# How many hours are you able to work a day?



## dylanmixer (Jan 10, 2022)

I'm currently struggling to get in to any kind of rhythm. Even if I have an enormous amount of work on my shoulders, I can really only manage maybe a few minutes of music a day before feeling burnt out. For me that equates to about 4-5 hours. I need to output more, but I find it difficult to stay focused. I hear of composers working day and night on projects and I just can't imagine myself doing the same at the moment. 

What are some things you do (short of hard drugs, lol) to keep nose to grindstone for that long? Or is it simply a matter of time in the field before you get to that point?


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## gsilbers (Jan 10, 2022)

dylanmixer said:


> What are some things you do (short of hard drugs, lol)



well. there goes my only suggestion 


Every person is different. There are tricks to being fast and do more. Andrew huang for example does it like a factory. All day just for a themes, melody and composing. Another day just for fleshing out ideas and orchestrating. another day for mixing. another day for deliverables. 
So you can just focus on one thing at a time. All melodies and piano arragements, do save as in different projects and dont thin about it. just let it flow. if it sucks thats ok. you fo back and forth. 

when you mention the phrase dificult to stay focus the main thing that always comes up is ADHD. Maybe look at that with a doctor. sometimes its a grey area where low dose medicine would help. or supplements like coffee with L-theanine will be enough to stay focus without the jitters. 

And of course... everyone posting in VI is also guily of posting instead of focusing on music 

.


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## Soundbed (Jan 10, 2022)

Have you tried a long "siesta"?

This is one of my less intense schedules, which has been pretty good during COVID:

9am-1pm is when I'm most productive. Then I take a long break, eat and walk, rest my mind and body, watch some TV. 2-6pm is when I finish up. My kids don't like it when I work past 6pm because they want to spend time with me.


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## goalie composer (Jan 10, 2022)

FWIW
1. Set a goal for minutes of music written per day instead of how many hours to work in a day
2. Take breaks (and possibly nap for 30 minutes during the day), get outside, get some form of exercise
3. Drink lots of water (this helps to combat fatigue due to dehydration)
4. Figure out the time of day to allocate to each task (ex. emails, mixing, cue submissions, stemming, writing etc)
Hope these tidbits help!


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## NekujaK (Jan 10, 2022)

I find that a stringent deadline combined with chronic procrastination results in the most energizing motivational cocktail possible - better than any drug or cattle prod!

If I still have 80% of the work to do and only 20% of available time remains, I can work like a demon possessed 12-16 hours hours a day for several days straight. I realize this isn't the healthiest approach for many reasons, but nonetheless, it motivates me like nothing else can.

But under "normal" circumstances, I find it difficult to apply focused energy to any one thing for an extended period of time. I can work my main project for an hour, then jump to doing something else for 30 minutes, then come back to my project for another hour, and so on... This enables me to maintain a fresh approach, especially when creativity is needed.


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## Tralen (Jan 10, 2022)

dylanmixer said:


> I hear of composers working day and night on projects and I just can't imagine myself doing the same at the moment.


That "at the moment" suggests to me that there are other things in your life needing your attention, and it is perfectly fine to not be able to fix a schedule until those things are sorted.


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## StevenMcDonald (Jan 10, 2022)

Like Goalie said above, I set my objectives for the day based on productivity, not necessarily hours. A day might look like "write 2 tracks" or "write 1 track and revise, export and upload these other 3" for example. But hours wise that usually amounts to 5-6 hours per day, which has been plenty for me and leaves time for family, exercise, and videogames. 

I CAN go a lot longer if I need to, but that isn't often. Efficiency is my strength as a composer, so even though my hours are low, my productivity is high.


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## molemac (Jan 10, 2022)

I find I work all day and nothing happens till 6pm when I suddenly find inspiration only for my wife to call me for dinner. If I go back into the studio after dinner its fatal as I forget to stop until three in the morning .


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## Jeremy Spencer (Jan 11, 2022)

I work a regular job Mon-Fri, so it ultimately comes down to how bad you want to do this. First and foremost, don't take on anything that you feel you can't handle. It took me a long time to learn how to says "no" to certain projects because there's only so much time in the day.....and also took me a long time to figure out my limits (at the expense of burning out). The hardest part is firing up the studio and beginning the process. I find that once I sit in front of the DAW and start playing, the inspiration starts to flow. Otherwise, it can be often difficult to get motivated (which is something I cannot explain).


