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Discussion => Off topic => Topic started by: zenvoboy on December 14, 2012, 04:08 am

Title: Dreams and Aspirations
Post by: zenvoboy on December 14, 2012, 04:08 am
What are your dreams & aspirations, if you have any? Doesn't necessarily have to be career-based.

*deleted unnecessary dragged-out story that nobody cares about* :P
Edit: Added brief version back again as next comment had already read it, lol.

I got a degree in Music Production, but don't have my foot in any kind of door. But more importantly, I have also realised producing *other peoples* music - spending all day every day tweaking knobs to make some other dudes music sound a bit better, isn't truly what I want to do (even if I could). Music is my passion, but it's creating my own stuff that I really love to do.
I'm now left with £20,000 debt, with a degree I'm not sure I'm even going to use, not knowing what to do with myself.

But when it all comes down to it, all I know is that my ultimate dream = to be able to create and perform music without needing a "day job", and give to others chances to have those beautiful, magical, music-related moments, just like those I have experienced myself (that could bring a tear to my eye just thinking about) - whether it be sitting in a room alone listening to music on headphones, or standing in awe staring at the beautiful lights and being carried away by the music at a show.

What about you?
Title: Re: Dreams and Aspirations
Post by: Red Rama on December 14, 2012, 05:18 am
I'm working on my degree right now, have about 12 credit hours (4 courses) left before I have my Bachelor of Fine Arts. I want to one day be able to make a living off of just my Art, stock dividends, selling Cannabis, and maybe selling plasma if I needed to. I've had a steady job for the past few years, but I know I don't want to do the 9-5 grind my whole life. I also want to travel, especially The European Union and India (I definitely want to go to a Kumbh Mela). Don't fret too much, having a degree that you don't specifically use is still better than not having one as far as employers are concerned. To sum it up, I want to travel abroad a few years, be my own boss, and eventually live on a couple acres somewhere less densely populated and live the mountain man life with a hot wife who wants to grow herb together. The music industry is pretty tough to break into. Have you though about music promotion/management? That might be a good way to get your foot in the door.
Title: Re: Dreams and Aspirations
Post by: astor on December 14, 2012, 05:50 am
I read your story before you deleted it, and all I can say is, I remember being as young, scared, and hopeless as you.

It will get better. Even if you don't see a use for your music degree (or general talents) now, opportunities will open up.

You'll be surprised at the directions your life takes you.
Title: Re: Dreams and Aspirations
Post by: zenvoboy on December 14, 2012, 06:09 am
Oops, I figured I was blabbering on again about stuff nobody wanted to read - I tend to do that.

Thanks for reading and the reassurance, astor. I know things will get better for me. :)

In fact, I've found quite a nice peace-of-mind now that I've realised simply creating and performing music is my one true passion and the only thing that makes me happy. I'm not worrying as much about "failing to achieve a successful career". Whether I'll ever be able to make a living off of making/performing music or not doesn't really matter, as long as I can keep doing it, I'm happy.

I've got coursemates and family members expecting me to strive for and land a successful job/career related to my degree, and I know to them it'll sound ridiculous if I said "I'm quite happy only getting pennies from my minimum wage factory job - because all I want to do is make music" - they'd probably be disappointed, but I know I have to do whatever makes me happy. What's the point otherwise?

@Rama, I wouldn't even know how to get my foot in the promotion/management door to start with! But again, that wouldn't be my passion. A music related job would of course be more fun than working in a factory... but I wouldn't want a job like that if it consumed my life and left me with no free time to do what I really love. Although the promotion skills would come in handy for myself; I know nothing about getting my music "out there".

Bleurgh. Life. Growing up. Can't just be simple can it.
Title: Re: Dreams and Aspirations
Post by: astor on December 14, 2012, 06:25 am
What kind of music do you like to make?
Title: Re: Dreams and Aspirations
Post by: zenvoboy on December 14, 2012, 08:03 am
Almost anything... which is actually a bit of a problem  ::)

Ambient, experimental, post-rock, all sorts of metal, all sorts of drum & bass, progressive house, hard house / hardstyle, hip hop... I wanna make it all! I get so inspired by all the music I listen to; the amount of times I've burst out with "I NEED to make a [insert genre] album!" haha.

But in terms of building a reputation/fan base, you have to stick to one style, or at least a few that are easily grouped together. And if you want to be on top of your game, all of your focus needs to be put into that genre to really specialise in it, rather than just be okay at 10 different styles.

So at the moment, I'm still trying to close in on what it is that I really want to focus on. In the past, metal was my main style (and is the style I'm most experienced with, and probably best at), but I'm starting to grow out of it a bit. I still love it, but it's an aggressive style (which is nice for getting some adrenaline pumping, but would probably grind me down eventually) with VERY critical fans, and is a bit too "data music" for my liking now. (i.e. "This riff is awesome because it infuses Ethiopian folk scales with avant-garde industrial math metal influences and is played at 186bpm which is way faster than YOU could ever do" rather than "This riff is awesome because it makes me feel good inside").

I'm leaning towards electronic music; most likely progressive house. It can be such a transcendental style of music; really beautiful, happy, energetic, uplifting and something to "escape" to and dance the night away. I think that outlook / attitude in life is my mainstay. Who doesn't want to be smiley and enjoy themselves?

I can always write songs in other styles to satisfy my other creative urges, just not "officially release" them through the same avenue.

I would post some stuff I've done, but 1) It would reveal who I am in real life, and 2) It's not that great  :P