I almost dont want a social life, I just want music

Everyone who knows me thinks i am weird. This is probably because all i do is listen to music, collect records or play guitar. Even the mates in my band think im weird. I dont really care about having a social life because I just care about music so much. Why hang out at someplace I dont care about with people that dont really know or like me doing or talking about crap I dont care about. I dont know if i should be bothered by this or not. Im 16 and have always been picked on cuz im about 220 lbs and am really white with glasses. So i guess I just retreated to music. I love everything from Bob Dylan to Dimmu Borgir. I truly care about it and if I didnt have music today I would probably quite literally commit suicide as I dont really have anything else to live for. Everyones so concerned with me going to college. I dont care about college. I am going to play music. I just know. Its like where youll read a interview about someone and they're like "I just knew...". Well, thats me. I dont knmow how to explain it, but nobody takes me seriously. I taught myself guitar about 4 years ago and play a few hours a day. I dont know whats wrong with me. Im like an anomaly at my school. I dont know what to do. I just want to bring my music to the world. But I cant do that.
 
I dont know anything or care about anything related to music theory. Its just picking up a guitar and the magic that happens when I play. Thats the best I could describe it. I can play about 3 or 400 songs and when I come home, depending on what I am listening to, I'll put my ipod on the stereo and play along. Ive thankfully got over 21,000 songs, so I never get bored with what to play.
 

Hoppy

Well-known member
I dont know anything or care about anything related to music theory.

Since somebody else is going to say it also, learn to care.

If you want to make a living with music all training is good. My brother is a professional musician, and it is good to see a group of people that can read music get together, receive sheet music and start to play together a song they've never seen.

Your ipod can teach you to play a few songs, music theory can teach you to play all songs.
 
Thats true. Its just that for me, personally, it takes the magic and the mystery and the emotion of it away. The reason that I dont care to learn theory is that I would get bored being like "okay, I cant play that because its not in this mode or that scale" or whatever. It obviously works for many others and im not bashing it, I just dont care for it myself, no doubt it is very handy.:)
 
Ever heard of Frank Zappa?? He couldnt even read the music he wrote and had to have others play it so he could hear what it sounded like. At least in the '70's.
 

Richey

Well-known member
I agree and have been a big music fan since I was younger, so for twelve or so years now. I've learnt alot about excepting different styles of music and I believe I am at a stage now where I could write some decent songs, at the moment I am very interested in bluesy guitar solos, for instance like what Jimi Hendrix used to add to his songs, another example is teenage fanclub in their early years and that fender jaguar blues lead sound just sounds so raw as if its being played through reactive emotion to the rest of the song. I like the idea of being able to play along spontaniously to a song much like Wilco and Nels Cline does.

I also like the idea of drawing art or a picture through listening to a song. I draw to boards of canada and dinosaur jr, and radiohead for instance.

I'm at the stage now where i have heard so many bands and have digged and digged through reading lists on rate your music and big forums that talk about the top 1000 songs polls that I now have a great feel for melody.

Music is the best religion.

My favourite genres? Blues rock, 60's Mowtown, Shoegaze, 80s post punk, 90s alternative. Indie etc.

Favourite rock band at the moment? queens of the stone age.
 
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Feathers

Well-known member
Well, you're young so a lot is still in front of you.. Music is 'happening' on the internet and 'live' these days.. There's a lot of DIY etc. If you choose college wisely it could help with your music career too.. and give you a 'second option' or a few - some people get bored of music or such too, or burnt out or disillusioned.. some prefer playing music 'for the soul' than for money.. and are happy with 'real jobs' (to finance music gear :D) and just love hanging out with the band and playing on the wekend..

If you wanna do music 'pro' then some degree of networking is important (so you can create with other good musicians/singers/songwriters..) If you don't want to do music biz and marketing, or some other aspects like graphic design etc, then you better have other people who you can trust who are gonna do it.. (and even then it's good to know enough so that you know what they're doing and if they're going about it right..)
(even some big names got scammed by their managers etc)

It's great that you don't want to 'lose yourself' in social life (cause I've seen some people 'disappear' in 'the lifestyle' of partying etc.) Maybe some small amount of socializing with the right kind of people can bring good results though.. (It depends on the people and what you do.. Obviously, stay away from too much alcohol or iffy things such as drugs etc.)

Sometimes socializing can connect people and make a 'better band' or bring you in touch with other good musicians etc.

If you don't like your weight maybe you can work on it too.. It's important to be FIT and HEALTHY on stage!!

Sorry to hear you got picked on, you sound like a big guy now who can probably scare other people away who'd even attempt any picking, no?