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## MartinH. (Jan 12, 2022)

dylanmixer said:


> I'm currently struggling to get in to any kind of rhythm. Even if I have an enormous amount of work on my shoulders, I can really only manage maybe a few minutes of music a day before feeling burnt out. For me that equates to about 4-5 hours. I need to output more, but I find it difficult to stay focused. I hear of composers working day and night on projects and I just can't imagine myself doing the same at the moment.


Is it possible that you already are burnt out? Sometimes we look at others who work a lot more and get more done with envy, but we don't always know how they feel deep down. They might be suicidally depressed and mentally in a very dark place. Being able to push yourself hard does come with very real downsides in terms of lacking healthy self-protection mechanisms and can lead to more serious problems than missing deadlines. 

How do you count/track your working time? What exactly is one hour of work to you? Is it 1 hour of doing stuff in your DAW or is it one hour sitting at the computer and feeling like you're working, even when you switch over to VI:C every couple of minutes etc.?





dylanmixer said:


> What are some things you do (short of hard drugs, lol) to keep nose to grindstone for that long? Or is it simply a matter of time in the field before you get to that point?


I'm not a composer but my work is freelance and creative, so I can still relate. I know exactly how you feel and I've found nothing that reliably works for me. Unfortunately I don't think even with experience this gets better. If anything it got worse for me.


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## Henning (Jan 12, 2022)

I can relate to the point that I sometimes feel reluctant to make music at all and rather do other things. When there's a deadline I just have to deliver. So I switch on the DAW and start and at some point I am in the zone and work gets done. It's mostly the time pressure that keeps me working but I'm always happy in the end that I did the work.


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## darcvision (Jan 12, 2022)

Jeremy Spencer said:


> I work a regular job Mon-Fri, so it ultimately comes down to how bad you want to do this. First and foremost, don't take on anything that you feel you can't handle. It took me a long time to learn how to says "no" to certain projects because there's only so much time in the day.....and also took me a long time to figure out my limits (at the expense of burning out). The hardest part is firing up the studio and beginning the process. I find that once I sit in front of the DAW and start playing, the inspiration starts to flow. Otherwise, it can be often difficult to get motivated (which is something I cannot explain).


how many hours do you usually compose after work? i work 9-6 (WFH) and it's hard to composing music after work.


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## Jeremy Spencer (Jan 12, 2022)

darcvision said:


> how many hours do you usually compose after work? i work 9-6 (WFH) and it's hard to composing music after work.


It all depends. Sometimes I won't even write a single note for a month, but when I accept a project, I like to hit the ground running. Typically I'll come home, have a quick dinner with my wife, and then get busy writing; typically from 6:00pm to midnight and non-stop on the weekend(s) if needed. It's very important to have a structure set out for each project. I know myself that this is not realistic if you are raising a young family (I've been there!), but in such cases it's important to even just set aside an hour or so every day just to immerse yourself in your studio and tinker. If you come home from work and just feel tired, then that is merely just a lame excuse. Like I mentioned, it depends how bad you want to compose and find some level of success (whatever that means to the individual). Procrastination is your worst enemy!

I only get these "serious" projects every couple of months, as I have other things I love to do (although I'm constantly writing library tracks on my own time). I'm also a professional drummer and sail a lot during the summer; ski in winter. To quote Morgan Freeman in Shawshank "you can busy living or get busy dying". And most of all....keep moving! If not, you get old quick.


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## rgames (Jan 12, 2022)

+1 to the comments about focusing on productivity and not number of hours worked. A lot of people seem to miss that point. Working hard is fine but working smart is better.

There are very productive people who don't work insane hours. In fact, I know a lot of very productive people who don't seem very busy.

And in general, I'd say the people who seem the most busy are not among the most productive.

Product dictates process.

rgames


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## BenG (Jan 12, 2022)

As @Soundbed mentioned, I work when I am most effective. For me, I’ve found that 8am-1pm is my best time followed by 9pm-1am. Outside of those times and unless on a crazy deadline, I will relax a bit, do errands, admin work, etc. It’s about maximizing what works for you!

