you? Would you finally start tackling that big project you've been putting off? Would you start to write differently? How does this thought make you feel? Have you thought about this before? 

If music is part of your income stream lets pretend this just applies to your private side of music making (if that one still exists). I'm obviously coming at this from a hobbyist perspective, but I don't think that line needs to be drawn necessarily. 

I'm looking forward to your answers.


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## Zero&One (Jan 3, 2022)

I'd probably do nothing but buy stuff for 1094 days, then on the last day make something amazing from Komplete 16 Ultimate The Definitive Collection Pt.2 Rev.b


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## Marcus Millfield (Jan 3, 2022)

Nothing would change. I still need to work >40 hours a week and don't have enough energy afterwards to play around a bit, let alone create my Magnus Opus.


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## Tatiana Gordeeva (Jan 3, 2022)

As Marcus says: I would not change anything. I would live each day to the max, not making long time plans because anyway, as Lennon said so well...



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## Tice (Jan 3, 2022)

Since I can't will a paid gig into existence, I'd be limited to what I can do without a budget. Knowing that, a feature length, orchestral piece comes to mind. But it'd sit there as sheet music and a mockup, waiting to be played. If I had a budget, I'd commission film footage to go along with it, even before finding an orchestra to play it. I'd rather have a mockup with good footage to accompany it than to have that budget go to a good orchestra but then not have any footage. If the piece is good enough, surely it'll find it's way to an orchestra wanting to play it eventually... (Yes, I'm an optimist )


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## manw (Jan 3, 2022)

Scenario 1 : If i ever found out my time for writing music has an expiration date, i would probably use all of it to try and find ways and prolong it. Otherwise, i'd rather not know - ignorance is bliss .
Scenario 2 : i try to make the most out of it and write all the music that's never been written before; realize it sucks; kill myself.
Scenario 3 : a variation of the 2 (above) - i somehow manage to write something notable; still can't find it good enough; kill myself.
Scenario 4 : why wait 3 years ? There's no moment like NOW. Why not stop now ?

I could really see myself in any of these scenarios


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## Tice (Jan 3, 2022)

Tice said:


> Since I can't will a paid gig into existence, I'd be limited to what I can do without a budget. Knowing that, a feature length, orchestral piece comes to mind. But it'd sit there as sheet music and a mockup, waiting to be played. If I had a budget, I'd commission film footage to go along with it, even before finding an orchestra to play it. I'd rather have a mockup with good footage to accompany it than to have that budget go to a good orchestra but then not have any footage. If the piece is good enough, surely it'll find it's way to an orchestra wanting to play it eventually... (Yes, I'm an optimist )


Addendum: As for the type of footage: I'm thinking of something in the spirit of Koyaanisqatsi, but more specifically about the way our species seems to be meeting it's end. Seems fitting for a swan song...


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## cloudbuster (Jan 3, 2022)

No changes other than wasting less time online and money on stuff I don't really need.


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## shadowsoflight (Jan 3, 2022)

This kind of happened to me last year. With a little one at home and another on the way, I was feeling like my hobby time was going to drop even lower than it already was, if not vanish almost completely. A tad dramatic, but in actuality it has indeed been a giant shift.

I decided that I would start shifting some video game / Netflix time into music, with no pressure - if I never finished a track but was still having fun, it would be no different than the alternatives. It's funny how taking pressure off of being productive has made me much more so!

I also tried to put myself out there a bit more, and take some challenges or risks that I would not have otherwise. I tried scoring to picture for the first time; entered competitions for the first time; asked to write a video game OST for the first time.

All things that didn't require me to have a timeline - the timeline just made me put things into perspective. If I loved composing so much, why not give it as much space as I (responsibly) could?

As a result, 2021 was an absolute step change for me as a hobbyist composer. Getting a real 3 year timeline at this point would mean very little change - I would just reprioritize my idea pipeline a bit.


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## Henu (Jan 3, 2022)

shadowsoflight said:


> I decided that I would start shifting some video game / Netflix time into music, with no pressure


As a bit offtopic- that's fun to read, because I'm trying to do the exact opposite myself. :D

For what it comes to the question, I'd probably need to finish that one (band) album I'm already supposed to start creating but otherwise nothing would change.


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## MartinH. (Jan 3, 2022)

Henrik B. Jensen said:


> Well, I hope you’re ok! I get a little worried.


No need, but I appreciate the thought .



manw said:


> Scenario 1 : If i ever found out my time for writing music has an expiration date, i would probably use all of it to try and find ways and prolong it. Otherwise, i'd rather not know - ignorance is bliss .
> Scenario 2 : i try to make the most out of it and write all the music that's never been written before; realize it sucks; kill myself.
> Scenario 3 : a variation of the 2 (above) - i somehow manage to write something notable; still can't find it good enough; kill myself.
> Scenario 4 : why wait 3 years ? There's no moment like NOW. Why not stop now ?
> ...


You on the other hand worry me quite a bit. Please don't kill yourself, I mean it! Try therapy or meds or something. I've seen two people take their own lives showing much less visible warning signs beforehand and it was devastating to friends and family.


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## manw (Jan 3, 2022)

MartinH. said:


> No need, but I appreciate the thought .
> 
> 
> You on the other hand worry me quite a bit. Please don't kill yourself, I mean it! Try therapy or meds or something. I've seen two people take their own lives showing much less visible warning signs beforehand and it was devastating to friends and family.


Thanks, but no need to worry. It's all hypothetical scenarios; not impossible, but improbable .
And also my way of saying that i've been mucking about with music ever since i was 3 (i'm turning 42 tomorrow), up to the point where if i had to give it up i would not know what to do with myself - much like the feeling when you are close to the end of a book you really love.