And of course you CAN bring your music to the world!! Why not?
There's tons of bands/artists on CDbaby or iTunes via TuneCore etc.

Can you expect to earn a significant full-time income 'right away'? - probably not, if you work on it (marketing, live gigs, etc) it can happen.. It's mostly not 'overnight', some people do manage to earn quite some money too.. or at least hang out with interesting people and make great music.. :)

Look up Kristin Hersh and CASH music.. Some other artists/musicians seem to do quite well too..
 

IGotSeoul

Well-known member
Videogame Soundtracks ~ Film Scores ~ Classical ~ Symphonic Metal ~ Avant Garde ~ Ambient ~ Ars Antiqua ~ Ars Nova ~ Blues ~ Progressive Metal ~ Dance ~ Drum N Bass ~ Traditional Chinese ~ Byzantine ~ Enka ~ Traditional Egyptian et Persian ~ J-Rock/Pop ~ Flamenco ~ Rock Fusion ~ Celtic ~ House ~ Batucada ~ Medieval ~ Breakcore ~ Breakbeat ~ Trance

Mostly in that order. Favourite composers, most influential are Nobuo Uematsu, Claude Debussy, Michiru Yamane, Michael Romeo (Symphony x), Slash, Liu Fang, Paco de Lucia and Niccolo Paganini. I should also mention Gackt, lol.

We've near identical tastes in music, my friend. :)
 

thor01

Well-known member
I'm like that too.

The only things thats bothering me is that, I work on my own music. But the only person I know of that wants to do something smilar ish that I could be in a band with and do stuff live is someone I don't like being around much. We have some things in common I guess, and his stuff is probabaly the closest in some areas to what I'd like. But its annoying he cant be just right for me as a person. So if I did that I'd literally want to only do the gigs or whatever and not be around him other than that.
I dont want it to put me off doing music haha.

What should I do? haha
 

IGotSeoul

Well-known member
I'm like that too.

The only things thats bothering me is that, I work on my own music. But the only person I know of that wants to do something smilar ish that I could be in a band with and do stuff live is someone I don't like being around much. We have some things in common I guess, and his stuff is probabaly the closest in some areas to what I'd like. But its annoying he cant be just right for me as a person. So if I did that I'd literally want to only do the gigs or whatever and not be around him other than that.
I dont want it to put me off doing music haha.

What should I do? haha

I suppose it'd be similar to the endeavor of dolphin training, but the only other dolphin trainer you know is not to your tastes. Two completely different people can love dolphins but dislike each other, so perhaps it's a matter of sustaining your love for dolphins while finding the right company.
 

thor01

Well-known member
I suppose it'd be similar to the endeavor of dolphin training, but the only other dolphin trainer you know is not to your tastes. Two completely different people can love dolphins but dislike each other, so perhaps it's a matter of sustaining your love for dolphins while finding the right company.

Yeah. But its like, I dont feel like I'll come across anyone whos more right for it in some areas haha. I just have that its now or never feeling haha. I cant understand why fate has been cruel in that way haha. presenting me with almost what I want apart some aspects of his personality haha. Its a tough situation, I find.





Also Aristocrat, I go to a music college, and find that the work side of it is no fun. Atleast for me. I prefer to sort of pick up on theory side of things as I go on by trying things out, in a practical way.

And there are lots of poeple who are great at reading/thoery but not very creative. Of course theres people who are great at that and creative of course though.
 
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IGotSeoul

Well-known member
Yeah. But its like, I dont feel like I'll come across anyone whos more right for it in some areas haha. I just have that its now or never feeling haha. I cant understand why fate has been cruel in that way haha. presenting me with almost what I want apart some aspects of his personality haha.

I'm not sure on this, but are there social networking sites or groups dedicated to music? perhaps a local one if you're lucky. if not, you could always hone your own skills, do it as a hobby and such and surely time will work in your favour.
 

thor01

Well-known member
I'm not sure on this, but are there social networking sites or groups dedicated to music? perhaps a local one if you're lucky. if not, you could always hone your own skills, do it as a hobby and such and surely time will work in your favour.

Yeah Ive tried those but I know I wont find what I'm looking for in terms of the whole attitude Id want with a live band and probably music wise. This guy seems to at least have some of that, musically and when playing.

Thats true. And a part of me wants to do that. Its just. when I get the offer of doing something with him its tempting. Because I know I cant do everything myself, at least live and things. In some ways I wish I never knew him so that I wouldnt have the option haha. And now its like he's stuck in my mind and cant be erased. So I think about this alot and now its almost as if the part of me that was driving me to just carry on on my own feels like I'm not good enough just myself.
 