Now, trailer customs are a whole different story…


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## darcvision (Jan 12, 2022)

Jeremy Spencer said:


> It all depends. Sometimes I won't even write a single note for a month, but when I accept a project, I like to hit the ground running. Typically I'll come home, have a quick dinner with my wife, and then get busy writing; typically from 6:00pm to midnight and non-stop on the weekend(s) if needed. It's very important to have a structure set out for each project. I know myself that this is not realistic if you are raising a young family (I've been there!), but in such cases it's important to even just set aside an hour or so every day just to immerse yourself in your studio and tinker. If you come home from work and just feel tired, then that is merely just a lame excuse. Like I mentioned, it depends how bad you want to compose and find some level of success (whatever that means to the individual). Procrastination is your worst enemy!
> 
> I only get these "serious" projects every couple of months, as I have other things I love to do (although I'm constantly writing library tracks on my own time). I'm also a professional drummer and sail a lot during the summer; ski in winter. To quote Morgan Freeman in Shawshank "you can busy living or get busy dying". And most of all....keep moving! If not, you get old quick.


Thanks for your advice.
Usually after work i just open my DAW, play with the piano and i didn't compose anything, Sometimes i'm very tired so i just doing mindless stuff and do nothing.

I dont have any project right now because i'm still struggling with procrastination, and balancing between composing and work, and also i'm afraid i couldn't handle it so i prefer to do something like joining competition, gamejam, or transcribe music.

After i reading your advice, i think i'm gonna take a break for a while...
Thanks again


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## b_elliott (Jan 12, 2022)

Something to consider (if composing is your gig):
I thought it interesting to read several years ago how someone like Charles Dickens divided his day up (writing demands, family life). I can't find the original article*; but,

The gist (daily):
- morning to noon = writing at his desk;
- all afternoon walk alone outdoors (city or countryside); 
- home for supper, then family time. 

My guess is he used the walk to both clear his mind (extroversion) then to notice any creative thoughts that came up for next day's production. 

I myself am a walker (don't even own a car) so Dicken's passion for walking piqued my interest. 

Related article for the curious. https://lukemckernan.com/2013/06/09/walking-with-charles-dickens/


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## mallux (Jan 12, 2022)

2-3 hours in the evening, depending on when I feel motivated to start and how late I'm prepared to stay up, which is often midnight if I'm in The Zone. But I should stop doing that as I always feel like crap in the morning, especially at this time of year when it's pitch black and freezing.

I've always envied people who are prepared to get up and be productive at 5am... but my marriage would be over pretty quickly if I started banging about the house at that time of day


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## Jeremy Spencer (Jan 14, 2022)

darcvision said:


> I dont have any project right now because i'm still struggling with procrastination, and balancing between composing and work, and also i'm afraid i couldn't handle it so i prefer to do something like joining competition, gamejam, or transcribe music.


Are you afraid you couldn't handle a paid gig if you got one? That's perfectly normal. I recommend planning a few library tracks and placing them on sites like Pond5. Once you get a sale, your esteem will perk up and you'll see that there is a pay off (even small ones). Or...connecting with some local non-profit film organizations and/or community live theatres (if there's any in your area). These are great avenues for getting your feet wet and building up your resume and confidence. Once you have something to work at, you'll most likely feel more motivated.


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## novaburst (Jan 14, 2022)

dylanmixer said:


> I'm currently struggling to get in to any kind of rhythm. Even if I have an enormous amount of work on my shoulders, I can really only manage maybe a few minutes of music a day before feeling burnt out. For me that equates to about 4-5 hours. I need to output more, but I find it difficult to stay focused. I hear of composers working day and night on projects and I just can't imagine myself doing the same at the moment.
> 
> What are some things you do (short of hard drugs, lol) to keep nose to grindstone for that long? Or is it simply a matter of time in the field before you get to that point?


This will be a very tough thing to do, get rid of sugar from your diet, and try as much as you can to eat natural foods, when i say sugar i mean the stuff that goes in you tea or coffee, cakes, sweets fizzy drinks chocolates, stay away from all alcohol but red wine is ok after a meal.