P.S. - sorry if my light use of the subject touched a sensitive cord - i know it's not to be taken lightly, yet in Eastern Europe humour is sometimes strange like that. Again, apologies


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## Bee_Abney (Jan 3, 2022)

I would focus less on learning new skills and more on employing the ones I have. So, I'd probably write more songs and record an album of guitar playing.

But if I had three years left to live, and was in the meantime well enough, I'd write a few books.

But 'learn less, produce more' is not something I want to practice in the actual circumstances of uncertainty combined with not being well enough to write extended prose.

Nice hypothetical question, though.


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## Loïc D (Jan 3, 2022)

3 years is exactly the time frame for :
- get bankrupt with a modular system
- work on it
- get a plonk after patching 3km of cables
- cry a bit
- sell everything
- start a new cheaper hobby, like sudoku or Cluedo.


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## NekujaK (Jan 3, 2022)

Take up painting.


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## RogiervG (Jan 3, 2022)

I will be naughty and continue after 3 years


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## b_elliott (Jan 3, 2022)

MartinH. said:


> A little thought experiment: what would you do if you only had 3 years left to make music?
> I'm looking forward to your answers.


Up to about 3 years ago I worked with the mind-set that I would work until the day I drop. 

That changed once I turned 60. It dawned on me that none of the male side of my family line makes it into their 70s. If I retired at 67 I would likely have 2 or 3 years to work on music. I said no way to that happening. 

My plan of action was quite simple:

1. Get a friend who is finance trained to work out how much $ do I have versus how much $ I need to survive 10 years (or longer) based on pension, old age security. DONE

2. Get my will written up. DONE. 

3. Retire from work. DONE on Feb 2020 (3 weeks before covid hit the fan!)

4. Calmly go day-to-day composing music I want to compose. Learn as much as I can about this craft including mixing. WELL IN PROGRESS. 

Steps 1 and 2 done properly are vital for peace of mind. It is not rocket science. It is also a PiTA for others to clean up your estate if you don't take responsibility now.


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## MartinH. (Jan 4, 2022)

manw said:


> Thanks, but no need to worry. It's all hypothetical scenarios; not impossible, but improbable .
> And also my way of saying that i've been mucking about with music ever since i was 3 (i'm turning 42 tomorrow), up to the point where if i had to give it up i would not know what to do with myself - much like the feeling when you are close to the end of a book you really love.
> 
> P.S. - sorry if my light use of the subject touched a sensitive cord - i know it's not to be taken lightly, yet in Eastern Europe humour is sometimes strange like that. Again, apologies



No worries! This doesn't trigger me, I just learned to be overly cautious when in doubt. Glad to hear you are not at risk!  




Thanks a lot for the responses so far everyone! Keep 'em coming, I think this is an interesting topic to think and talk about. The reason I brought it up is that I realized I kind of only can be productive/creative with a deadline, and I was wondering if in 3 years - knowing they'd be the last chance to write music for a long while - I might write more than in 6+ years without that kind of deadline pressure.

Last year two of my loved ones were diagnosed with cancer and with all the pandemic monotony the time flies by so fast, I feel like my time to be creative is running out. When you look at new years resolutions of people they often have long lists of what they want to "add" to their lives, but if it's not accompanied by a list of things they will "sacrifice", then the likelyhood of failure to add all the new things is very high. I've thought a number of times about giving up music these past couple of years, but at the same time I'm also enjoying it quite a bit and feel like I'm getting close to being able to create something worthwhile. But music is not my true passion and it interferes with other things I want to do in my life. I "just" enjoy music.

So that got me thinking, what if I'd give myself 3 more years with music, and then just give it up for a number of years (or maybe indefinitely) to make room for other pursuits? And I know this must sound weird, since for most of you music likely is your main passion, but I have to say I find this idea somewhat... exciting?! 
3 years should be enough to at least reach a few of my musical goals, if I actually work on them, which historically I only do with time pressure. It makes bigger purchases seem more pointless and makes me focus more on getting things done. "Finished" becomes more important than "perfect", and it gets me thinking about which of my musical goals really matter to me and which are less important.

I bought my latest guitar second hand from a guy who had been playing in a band and owned some very nice guitar gear worth over 6k$, and he sold it all because he was... giving up on making music. At the time I was quite baffled how he could just quit for good after being invested in the hobby so much, but I think I get it now. He just was clear about his priorities and music wasn't among them. 
I have neither need nor desire to sell my guitars though, even if I don't play on them, I like having them hanging on the wall. They bring me joy that way too. And also I would plan to come back to making music eventually. It might just take a long time. Or not... who knows. Even if giving something up just makes you realize it meant more to you than you thought, doesn't that have some value in and of itself, assuming you could always come back? So far I fail to see any downside to such an experiment. Am I missing something?




Henu said:


> As a bit offtopic- that's fun to read, because I'm trying to do the exact opposite myself. :D
> 
> For what it comes to the question, I'd probably need to finish that one (band) album I'm already supposed to start creating but otherwise nothing would change.


I wholeheartedly support this! Play Subnautica if you haven't yet!


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## ka00 (Jan 4, 2022)

MartinH. said:


> But music is not my true passion and it interferes with other things I want to do in my life. I "just" enjoy music.


If it were me, I would just try to focus on the things I am truly passionate about 90% of the time, and then turn to music whenever I needed a break from those things.

Unless making music were my job, I know that no one needs nor is waiting for my music, and I’m really the only one who gets anything out of it. So given that, if music were to interfere with how good I could become at some new skill with a three year head start, I might spend less time on it.


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## thereus (Jan 6, 2022)

I want to start a madrigal group, but if I really thought I could do it, I'd start a tango-style Orquestra Tipica.


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