# The last piece of music in your life.



## roknardin (May 3, 2015)

Hello guys.

Imagine being diagnosed with a deadly disease that leaves you only a few weeks of life left. On the outside you look just fine but you know you are going to die. Would you write your last piece of music (a goodbye song)? What would it sound like? I personally think that I would not be able to write something that could express all the feelings I would have at that time. How about you?


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## Daryl (May 3, 2015)

I wouldn't waste my time writing music. I'd spend all my money doing the things that I thought I couldn't afford to do because of needing to save money for old age.

D


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## roknardin (May 3, 2015)

Interesting 
But can anything give you more satisfaction than music?


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## Daryl (May 3, 2015)

roknardin @ Sun May 03 said:


> Interesting
> But can anything give you more satisfaction than music?


We're not talking about music, we're talking about my music, which I'm not arrogant enough to think is better than the greats. :lol: 

D


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## roknardin (May 3, 2015)

Yes, I think most of us can say that, but I was thinking about the process when producing your own music. Doesn't expressing emotions in your music give you the biggest satisfaction? Sorry if I'm being too personal, but I'm just interested in how other people experience this. :D


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## Living Fossil (May 3, 2015)

roknardin @ Sun May 03 said:


> Imagine being diagnosed with a deadly disease that leaves you only a few weeks of life left. On the outside you look just fine but you know you are going to die.



Thinking about this is somehow pathetic, i guess. 
But if you're one step before death, you should spend your time on other things that you rarely experienced. If you're in a physical condition that allows it, you could e.g. participate in an orgy (without having too much concerns if viagra is going to damage your liver or kidney.) You also could try out some of the dangerous "experiments" that hippies did in the 60/70ies.
Or you could travel around a bit. E.g. you could visit Czernobyl and study the contaminated nature there (lots of strangely mutated mushrooms) without worrying of getting sick.
Or you could burn your piano and sample it. (Spectrasonics already did it, so maybe that's not a good idea).

But the combination of personal tragedy and music inspired by that tragedy is something that should be avoided, since it ends in unintended comedy.

Anyhow, there is one thing that's even worse:
Getting inspired by tragedies that happen in the world and write music because of those events. ("Desaster surfing")
Ok, there is even an augmented version of this:
Writing a piece that's inspired by a tragedy and then selling the piece; proclaiming to donate the revenues to the victims.
That's maybe the most wretched / disgusting way of promoting one's music. 
(Of course there's nothing wrong with donating, but leave the tragedy-inspired-music out of this.)

Music is a really important thing since it gives meaning to a lot of things.
But there is only one music that perfectly expresses death: 
Silence.


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## TheUnfinished (May 3, 2015)

The biggest satisfaction in my life is the time I spend with my wife.

I love writing music, but it doesn't even come close to that. Not. Even. Close.


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## Stephen Rees (May 3, 2015)

It would be most important for me to say goodbye to my loved ones. This would best be done in ways other than music.


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## Hannes_F (May 3, 2015)

I would definetely either compose or write a book or both.


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## germancomponist (May 3, 2015)

TheUnfinished @ Sun May 03 said:


> The biggest satisfaction in my life is the time I spend with my wife.
> 
> I love writing music, but it doesn't even come close to that. Not. Even. Close.



For a Long time I thought the same. Now I think these are two very different things what you can't compare.


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## germancomponist (May 3, 2015)

Daryl @ Sun May 03 said:


> I wouldn't waste my time writing music. I'd spend all my money doing the things that I thought I couldn't afford to do because of needing to save money for old age.
> 
> D



+1


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## Blackster (May 3, 2015)

It is an interesting question. My first thought is that I'd spend the rest of my time with my family ... meaning no music at all. But if had to pick music, I'd try to compose my most successful track in the library business to make sure my family won't have any money issues ....


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## tonaliszt (May 3, 2015)

Strauss wrote wrote death and transfiguration around 60 years before he died, but still said on his deathbed, "It's a funny thing, Alice, dying is just the way I composed it in Tod und Verklärung." Mozart died while writing his requiem and others finished it for him. He never heard it performed. Shubert's 9th is an excellent example of a piece in which the composer knew he would die soon. Based on the circumstances of impeding death, such a piece will probably be very innovative. The composer would also have to come to terms with the fact that the will probably never hear it performed.