If you want any thing sweet grab some grapes, berries of any kind maybe apples,

The whole idea is to stop sugar spikes in your blood and also sugar lows, it can influence your mood tempers high and low energy mood swings 

it can take perhaps a month to get rid of all the process sugar out of your blood when that happens you will become more alert, vibrant and have a good steady balanced energy through out the day.

Also manage your sleep patterns 

but the big taboo is trying to stop eating all that sugar and cakes and biscuits to some its like asking them to fly or grow wings because sugar is the most addictive food you will ever come across


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## darcvision (Jan 14, 2022)

Jeremy Spencer said:


> Are you afraid you couldn't handle a paid gig if you got one? That's perfectly normal


Yeah, especially for big project. i usually just pick small project like the deadline isn't strict.



Jeremy Spencer said:


> I recommend planning a few library tracks and placing them on sites like Pond5. Once you get a sale, your esteem will perk up and you'll see that there is a pay off (even small ones)


Actually i thinking about placing my music like pond5, audiojungle, or even unitystore. not sure about pond5, or audiojungle but recently i'm heard some gamedev prefer to use music from unity store rather than hire a composer. i'll think about that again, it seems like a great idea and flexible.


Jeremy Spencer said:


> Or...connecting with some local non-profit film organizations and/or community live theatres (if there's any in your area). These are great avenues for getting your feet wet and building up your resume and confidence. Once you have something to work at, you'll most likely feel more motivated.


i tried to connect with some people who create a short animation, and so far still no luck. maybe i will try it again after my dayjob is less busy.


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## thevisi0nary (Jan 14, 2022)

Literally nonstop or not for months, my goal is to change that this year.


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## Emanuel Fróes (Feb 26, 2022)

dylanmixer said:


> I'm currently struggling to get in to any kind of rhythm. Even if I have an enormous amount of work on my shoulders, I can really only manage maybe a few minutes of music a day before feeling burnt out. For me that equates to about 4-5 hours. I need to output more, but I find it difficult to stay focused. I hear of composers working day and night on projects and I just can't imagine myself doing the same at the moment.
> 
> What are some things you do (short of hard drugs, lol) to keep nose to grindstone for that long? Or is it simply a matter of time in the field before you get to that point?


1. HQ* Improvisation *and Music Theory
2. Daw
3. Only then I would make "speed and quantity" a concern, and focus on this. Actually, if you are called to music, improvise good, and learned the fundamentals about how musical pieces work, you will be probably having a hard time to stop creating. 
4. This result (of 3) is what music libraries expect, in my guess. They still want some valuable music, so much as the client.
5. If you apply to jobs consistently, you will have the chance to practice this skill in order to survive... Or to die applying to jobs  I am not absolutely for free work, most composers have to raise the price!, but if the free work is your success long term, use the opportunity to be rewarded even by these attempts.

*But "since Bach" the root of fast and quantitative work as a musician is improvisation*, and only with awesome ears you can afford not having studied other pieces of music. 

To win in chess needing 5 minutes is a great skill, but the first games were long and slow studied games. This is the perspective that brought me results. 

People who were always too fast are either super talented , lack of self-criticism, or do not have some ideal beyond what they are already achieving. In this sense, it has with your artistic profile to do, what you value the most.

And remember that 1 minute of music that does not sound saturated today can take long time; there are many great composers taking maybe longer than this. Just consider if it is worth to compose only for Pond5 (expecting too much) when it takes sooooo loooong yet. If this is already your musical purpose, it is good anyway, unless you send too many tracks that get rejected. 

I started being exclusive composer only after I got the feeling this practice makes me better, or... that it was fast and good (for the purpose) , so I got nothing to loose. It is a great bay for experiments and to focus in one minute of perfection.

It is also true to say, that practicing routine, fast composition of short compositions, you encounter very especial challenges that can only be found and practiced there , like adapting the work flow in your studio to your daw skills and your musical vision all togheter. For me, this is where i find myself at this time.

