Quitting music

[Grindspine]

If I ever quit music, what the fuck would I do with all of these strings?

Don't say sew or quilt or whatever.

I wasn't fishing but I'm not one to sniff a gift fish!

What is the smell of a gift fish? Is it better or worse than a jerk fish?

 

[Legion]

If I ever quit music, what the fuck would I do with all of these strings?

Serial killer shit


EDIT: kinda terrified that THAT'S where my brain instantly went

 

[mongey]

It makes sense that lots of attention seekers would want to be musicians. It's just that metal isn't a good genre for that these days. I'm sure sometimes people like that actually get their way but more vocalists rather than instrumentalists, mixing or tech people.

every metal band I see are the biggest bunch of attention seekers I have ever witnessed.

trying so hard to be brutal and tough on stage, its comical .

way more over the top than other genres

 

[RevDrucifer]

Alan Moore, cringey though he can be, has said something very similar about art and magic and I think it's just spot on. I feel it every time inspiration strikes, it's like touching something way beyond my "self" in the way I think of it in a materialistic day-to-day sense. I hope always that every person is able to find the thing that puts them in touch with that feeling because it's sublime beyond description.

Absolutely. It’s no surprise that music and art are often used in rehab/sober living centers most certainly hoping it strikes a chord (yeah yeah) with the patients.

What’s funny is that if I go more than a few months without writing/recording, I start getting a bit manic/depressed. That generally only happens when life stuff is beating me down to the point I just don’t feel like picking up an instrument, so I eventually have to force myself to sit down in my studio and start writing. Eventually something will come along that I’ll want to develop and 99.9% of the time hits my reset switch.

I’m actually in one of those periods right now; I haven’t written anything in 9 months since I got divorced and once I was over all that BS work started really laying into me and just has me tapped out most days. I’ve collected hundreds of riffs/sections of songs but haven’t hit the point where I’ve forced myself to sit down and develop them. I know it’s coming soon though. All I need is that one song that’ll get me motivated to keep going.

 

[Emperoff]

Music is an art, and like most artistic movements, it's also a lifestyle. It's the kind of thing that plays a big role in who you are. Likewise, there are people that enjoy sports and run marathons and shit. My cousins are into that, and they love the hell out of it (which also play a big part on who they are).

That doesn't mean you can only choose one hobby. As long as your body and wallet allows you, by all means do stuff!

 

[beerandbeards]

Jokes on all of you… I don’t work out nor do I practice guitar. Total Sigma

 

[AwakenTheSkies]

every metal band I see are the biggest bunch of attention seekers I have ever witnessed.

trying so hard to be brutal and tough on stage, its comical .

way more over the top than other genres

Every genre has it's thing trap & hip-hop are over the top too like that with the tough guy image, the money, the drugs and the "bitches". Or pop stars that dress like the concert is a fashion show. Other genres have their own stereotypes as well. But that's part of the music genre's identity right?

 

[Dumple Stilzkin]

Since when did this turn into the Deep Thoughts thread? Paging @coregod OP, we need fresh content for lulz.

 

[Tegara]

ArtDecade should've quit in the 80s, bad music police found him

 

[narad]

Lame.

 

[BusinessMan]

I'm not reading all that.

 

[RevDrucifer]

For real. I've seen so many people over the last ten years give up because they couldn't turn it into a career in two years of whatever and it's sad. If you're making art (like actual art, not cover bands, not tribute bands) and you're doing it for money/clout/women/men/attention you should've quit before your started, because those are all bad reasons to use up your creativity. If those are the things you want you should've joined that function band, or started a Talking Heads tribute or something. I've actually seen a few bands that start out with a mission statement like "If we can't survive off merch sales and touring in 18 months we're quitting" and then they're a doom band or some shit, lol. Like holy shit, have realistic expectations.

I totally get what you’re saying in regards to putting ‘making it’ a bigger priority over the creative part, but I’m glad I did take a stab at it when I did. It was also 20 years ago when things were considerably different with the music business and social media wasn’t even a thing, I don’t think Myspace popped up until we were already established locally. The progmetal band I started was unique in that while we took the music seriously, it ended there and our shows were just big parties. I’ve never had so much fun playing in a band and there was so much excitement for a good 4-5 years while our audience grew with each show. We were also making decent money in South Florida as we scored a couple slots as the house band for a couple places because we threw in a bunch of covers.

While it was our goal to make it our career, it all occurred quite naturally and really fast. We didn’t really talk about it or make decisions with the intent of obtaining more success, we just wrote songs and played them live. We all loved the band we created and the music, everything after that was just icing on the cake, I suppose.

While I did join other bands after that had a similar goal, my expectations were extremely low and ultimately knew I wouldn’t experience the same thing I did in that first original band. The business changed, social media became the bigger avenue for bands to get exposure and it all felt foreign. I wouldn’t even want to attempt it in the current state of ‘making it’.

 

[Guitarwiz2k]

This is the perfect example of the reason why, some people can learn how to play music, and be very good at it, but they're not true musicians, because it takes a certain kind of passion and heart.

You hear it in the music. Mechanically it sounds perfect, but emotionally it sounds empty.

Another perfect example is Chris Impellitari. One of the fastest guitars in the world, but I get nothing from his music.

Do something that brings you joy, fills your heart, that's the key. If by the building is it, that's actually what you were designed to do. Not play music.

I can go to the gym and look great, but I don't find joy in it. That's the mirror image. I'd rather get on my board, or go freestyle on my bicycle.

We all have a passion, as they said above, do yours, or, "do you" .

