Quitting music... forever.

HANIAK · Feb 15, 2019

Why do you do music?
Has the thought of quitting music forever ever occurred to you?
Is music worth all the effort?

I'm in a very odd phase of my musical life, and questioning why I still do this (write/record/release music) and if I should keep doing it...
Also, I have no real ambitions of success (exposure/financial return/recognition), so... yeah...

Share you thoughts, please! Thanks!

budda · Feb 15, 2019

You may take a break, but I doubt anyone quits forever - unless they die unexpectedly.

gnoll · Feb 15, 2019

I just really really like music. It's one of the things in my life that can make me really happy.

But of course the level of enjoyment I get out of it isn't constant. Sometimes it's more fun and sometimes less. I don't think I would "quit" but who knows. If I find something that's more fun I guess I'll do that. Anyway, nothing wrong with a break. Life isn't that long and we should make the most of it, doing the things we enjoy the most. If it's music, ok, if it's not, ok.

Ola Englund · Feb 15, 2019

It’s fine to have dips here and there, I have them as well. If you need a break, take a break. Then suddenly inspiration might strike and you’re back at it again.

Just do it for the right reasons.

TonyFlyingSquirrel · Feb 15, 2019

Too much of any one thing can burn you out for a season.
When I quit touring in 2002, I also took a break from music, but I never stopped being a musician. I just had a bit of a wider gap of time between music related activities. I sat in with others just to jam, I took my guitar camping, and I also left my guitar alone, went hiking, got re-married, spent time doing geeky fun things with my then 15 yr old son.
When I began writing again, I was more inspired, more hungry, and more satisfied because I had other things in my life to balance the music business. When I stopped touring, the internet and its marketing opportunities where still evolving to a degree, and I found that the business of music was largely what was wearing me out. Taking time away helped me re-discover my first love, writing & playing music. Simple as that. Based on that, I came to this conclusion.

"Nothing sucks the music out of the music business like the business of music."

Nowadays, I record, rarely gig out in an acoustic gig here or there, lead worship in various churches & retreats, and I have all of the other wonderful things in my life to balance out my experiences to the degree that none of them are a burden.

Find your balance, find your joy.

TedEH · Feb 15, 2019

HANIAK said:
questioning why I still do this (write/record/release music)

There's absolutely nothing wrong with just playing music cause you like to, and taking it no farther than that. The ability to play an instrument doesn't come with any obligation to write, record, or produce music in any sense. Do what makes you happy. If that means you own 100 guitars, and only ever pick one up every few months to jam a couple of cover tunes to yourself, then so be it.

HANIAK · Feb 15, 2019

Whoa... I'm really surprised with all the immediate words of support!! You guys are the best!

I guess I really need to take a break to start doing it with joy and for the right reasons again: the pleasure of writing and recording.
And yeah, the business side of things really wastes me...

Cheers guys! Keep posting your opinions! I'm feeling better already, now that I took this weight off of my chest... Thanks

TedEH · Feb 15, 2019

This kind of thread comes up pretty often. I assume a lot of people go through that sort of "I like music and playing, but certain parts of it are draining, or I don't feel like I'm doing enough" kind of situations. I'm currently sitting on something like 9 songs that I just need to finish and put out there, but I haven't touched them in something like a month for who knows what reason. Maybe I pushed too hard to write those tunes and burned myself out on it, and need the break. I'll go back and finish it at some point.

There's no rule that says you can't "quit" for a while and change your mind later.

Humbuck · Feb 15, 2019

Can't stop, won't stop! Been doing it so long I don't know any better!

Descent · Feb 15, 2019

I tried several times, even after some really bad damage after an accident...can't seem to shake the damn thing, it is a virus.

Other friends that I have - they still all keep their gear but haven't touched it in quite a few odd years, but still somewhere deep in their mind they'll still do it

penguin_316 · Feb 15, 2019

I was feeling burnt out a few years ago. Now going on 5 years of working a job that allows 0 time for music, it doesn’t leave you.

You’ll be back. Even if you have to relearn everything like I will at some point. My chops are so far behind it’s not even funny. I’m not scared to build them up again...if I ever have time again.

First world problems: all the money for all the gear you ever wanted, no time to use any of it.

skvld · Feb 15, 2019

HANIAK said:
Why do you do music?
Has the thought of quitting music forever ever occurred to you?
Is music worth all the effort?

I'm in a very odd phase of my musical life, and questioning why I still do this (write/record/release music) and if I should keep doing it...
Also, I have no real ambitions of success (exposure/financial return/recognition), so... yeah...

Share you thoughts, please! Thanks!

I've tried a few times. I always felt a need to come back to it, and so I did. In the process, my approach to it has become much healthier than it used to be (more focused on personal expression, less focused on receiving external validation), and I've come to find it a lot more rewarding than I used to.