Wish you good luck and would like to hear how it goes on Pond 5, since there are many things to observe there, that are probably not so intuitive for musicians at least. The first sale can take a long time, and be surprising, like me selling an atonal piece


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## KEM (Feb 26, 2022)

Honestly I struggle to write music for long periods of time, I have terrible ADHD and the only way I can actually write music for long periods of time is if I take my Adderall, which I hardly ever take because I don’t want to build up a tolerance to it. I wish I was one of those people that could write for like 12 hours a day but that’s just not me, sometimes I feel like a fraud because of it


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## Jeremy Spencer (Feb 26, 2022)

KEM said:


> Honestly I struggle to write music for long periods of time, I have terrible ADHD and the only way I can actually write music for long periods of time is if I take my Adderall, which I hardly ever take because I don’t want to build up a tolerance to it. I wish I was one of those people that could write for like 12 hours a day but that’s just not me, sometimes I feel like a fraud because of it


I think we all suffer from that to certain extents. Between gigs, I’ll compose, but I find myself writing without focus, and obsessing over the little details; or just farting around aimlessly while loading up various patches. I prefer having projects and deadlines, as I tend to write my best material and it lights a fire under my ass.


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## Roger Newton (Feb 27, 2022)

I put way more hours into my golf swing than music writing. My publishers know that and are very liberal minded and they don't give shit.

I'm having to get up now from the computer and go down to the garden and light up a cigar because I've had enough after about 1 hour.


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## Henu (Feb 27, 2022)

KEM said:


> I wish I was one of those people that could write for like 12 hours a day but that’s just not me, sometimes I feel like a fraud because of it


I've been doing this for living for almost 20 years and I can tell you it's literally impossible to solely _compose music_ 12 hours a day. At least I haven't heard of anyone who sits down for 12 hours in a day and writes new music unless on an extremely tight deadline- and rest assured, anything after 8 hours is probably either utter shit or just new arrangements anyway.

If you count arrangement, orchestration, production and whatnot to the picture it's a different story but even then not sustainable for a longer period. Those are then "just 12- hour days", which are sometimes inevitable, but nobody exactly loves them.


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## Saxer (Feb 27, 2022)

4 to 6 hours. No studio work on days with live gigs (ok, that wasn't a formidable obstacle the last two years). On deadlines I mostly divide the work in daytime and night (i.e. 11am to 4pm and 10pm to 1am). Happens from time to time but not often.


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## KEM (Feb 27, 2022)

Jeremy Spencer said:


> I think we all suffer from that to certain extents. Between gigs, I’ll compose, but I find myself writing without focus, and obsessing over the little details; or just farting around aimlessly while loading up various patches. I prefer having projects and deadlines, as I tend to write my best material and it lights a fire under my ass.



100% true. If you put a cue in front of me and tell me I have to have it done by tomorrow afternoon I’ll be working on it relentlessly, but if I’m writing music just to write then I’ll be lucky if I can finish one track in a month. I guess that’s just the way it goes, nothing sparks creativity look a good scene and a harsh deadline!!


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## Lionel Schmitt (Feb 27, 2022)

darcvision said:


> Thanks for your advice.
> Usually after work i just open my DAW, play with the piano and i didn't compose anything, Sometimes i'm very tired so i just doing mindless stuff and do nothing.
> 
> I dont have any project right now because i'm still struggling with procrastination, and balancing between composing and work, and also i'm afraid i couldn't handle it so i prefer to do something like joining competition, gamejam, or transcribe music.
> ...


Actually deadlines in production music are usually fairly generous so if you ever feel like I'd try it (cold mailing sometimes works).
A lot of times the deadlines can be up to a month or longer for however many tracks you do, even just one.


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## Lionel Schmitt (Feb 27, 2022)

Henu said:


> I've been doing this for living for almost 20 years and I can tell you it's literally impossible to solely _compose music_ 12 hours a day. At least I haven't heard of anyone who sits down for 12 hours in a day and writes new music unless on an extremely tight deadline- and rest assured, anything after 8 hours is probably either utter shit or just new arrangements anyway.
> 
> If you count arrangement, orchestration, production and whatnot to the picture it's a different story but even then not sustainable for a longer period. Those are then "just 12- hour days", which are sometimes inevitable, but nobody exactly loves them.


I'm very certain Thomas Bergersen spends more time every day writing music based on what I know about his mentality. Once he worked 2 days straight without food, water and sleep on a track 
And it's probably not uncommon in Hollywood either.

