# Would you still make music...?



## Ben E (Jul 29, 2017)

Would you still make music if you knew that no one would hear it but you?


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## rvb (Jul 29, 2017)

I guess for me it's a yes, because it works therapeutic for me. Even when no one hears it!


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## Replicant (Jul 29, 2017)

Probably not.


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## Jimmy Hellfire (Jul 30, 2017)

Absolutely. I never cared.


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## JT3_Jon (Jul 30, 2017)

I dont think many people really listen to music anyway, lol, but its the hope that its out there for people to hear, and that I might actually communicate something important to me to someone else that keeps me going. Thats why I have a link to my music in my signature, lol! But even if its just my family / band members, its important for me to have someone else really listen to what I'm trying to say. Art to me is meant to be shared, and if its not experienced by someone else then what is the point?

Would language exist if there was no one else to communicate with? Would music exist if no one else could hear it?

I do see how the process can be rewarding in itself though, and maybe that might be enough for some, but I'm, for better or worse, not in that camp. In order for me to do something that takes so much effort, sweat, and frustration to make something meaningful, I need to have a reason bigger than myself in order to keep going. Perhaps there's something wrong with me, lol or maybe my personal ego just isn't big enough, or maybe I need to learn to find more joy in the process of creation, as its so hard to get anyone to really listen.

I'm actually envious of those of you who are able to make music for your own satisfaction! Apparently I (and Replicant) are in the minority here.


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## mc_deli (Jul 30, 2017)

Oh yes. I can self serve my enormous ego fine.


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## Astronaut FX (Jul 30, 2017)

Absolutely


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## gregh (Jul 30, 2017)

probably not any more - definitely when I was younger as I was probably thinking people would listen eventually anyway. But if I definitely knew that noone would ever hear anything I made then I would probably just imagine new music and leave it at that


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## Jimmy Hellfire (Jul 30, 2017)

JT3_Jon said:


> Art to me is meant to be shared, and if its not experienced by someone else then what is the point?



That's a great question. It's fascinating that there are so many, sometimes radically differing reasons for being creative and artistic. Just shows how deep of a matter it is.

The outside world is a silly, absurd affair. I think music, for me, is a way of getting to the core of being "me". I have this urge to distill and consolidate it inside of this beautiful discipline. It's true self-expression. It is experienced by someone - by _myself_. I have written music that no one has ever heard, and when I listen to it, I'm totally excited and moved. Mission accomplished.

You asked a great question: _"Would language exist if there was no one else to communicate with?" _To ask a counter-question: would I be me if no one acknowledges my being? Of course I would, how could I not? The fact that modern people sometimes have difficulties with this mindset is a sign of the times, and is IMO a result of a certain kind of social engineering during the last couple of hundred years.

I don't think about audience, opinions or "feedback" very much, and seem to have less of that motivation of the artist that craves and enjoys recognition and approval. In fact: sometimes when people hear some stuff I did and compliment me on it, telling me how nice or great it was, I kind of get almost a bit annoyed inside, and think: how would _you_ know?

I think for me music is similar to what my martial arts training does for me. Why do I train, why I am going through this by my own choice? It's way too deep to explain, but I'm definitely not doing it to be able to show someone what I'm capable of. It's for _me_.


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## chimuelo (Jul 30, 2017)

I just played an outdoor gig where nobody came.
I had a great time.
Road flooded so it was 2 bands and a bunch of flunkie Stage hands with Kegs of Beer and BBQ.

Good example of why I always take a 50% deposit up front.
I actually lost 1400 bucks since I paid my guys the balance.
Never had so much fun telling the audience (stagehands) they sucked, and they did.
Cheap ass Duct tape leaving goo on my custom snakes, etc.


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## D Halgren (Jul 30, 2017)

Absolutely, music for me is meditation or yoga. I only do it because I need to. It's what I want to hear in the world that I never do. The act of creation is a personal pursuit. If anyone else likes what I do that's just a bonus.


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## Oliver (Jul 30, 2017)

yep!