 

[TedEH]

^ Now we're appropriately off the rails again. All is well in the world again.

Reminder: you don't need to fit someone's idea of "passion" to be a "true musician".

 

[ArtDecade]

My guess is that Chris Impellitari feels his music is full of emotion. And I gather that he wouldn't care if it translates to you, because he is also just "doing himself". We aren't talking about pop music designed for consumption. Most people creating in the fringes do it for the sheer pleasure of it - except Vres. He hates himself and takes it out on his music.

 

[MikeH]

Big retard energy

 

[wheresthefbomb]

My guess is that Chris Impellitari feels his music is full of emotion. And I gather that he wouldn't care if it translates to you, because he is also just "doing himself". We aren't talking about pop music designed for consumption. Most people creating in the fringes do it for the sheer pleasure of it - except Vres. He hates himself and takes it out on his music.

If anything, fringe art movements encourage this. My friend and I were discussing this in regards to doom/sludge/drone yesterday but it applies to prog and other fringe music genres equally. Once the variable of filling a particular mold to achieve particular results is removed, people are free to get as wild as they want, and the results are often terrible to behold except for an equally fringe group of listeners who like it like that.

 

[Jordan L Nash]

how do u guys not go insane making music all day and practicing arpeggios all day ? if I sit down for hours everyday my ass starts to indent and I get bad sciatica, thing is that I actually stretch and move my shit more than most people, I can throw 540 wheels kicks I’m a blue belt in bjj and a world class boxer. So people who don’t work out and make music are all pre diabetic and have no ass and legs anymore ? My brother was into music a lot when he was younger and had skin folds drooping from his ass at 140lbs 6 foot. I love martial arts but got into some trouble so I don’t wanna compete professionally, got back into music so I could do something with my life and play local shows, honestly I’d rather just workout and live a normal life instead of having a numb ass looking at sharps and flats on a computer screen. I’m starting to think all musicians actually hate there life and don’t really enjoy there lives. also….if you have any friends or girlfriends they’ll see you as a musician, not very alpha…..it’s kind of a lose lose for musicians. u get seen as a beta, waste your life on music concepts and become weaker. ya I know some people stay in good shape while being musicians but that’s just muscle usually, if you’re practicing shred guitar, writing GOOD music, recording, learning music theory, learning recording, learning live show sound. ya u can get decently jacked working out an hour here and there, that’s not going to make you feel like a healthy human being, you need to get some sun and be outdoors like it’s pretty simple, do cardio, calisthenics etc…. You’re not going to satisfy the human body by putting on a bit of muscle with your 1 or 2 hours at the gym you’re going to be a neurotic musician with a little bicep bulge wanting everyone to think you’re cool and hardcore, nah Man U play with little music notes all day sitting in your basement

The best advice I can give you is to seek out a therapist.

I'm not really sure why the majority of your reasoning for quitting music is predicated on a bigoted view of musicians, but frankly I don't see how it is relevant at all, particularly to you doing or not doing a thing, unless you are just expressing a phobia related ro your own body wasting away from not....being healthy. Seriously, what is giving you this perception that being a musician is sitting for 8+ hours a day doing nothing but playing your instrument and never going outside or doing anything physical with your body? Furthermore, "musicians aren't seen as alphas": are you trying to make yourself sound like an incel on purpose or are you just....not doing well? Who hurt you? Who made you feel so self-conscious about your body, gender and identity that you want to quit doing a thing because people will see you as weak and impotent? I'm asking these questions sincerely; even if it seems like I'm insulting you or making fun of you.

Again, I think you maybe should look into therapy or a support network of people who you can talk with about what you are going thru. I genuinely hope you can.

 

[wheresthefbomb]

For anyone who needs to hear this, I've been playing guitar for 20 years and I have literally never spent 8 straight hours practicing. I think if you count all the coffee and smoke breaks some of my songwriting sessions have gotten close, but I spend a substantial portion of that time fucking off. I don't think I've ever practiced for more than two, maybe three hours straight.

 

[Darkscience]

how do u guys not go insane making music all day and practicing arpeggios all day ? if I sit down for hours everyday my ass starts to indent and I get bad sciatica, thing is that I actually stretch and move my shit more than most people, I can throw 540 wheels kicks I’m a blue belt in bjj and a world class boxer. So people who don’t work out and make music are all pre diabetic and have no ass and legs anymore ? My brother was into music a lot when he was younger and had skin folds drooping from his ass at 140lbs 6 foot. I love martial arts but got into some trouble so I don’t wanna compete professionally, got back into music so I could do something with my life and play local shows, honestly I’d rather just workout and live a normal life instead of having a numb ass looking at sharps and flats on a computer screen. I’m starting to think all musicians actually hate there life and don’t really enjoy there lives. also….if you have any friends or girlfriends they’ll see you as a musician, not very alpha…..it’s kind of a lose lose for musicians. u get seen as a beta, waste your life on music concepts and become weaker. ya I know some people stay in good shape while being musicians but that’s just muscle usually, if you’re practicing shred guitar, writing GOOD music, recording, learning music theory, learning recording, learning live show sound. ya u can get decently jacked working out an hour here and there, that’s not going to make you feel like a healthy human being, you need to get some sun and be outdoors like it’s pretty simple, do cardio, calisthenics etc…. You’re not going to satisfy the human body by putting on a bit of muscle with your 1 or 2 hours at the gym you’re going to be a neurotic musician with a little bicep bulge wanting everyone to think you’re cool and hardcore, nah Man U play with little music notes all day sitting in your basement

You need help