My personal goal is writing over 12 hours a day in total, with some short breaks for refreshment since I dread the "tunnel vision" and everything always sounds different after a short break, even if it's just going to the fridge. 
+ Jumping back and forth between multiple tracks/projects for even more freshness.

I've had a few days of writing 14-16 hours and it was some of the best times, life-wise and musically.
I guess there are no general rules and everyone has to somehow figure out how to get into their personal workflow.
The raw amount of hours is surely not a good main focus whether it's about spending "too little" or "too much" time.

As of now I'm spending every waking hour 50/50 with procrastination, rumination and composing so it might come down to 8 hours of music and 8 hours of nonsense.


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## Roger Newton (Feb 27, 2022)

DarkestShadow said:


> A lot of times the deadlines can be up to a month or longer for however many tracks you do, even just one.


I managed to eek one of my deadlines to 2 years once. That's how long it took to get rid of random hooks and slices.


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## JJP (Feb 27, 2022)

I try to limit the amount of time I work. Working only a specific number of hours (say 9a-5p) allows me to focus better, plan schedules for projects, and be more productive. It also helps me to be honest about how much I can do myself and how much assistance I need.

Sometimes I will work in the evenings when necessary, when I feel an urge to do so, or when work dictates (evening recordings, performances, or catching up on other work tasks). However, in general I try to reserve that time for myself to read, watch films, spend time with family and friends, and generally be a human being outside of being a musician.

I also try to avoid replying to emails or phone calls outside of my typical work hours. It's not necessary. Lives are not at stake in what we do. Even if they were, we can't work effectively without proper rest.


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## chillbot (Feb 27, 2022)

JJP said:


> I also try to avoid replying to emails or phone calls outside of my typical work hours.


This is pretty easy if you don't have a phone. Cheater.


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## Roger Newton (Feb 27, 2022)

chillbot said:


> This is pretty easy if you don't have a phone. Cheater.


We have one guy who's work ethic is just insane. From the USA. He actually makes me feel guilty and jealous at the same time. And his output is always on point. Always top notch. Brilliant writer. I managed to get onto an album with him recently. I felt quite puffed up about that.

He obviously doesn't play golf though.


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## chillbot (Feb 27, 2022)

Roger Newton said:


> We have one guy who's work ethic is just insane. From the USA. He actually makes me feel guilty and jealous at the same time. And his output is always on point. Always top notch. Brilliant writer. I managed to get onto an album with him recently. I felt quite puffed up about that.
> 
> He obviously doesn't play golf though.


If you edit this to read:

He obviously doesn't play golf well though.

I thought you were talking about me!


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## KEM (Feb 27, 2022)

I need to adopt that Tom Brady work ethic


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## Henu (Feb 27, 2022)

DarkestShadow said:


> Once he worked 2 days straight without food, water and sleep on a track


Yep, but "working on a track" isn't most likely purely _composing/writing_ per se, but involves a LOT of other things too- especially in Bergersen's case as we know what the guy's production values are.


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## Prockamanisc (Feb 27, 2022)

Read the book Flow by a Czeck author whose name I won't dare to attempt. It lays out how to get into the "flow state", where work comes naturally. Basically, if the work is too easy, we're bored, and if it's too hard, we give up, so your work needs to be just hard enough to keep you interested, but not so hard that it stops you from continuing.


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## aeliron (Feb 27, 2022)

Soundbed said:


> Have you tried a long "siesta"?
> 
> This is one of my less intense schedules, which has been pretty good during COVID:
> 
> 9am-1pm is when I'm most productive. Then I take a long break, eat and walk, rest my mind and body, watch some TV. 2-6pm is when I finish up. My kids don't like it when I work past 6pm because they want to spend time with me.


