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Reasons to not make music you don't like

DSmolken

Senior Member
A silly topic, but I was thinking there are many possible reasons to prefer making music you like to music you don't like. Let's overanalyze the deep reasons why we immediately and instinctively tend to go "ugh no".

Some people believe you have to like a style of music to do a good job of it, because otherwise the magic isn't there and the Muses will curse them with poor note choice.

Some fear being mistaken for people who actually like that kind of music, and being socially ostracized by others who actually like the same kind of music they do.

Some think only music they like is good, and making any other music would be depriving the world of good music, which is clearly immoral.

Personally, more than anything else, I worry that it will be a lot of work to become sufficiently familiar with a style to pull it off, and possibly even worse: I'll have to spend money on new tools, and if this is to be played live, maybe even appropriate clothes.

Related to the above, it's also reasonable to worry that by the time you learn a style, others will have beaten you to the punch, and market saturation will mean there will be no money or popularity in it anymore.


What other convoluted reasons can you think of?
 
I think you have the reasons why pretty much covered. The style I like is probably going to be something I'm a lot more familiar with cause I listen to it all the time, quite aware of technique, etc.

If might add another reason - you avoid it because the dislike of the style is just too strong, so it becomes the reason in itself?
 
I always try to write something that I like, but most often I fail.

That's not what you meant, of course. What seems odd to me is that you don't seem to accept a dislike as sufficient reason to not do something. Basically you are asking: if I don't enjoy doing something, why should I not do it? The answer to that is really simple, isn't it? Because you don't enjoy doing it?
 
If I really hate the style I could analyse it and cobble together a passable pastiche, but I will miss the spirit that makes people who like that style like it.
 
That's not what you meant, of course. What seems odd to me is that you don't seem to accept a dislike as sufficient reason to not do something. Basically you are asking: if I don't enjoy doing something, why should I not do it?
Well, sorta. I suspect our instinctive "ugh no" actually has very rational reasons behind it. Sure, going "ugh no" is just faster and easier than thinking it through. But it's sorta interesting to look under the surface and see what's there.
The question is: why would you ever make music you don't like? Unless they're paying really well. Which is never the case anyway, haha.
Because cute girls like it? Although they'd probably figure out I'm a poser and a fake within five minutes.
 
There's a whole pop music industry that analyzes what is selling and puts teams together to make more of that. Can't imagine anyone involved loves making formula music but isn't a rocket science and you can plug people into it. I don't think you have to like pop music to produce "good" pop music.

But on the other hand the pop that kinda stands the test of time comes from a different place. I don't really like Billy Eilish music, but that music comes from a special place (not an industry fabrication factory) so I really respect that and the love and authenticity of it comes out. So great pop exists. But a lot of bad manufactured pop exists too.

I just made an electronic piece of music that I'm embarrassed to have made but secretly like. I had fun playing with these stupid cliché annoying sounding 80's synths and 8 bit sounding things. I washed my hands after but some rotten dirty side of me wants to go back to it.

I just see two scenarios. You are getting paid to do certain things, you don't have to like it, but it pays and you set aside your opinions and do the best possible. I have no problem with that but it isn't really the most fulfilling type of work. But work is work. Period.

And if you support yourself in other ways you have some freedom to just make what you like. Even then sometimes you need to give yourself special permission like I did with the electronic music because even free of rules and regulations, we impose them on ourselves for better or for worse and we create expectations of ourselves when we don't have others doing that for us. Then we are afraid to even try something out of the norm or different than what we have produced to date. It's a box of our own making.

It's ok to allow yourself to like something that the "image" of yourself shouldn't like in principal.

You know, successful selling artists, often rarely deviate from the genre or formula that got them there. In a way they have moved beyond that but still keep producing the same old type of music which is why generally speaking the earlier albums are usually better. (There are exceptions) I kinda thought Beck was cool because of all of the different genres of music he tries. Allowing yourself to evolve or try something totally different is so hard or rare especially once you get a little taste of success. That's when the image of you is more real to people than you are.

Feels good to rant like that.
 
I always think of of amateur bands/DJs that like to play heavier rock songs but realize to get a wedding gig they might have to play music they don't like.
 
I always decline offers to make music that I (a) don't really understand and (b) I respect the people who do understand it. Jazz, for instance. I could probably fool my mom but not someone who really likes jazz, and I would be embarrassed for them to hear it.
 
Prepare for success, they say. What if you did music you hate exceptionally well, and could make a really good living from it, would you do it? You would have made your own working life, hell.

Personally, I'd rather do what I love, and take all the hits and rejections in my gut. I'm used to that, and after a while it feels like home :thumbsup:

If not for other reasons, doing things with integrity and authenticity, is good for your mental health.
 
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