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## TheNorseman (Jul 30, 2017)

Definitely not. I appreciate the music I make, buy the thrill that I get from it is creating something that I think is fantastic, and then seeing other people appreciate it. If no one else could hear it, it would take away the whole thrill for me.


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## JT3_Jon (Jul 30, 2017)

D Halgren said:


> Absolutely, music for me is meditation or yoga. I only do it because I need to. It's what I want to hear in the world that I never do. The act of creation is a personal pursuit. If anyone else likes what I do that's just a bonus.



YES! This is how I feel too, but I also feel I must ultimately share my work because its what I want to hear in the world, and thus I would hope others do too. To me its kind of like "I have this awesome thing, I must show the world how awesome it is" and if they like it great, and if they dont thats cool too, but the point is it now exists where before it did not. Its weird - to me its the music thats important to me, and the fact that it now exists in the world means its my duty to the art to do my best at sharing it with others. Having someone listen to my music is never the ultimate reason why I write music, but to me I own it to my musical baby to try to give it the best possible life it can.


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## JT3_Jon (Jul 30, 2017)

Jimmy Hellfire said:


> That's a great question. It's fascinating that there are so many, sometimes radically differing reasons for being creative and artistic. Just shows how deep of a matter it is.
> 
> The outside world is a silly, absurd affair. I think music, for me, is a way of getting to the core of being "me". I have this urge to distill and consolidate it inside of this beautiful discipline. It's true self-expression. It is experienced by someone - by _myself_. I have written music that no one has ever heard, and when I listen to it, I'm totally excited and moved. Mission accomplished.



Very true, but for me at this point I feel obligated to share my work, as since it moved me and had an impact on me, that it could also have a similar impact on others and could even improve their life in some small way. At this point I owe it to the art, and to these potential listeners, to share it - to hide it away for only my own enjoyment to me would be a disservice and feels selfish to me. But on second thought, I do have "experiments" or "exercise pieces" that are just for me and would never dream of releasing them to the public, so I guess it depends on the goal. Right now my mind is clearly set on the goal of writing an album for public release, so perhaps this is influencing my thoughts right now.



> You asked a great question: _"Would language exist if there was no one else to communicate with?" _To ask a counter-question: would I be me if no one acknowledges my being? Of course I would, how could I not? The fact that modern people sometimes have difficulties with this mindset is a sign of the times, and is IMO a result of a certain kind of social engineering during the last couple of hundred years.



This actually gets into the age old philosophical debate of nature vs nurture. I'm sure there would be a version of you, as like you said "how could you not?" but you would not be the _same_ you based of the fact that the nature you live in would be totally different. Thats like saying "would I write film music if there were no films?" No, you wouldn't because films dont exist. I think therefore I am, but how I think is dependent on what I am.



> I don't think about audience, opinions or "feedback" very much, and seem to have less of that motivation of the artist that craves and enjoys recognition and approval. In fact: sometimes when people hear some stuff I did and compliment me on it, telling me how nice or great it was, I kind of get almost a bit annoyed inside, and think: how would _you_ know?



HAHA - I've had similar experiences myself. Its the music that motivates me, not any chance at recognition or approval. It is implied by the need to share music that the artist needs recognition or approval, but one does not necessitate the other IMO.

I guess on more deeper thoughts, I might still make music even if no one else would hear it, as music is a way of me to process my thoughts, emotions, and explore and solidify them in musical moments, but I wonder, assuming that in this scenario music still exists and is shared by others but for some reason I cannot share mine, I would think that longing to share and connect with others would express itself in something other than music which I would then pursue instead. To me, life is ultimately a path searching for universal truth (if it even exists) and believe it or not writing and sharing music helps me on that path (which maybe you can tell from the lyrical content of my bands songs), so if this option wasn't possible or at least not as interactive / shareable, I would probably be forced to find a different mode of transportation down that path. So far for me though, music is the best transportation.


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## Ben E (Jul 30, 2017)




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## D Halgren (Jul 30, 2017)

Now that I'm thinking about it, it's like a koan riddle. Someone would always hear it... You would!

But I guess that is addressed in the original post.