Or … rediscovering this? https://www.sciencealert.com/humans-used-to-sleep-in-two-shifts-maybe-we-should-again


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## Chris Harper (Feb 27, 2022)

aeliron said:


> Or … rediscovering this? https://www.sciencealert.com/humans-used-to-sleep-in-two-shifts-maybe-we-should-again


Better still… you can sleep for 20 minutes every 3 hours, like the master. Be careful though. You don’t want to end up in the Hudson River in a sack. 😀


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## chillbot (Feb 27, 2022)

I made a chart a while back about my work habits:


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## KEM (Feb 27, 2022)

I think we should all just get addicted to Adderall


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## jbuhler (Feb 27, 2022)

I’ve learned to train my hyperfocus over the years so I usually drive it rather than it driving me. I’ve also learned how to make procrastination generally productive by having several projects going and convincing myself I’m cheating when I’m working on one I’m not supposed to, so I get the rush of procrastination—doing something other than I’m supposed to—but I’m also moving toward a goal on another project. I’m not sure why that works to be honest, since my conscious mind knows perfectly well what’s going on… Beyond being able to control my hyperfocus to some extent, the hyperfocus seems to defy me only when I need to be defied as it inevitably sends me down very productive rabbit holes and I often find solutions to current conceptual roadblocks this way. It’s very peculiar. 

My day job being a professor, I only have limited time for composing, usually no more than 2 hours a day, though I can sometimes steal a bit more (reviewing audio during commuting for instance) and during school breaks I can spend more time on it. I do have to be careful with composition because 10 minutes quickly becomes 6 hours and I’ve forgotten to go to sleep or eat…. That happens to me quite regularly. It also happens when I write research papers, oddly enough. 

I also no longer need deadlines to complete pieces. I have plenty of music I haven’t completed, but I finish enough things that the incomplete ones no longer bother me. And I do regularly come back to incomplete projects and finish them. Recently I completed a draft of a ninety minute symphony that I worked on for more than three years (and parts of that had origins in noodles and sketches I’d done several years before that). There was no deadline, no promise of a performance (indeed it’s likely too big to ever find a performance). On the other hand I’m still futzing with it, and planning a thorough revision to tighten everything up. Because there’s no deadline and no one to deliver to, the work is never really done. So there’s still that…


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## Lionel Schmitt (Feb 27, 2022)

Henu said:


> Yep, but "working on a track" isn't most likely purely _composing/writing_ per se, but involves a LOT of other things too- especially in Bergersen's case as we know what the guy's production values are.


Yea, but a lot of it will still be purely composing. Even if it's just 50% it's still a full day. Although he also redid a lot of it and ditched half of it so maybe it didn't go super well XD

Actually he told me he doesn't fuzz that much about mixing and it mostly comes down to composing and arranging


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## Troels Folmann (Feb 27, 2022)

12-16 hours ... every day.


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## VTX Rudy (Feb 27, 2022)

Since it's just a (just for fun) hobby I can only do 3 hours first thing early mornings.


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## Saxer (Feb 27, 2022)

I worked much longer when I was younger... doing live gigs at night, coming home and arranged until 8pm and things like that. When I was 40 I got a sudden hearing loss with tinnitus and couldn't work for a while. At that time I decided that my goal in life is not to be effective. It's much more important to feel good. It's good to write and play and produce, and jobs has to be done in time. But aside of that doing something else or even nothing is ok too. It's just music. It doesn't harm the world if a track is written or not. I want to enjoy what I do and not be forced by an invisible slave driver.


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## Roger Newton (Feb 28, 2022)

It's 11:42 am here and I've had breakfast and a shower etc. I have played some Well Tempered C minor prelude on the keyboard flat out along with the Danger Man theme and now I'm whacked out and am going down to the greenhouse for laté coffee, marsh mallows and a cigar. I may do some actual musical work later today but can't promise anything.


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## JJP (Feb 28, 2022)

chillbot said:


> This is pretty easy if you don't have a phone. Cheater.


I do have an iPad. Does that count?


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## dylanmixer (Mar 1, 2022)

Troels Folmann said:


> 12-16 hours ... every day.


Troels dude, take a break! I'm sure you'll be forgiven if you don't quite manage 20 Soundpaint releases in a month


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## darcvision (Mar 3, 2022)

DarkestShadow said:


> Actually deadlines in production music are usually fairly generous so if you ever feel like I'd try it (cold mailing sometimes works).
> A lot of times the deadlines can be up to a month or longer for however many tracks you do, even just one.


in my experience deadlines is longer if i work with the clients who hire composer for non-commercial projects, or just for fun


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