Ralyks · Feb 15, 2019

I've come extremely close to getting rid of all of my gear in the past year and change. Can't bring myself to do it, but also still trying to get that spark back for playing. When you work full time, go to school part time, and are a single parent full time, it's pretty damn hard.

Dayn · Feb 15, 2019

The thought has never crossed my mind. It's an enjoyable hobby for me, so I don't do it for me. I just take it at my own pace.

At some points I've had life take over and haven't had time. I've got months in the past without playing, but, I'd always picked it back up again. Being a musician is so ingrained in me now, that to get rid of my instruments would be like throwing away an enormous portion of my identity.

erdiablo666 · Feb 15, 2019

Ola Englund said:
It’s fine to have dips here and there, I have them as well. If you need a break, take a break. Then suddenly inspiration might strike and you’re back at it again.

Just do it for the right reasons.

Why did I read this entire thing in your voice?

Anyway I thought I was quitting music forever about 8 years ago. I'm now in 2 metal bands. I practice religiously. I'm not kidding myself. I tried being normal but music is what I'm meant to do. Quit for a while and see how you feel. Go from there.

GunpointMetal · Feb 15, 2019

There's nothing wrong with just not doing it for awhile. If you're working by yourself, you have no-one to answer to, and if you're in a group, most musicians have come to accept that not everyone is going to maintain the same level of drive forever and as long you're honest about it, it shouldn't be a huge deal. Nothing wrong with stepping back and re-evaluating your situation. I've definitely considered selling off most of my gear and just having it be an occasional past time versus something I dedicate time to every week and make future plans for, but I personally love playing live too much right now to do that. My main reason for wanting to dial it back has nothing to do with my desire to play, but more about how totally cringe-worthy and awful the whole metal scene seems at times. Buncha neckbeards running around excusing BS from shitty people because they love a band's riffs, etc etc etc... but anyways. You don't have to give it up to take a break, especially if you're not trying to turn yourself into a brand and generate serious income. Just do it for the reasons you should be doing it...because its fun and cathartic.

Rosal76 · Feb 15, 2019

HANIAK said:
Why do you do music? Has the thought of quitting music forever ever occurred to you? Is music worth all the effort?

Share you thoughts, please! Thanks!

IMHO, I believe if you still love listening to music, there will always be a chance you will be involved in it. Although, it's not a guarantee because I have friends who still listen to music but no longer play their instruments. I love music so much that playing the music is the only way I can get, "closer to it". Watching Youtube videos of Marty Friedman (from Megadeth) playing his Hangar 18 solos is simply not enough for me. I want to play those Hangar 18 solos to satisfy the thirst!!! The day I no longer love listening to music will probably be the day I quit playing guitar.

sezna · Feb 15, 2019

Rosal76 said:
IMHO, I believe if you still love listening to music, there will always be a chance you will be involved in it. Although, it's not a guarantee because I have friends who still listen to music but no longer play their instruments. I love music so much that playing the music is the only way I can get, "closer to it". Watching Youtube videos of Marty Friedman (from Megadeth) playing his Hangar 18 solos is simply not enough for me. I want to play those Hangar 18 solos to satisfy the thirst!!!

I am the same way, listening to music just makes me want to play music, whether I like it or not.

GatherTheArsenal · Feb 15, 2019

I lost interest in being a musician around 2006 and quit until 2010, i bowed out of my band, sold all my gear (including my first guitar :wallbash:

) and switched to my other passion/hobby - visual art.

Whenever I need a break or I get bored I just flip back and forth between those two. Everyone says to get a hobby, IMO a couple is better. When i feel my inspirations start shifting away from what I'm doing and I follow that shift towards either hobby, that's when I put out my best work I find. Who says I have to be just a guitarist all my life?

All I know is that I need some some kind of ongoing creative/artistic outlet otherwise things start getting strange. I start talking to pigeons, planking everywhere, moonwalking my way out of every conversation... really weird shit man.

Fenriswolf · Feb 15, 2019

GatherTheArsenal said:
Whenever I need a break or I get bored I just flip back and forth between those two. Everyone says to get a hobby, IMO a couple is better. When i feel my inspirations start shifting away from what I'm doing and I follow that shift towards either hobby, that's when I put out my best work I find. Who says I have to be just a guitarist all my life?

That's what I do. When I get tired of guitar I go full on into shooting, and then after a while that gets boring so I go back to guitar.

Something else that really helped me was listening to different music. I'm sick of metal and the heaviest band I still listen to is Metallica. Right now it's more dad rock and I'm thinking of branching out to country. Now that I'm not trying to get gallops at damn near 200 bpm down, and actually learning different chords and improvising solos and shit, I'm probably more into guitar than I was when I first started learning.

Quitting music... forever.

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Do not criticize as this

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Cherokee Warrior

Cromulent

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Cromulent

Can't stop, won't stop

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Active Member

The One Who Knocks

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I'm from Canada...and they think I'm slow...eh

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undermotivated

SF2 > Everything

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