IGotSeoul

Well-known member
Yeah Ive tried those but I know I wont find what I'm looking for in terms of the whole attitude Id want with a live band and probably music wise. This guy seems to at least have some of that, musically and when playing.

Thats true. And a part of me wants to do that. Its just. when I get the offer of doing something with him its tempting. Because I know I cant do everything myself, at least live and things. In some ways I wish I never knew him so that I wouldnt have the option haha. And now its like he's stuck in my mind and cant be erased. So I think about this alot and now its almost as if the part of me that was driving me to just carry on on my own feels like I'm not good enough just myself.

perhaps you could accept the opportunity just to see where it takes you. it may open other doors for you, or he may even turn out to be a totally cool guy.
 

thor01

Well-known member
perhaps you could accept the opportunity just to see where it takes you. it may open other doors for you, or he may even turn out to be a totally cool guy.

Yeah true, thanks very much for you opinion on things haha.

I often feel I should do this.
And I often think, "noooo, dont do that, you know how it made you feel last time you tried and remembered how it made you feel to be around him haha."
But after that happened, I forgot how it made me feel and my mind went back to it being the only real option and something that I probably have to do, in a way haha.

But for some reason I can't get my mind to think that I don't only have to do 1 thing. Its like its either something with him or work on my own. As if one will get in the way of the other the other or something.

I am mainly a drummer and am aware that skill wise I am best at this. So sometimes I think playing for him is THE option for that reason. But I also like to create things myself. And sometimes I feel I can make myself into the perfect thing for me, if I keep working at it. Butsometimes, for example when I try vocals over things, I know it just doesn't sound how I'd like. The thing is I'd like to express my own voice (not a literal voice, necasserily) and not just be a drummer. But I know really I can try to do both those things. But like I said before my minds like, 1 or the other. As if if I play for him I'm selling myself and giving up on myself. Which isn't/doesn't need to be the case.
I know that if I did do it with him, I'd pretty much only be interested in the actual musical activites and don't want to socialise or anything. But I guess thats OK.

But yeah its like my mind think it terms of this or that, or things effecting me in a bad way. And it gets in the way haha.
I guess alot of the feelings Ive had recently anyway don't help. Like dissacotiation/depersonalization I think. In which you feel whatever you had yourself is kind of lost haha.

The 3 people I play with in my ensemble for college are actually easier to be around in a lot of ways. And I'd enjoy continuing that even without college. But that other guy has the drive and certain other elements I'd want in something propper haha.

But yeah its a sif the more options I have the more chaotic it feels and I cant focus well haha.
 
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B

Beatrice

Guest
Thats true. Its just that for me, personally, it takes the magic and the mystery and the emotion of it away. The reason that I dont care to learn theory is that I would get bored being like "okay, I cant play that because its not in this mode or that scale" or whatever. It obviously works for many others and im not bashing it, I just dont care for it myself, no doubt it is very handy.:)

Hmm, well I disagree with this. But this is just my own personal experience. And someone else said the same thing as you did (I was going to tell him a little about music theory and he stopped me and said what you said :p )

I took three years of music theory in high school, and I can honestly say it has never ever ruined my enjoyment of music on a more magical and ethereal kind of level. It still holds the same magic for me.

Actually, quite the opposite - it made me appreciate and love music more than ever before, kind of giving me a feeling that I too could wield this magic.
 

IGotSeoul

Well-known member
Thats true. Its just that for me, personally, it takes the magic and the mystery and the emotion of it away. The reason that I dont care to learn theory is that I would get bored being like "okay, I cant play that because its not in this mode or that scale" or whatever. It obviously works for many others and im not bashing it, I just dont care for it myself, no doubt it is very handy.:)


One who plays music entirely off of creativity and imagination has potential only limited to their creativity and imagination, which is often limitless.

One who plays music entirely off of theory and the science of music has the discipline and structure to play pieces flawlessly and understand why it sounds as it does.

If both aspects were to merge, then you'd have a musical genius.
 

IGotSeoul

Well-known member
In practice, this never happens, the untrained always revert to recycled ideas and never progress beyond basic and obscure produce. Some of these may become popular, but they are like the scribblings of someone that never committed to learning to draw properly.

There are those who have little musical ability that have a very good grasp of theory (the understand of how music works in practice), but are never able to compose anything inspiring. So I do agree with that, as it's observably true. But understanding your craft does not limit you at all.

What do you suppose it is that crafts brilliance within music?
 
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