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## Quasar (Jul 30, 2017)

God hears everything.


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## Replicant (Jul 30, 2017)

Quasar said:


> God hears everything.



Then I'm _definitely_ goin' to Hell.


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## Johann F. (Jul 31, 2017)

Sometimes I wish people would forget some of the stuff I had to do to pay the bills HA!


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## JJP (Jul 31, 2017)

One of the main reasons I enjoy making music is because it is a way to connect and communicate with other people - both those who hear it and those with whom I make it.

If no one were to hear it, I'd just be talking alone in a room. That's not particularly satisfying to me. I can already find plenty of other ways to indulge in my own thoughts or creativity outside of music.


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## MatFluor (Jul 31, 2017)

Interesting Question. 16 years back I would've said "Absolutely! Are you nuts questioning me?"

Now - probably not. I always made music for people - in the beginning it was relaxing, putting emotions into it. Quickly after I started my first band, after my first live gig, I saw what made me really happy about music: Providing service to people. Seeing them down there having fun, singing, drinking etc. made me "one with myself". Since then I have a "working attitude" towards music. I don't make it "for the sake of art", I make it as a service for people to enjoy.

So now - as aspiring media/film/game composer: No - I would not make music anymore. At least not that often. Why should I drive a Taxi, when there are no more roads or no more people using one? No - making music is work/craft to me - I do it and get satisfaction and happiness when people listen to it, when I see them enjoying it.


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## Morning Coffee (Jul 31, 2017)

If I was stuck on a desert island or in some isolated place, I would still want to have an instrument with me, so yes, in that sense, I would still like to make music. At least the animals would listen, or run away!


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## Quasar (Jul 31, 2017)

Replicant said:


> Then I'm _definitely_ goin' to Hell.


Well, that's sort of a bummer LOL...

The salient point is that _all _effort, including work at the art & craft of music-making, has to be in service to _something _or else it is meaningless (To quote Dylan: "You gotta serve somebody."). My own view is that effort in service is never in vain or wasted - spiritually - even if it reaps no tangible, material reward (i.e. the music is never heard), but that effort expended solely for the purpose of ego-gratification is always wasted, whether it yields an ephemeral material benefit or not.

So the question for me is a bit of a non sequitur, and not how I would frame it. If God hears the music, then it's worth doing, even if I am the only one who ever hears it, or I am as deaf as Beethoven and no one hears it. If God does not hear the music, then it's not worth pursuing regardless of how many mortal human beings hear it because everyone dies and forgets what they heard anyway. Under that metaphysical scenario nihilism is the only honest philosophy, and there would be no point to making music. There would be no point to anything.


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## Jeremy Spencer (Jul 31, 2017)

Absolutely!! It frees the soul and releases emotions (for me, anyway). I have a TON of music stashed away that no one has ever heard...and probably never will. I guess you could call it musical catharsis.


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## AllanH (Aug 1, 2017)

Absolutely. I enjoy the creative aspects of writing music. If others enjoy my music, that's entirely a bonus


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## Krisemm (Aug 1, 2017)

Even if they threw me in jail and took all my musical toys away, I'd still be drumming on my teeth, listening to the rhythm of the drip drip drip of the tap, listening to the symphony of birdsong through my barred cell, and my soul would still feel the need to respond in whatever way was available. I'll never stop making music.


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## Morning Coffee (Aug 1, 2017)

Krisemm said:


> Even if they threw me in jail and took all my musical toys away, I'd still be drumming on my teeth, listening to the rhythm of the drip drip drip of the tap, listening to the symphony of birdsong through my barred cell, and my soul would still feel the need to respond in whatever way was available. I'll never stop making music.



I agree with the bird songs, amazing if you find the time to actually stop and listen to them in this oh so busy, 24 hour, 7 days a week world we currently live in, but dripping taps, my goodness, they are an irritation!


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## Krisemm (Aug 1, 2017)

Everything is making music all the time.
Listen to this. First time I heard it, it made the hairs on my neck stand up.


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## Guffy (Aug 4, 2017)

Probably not.


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