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## nikolas (May 3, 2015)

Hmmm last few weeks in this earth.

A combination on hitting and trying to have pity sex with all the yummy mommies at school and getting to compose that damn piano concerto which will elevate my career. Oh wait... :D


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## rJames (May 3, 2015)

Nikolas!!! :oops:


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## chrysshawk (May 3, 2015)

I would start writing an orchestral version of "Ev'ry time we say goodbye" - the Ella Fitzgerald version.

And then I would realize it could never come close to that exact version with Ella, since there would be no Ella in mine, and that would be fine.


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## germancomponist (May 6, 2015)

In 2009, my doktor said to my: "Sorry, I have to tell you that you have cancer..." .

I had thyroid cancer. 

To me it felt like a doomsday! 

At the same time, I was composing something for the "Garritan Christmas Cd 2009" Oh yes, I was a member there at the forum as many others, and it was a great time! I had now been dreaming about my own funeral, and this feeling dumped in my composition. To qualify back then, we were only allowed to use Garritan Libraries... .

So, listen: https://app.box.com/shared/c3mnehtcaa


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## michaelv (May 6, 2015)

germancomponist @ Wed May 06 said:


> In 2009, my doktor said to my: "Sorry, I have to tell you that you have cancer..." .
> 
> I had thyroid cancer.
> 
> ...



I'm incredibly sorry to hear that, sir. I hope you've fully recovered now. That's sobered me up. I spend most of my life preoccupied by my fate, yet remain insanely healthy. Thank you for sharing that. I can't imagine how you must have felt.


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## michaelv (May 6, 2015)

nikolas @ Sun May 03 said:


> Hmmm last few weeks in this earth.
> 
> A combination on hitting and trying to have pity sex with all the yummy mommies at school and getting to compose that damn piano concerto which will elevate my career. Oh wait... :D



Nikolas, sir, if you want to be a musical immortal, you have to die.

You music is great. What are you going to do? I mean, don't top yourself just yet and deprive us.

I intended to post on your most recent piano thread, but I'm such a horrible, nasty cynic, that I feared you might take my opinions the wrong way. It's a wonderful work. Plus, I'm not too popular for my outspoken remarks, from time to time. We all have regrets. Those are some of mine

BTW, sex is overrated. I'm lying. Badly. And you're prettier than me.


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## nikolas (May 7, 2015)

michaelv @ Wed May 06 said:


> nikolas @ Sun May 03 said:
> 
> 
> > Hmmm last few weeks in this earth.
> ...


Who said anything about immortality? I just want my career elevated so I can get more money and thus more yummy mums to me! :D

Yeah, ok... second time I'm overdoing it..

But really, this piano concerto has been drilling my mind for quite a few years now and at some point it needs to come out.

Finally, thanks for your comments on my piano work. Not sure how cynical you'd be in order to take your the wrong way, but...

And I'm most probably fatter than you as well as prettier!


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## Pysmythe (May 7, 2015)

Well, I think I'd have to agree that at that point my music would be, at best, secondary, since my wife and children would very effortlessly take center stage. But, having said that, as long as I felt I'd given to my music to the best of my ability, I wouldn't feel any regrets regarding it. And, well, for that matter, it isn't as though my surviving family wouldn't have examples left them by me through which to remember one thing their father had so much loved, and which is a comforting thought.


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## germancomponist (May 7, 2015)

michaelv @ Thu May 07 said:


> I'm incredibly sorry to hear that, sir. I hope you've fully recovered now. That's sobered me up. I spend most of my life preoccupied by my fate, yet remain insanely healthy. Thank you for sharing that. I can't imagine how you must have felt.



Thanks Michael,

all is fine now and there is absolutely no problem with my health. My thyroid they have completely removed and I only have to eat one pill every morning.

Thanks again!


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## michaelv (May 7, 2015)

That's made my day, Gunther. Wonderful. Your music was a weird synchronous thing, wasn't it? a good track, too. I once did an album at the same time my mother died.

Very best wishes.


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## paoling (May 7, 2015)

I would write the next super hit Rihanna track for giving my family a decent living (or alternatively I would cook methamphetamine 8) )


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