Welcome back to mustache feelings show! Last video I'll be filming for a bit as I'm on the road most of April, so hopefully the algorithm gods shine on it! 🙏 🎸 Bandzoogle ► bandzoogle.com/?pc=venustheory
Wanted to point out a very enlightening book/documentary called The Brain That Changes Itself. This describes how you can literally rewire your brain based on what you choose to do. This can change the way your life unfolds. But it also applies to people helping each other.
I've been producing music for about 23yrs. 15yrs in i got depressed, i had no chart/dance hit (which i expected to have had by then) and felt like all those years were for nothing except my own enjoyment. I was contemplating giving up but i loved producing music, so after a long hard think (and realising fame and fortune was not going to happen) i decided to concentrate on a stable income and made music as an evening hobby. 2yrs later by pure chance i was an extra in a movie, ended up having an acting role, whilst working with the Director mentioned i was a music composer/producer, wrote some pieces of music for his movie which he loved. I went on to compose and produce the soundtracks to 4 other movies and had an acting role in 5 movies. Became friends with a Tech house dj, jointly worked on some tracks, he then went to Ibiza and became a resident dj in a club and also does a monthly mix for an online radio station where we get to play our tracks. All of this has happened in the last 5yrs. Ok, i've had some lucky breaks, but none of this would of happened if i had given up. Keep going keep getting better as you never know what is around the corner.
It sounds like beating a horse at this point, but if people like Stefan Betke (Pole) Jan Jelinik (Farben) Matthew Herbert, or Akufen listened to other people’s opinions, they would have given up. If you are in to tech house there is a plethora of labels that are off kilter and do not follow conventional thinking. Music For Freaks, Revolver, Dumb Unit and Kompakt to name a few.
i've been making music for about 22 years- and some of my tracks now have DOZENS of listens. just stick with it, and you could be like me! * jumps out window *
I cried a little when you said you expected us to report back with whatever we’ve created. It felt like the compassion, permission and love we deny ourselves for the very reasons you covered in the video. I smashed out 4 super basic tracks and dumped them on Bandcamp with no concern for who would like them. Despite no one listening to it, it feels good to have done it.
I remember a teacher read this quote out loud one time. Then, a student defiantly chimed in: "Yeah, it might be more silent, but it'd sound a hell of a lot better". ...But the quote does hold its weight in gold.
Feeling like your music is too weird is definitely a better place to be than feeling like your music is too derivative. Lean in to what makes your art unique!
Hey man if you can bypass the technical hurdles and just go straight to weird, and comfortable with what came out of you... It's probably worth pursuing. Be weird, just for you. Theyre lucky, IMHO, artistic identity is important and rarely discussed beyond "finding your sound". Know there are plenty of people out there who would feel better about themselves, proud even, to be mind-blown by something most people can't get down with. Even the most uneventful folks can feel like a hipster with a secret, and it's got serious merit. Manson played some stuff I knew I wanted to hear... Mr Bungle helped me become the person I didn't know I already was.
yes yes for fucks sake YES. this world is filled to the FUCKING brim with copycats. be weird, be unique, be a pioneer going in a direction that feels like YOU
For the guys who wanna make money off music, I wanna warn you what that entails. When I worked as an engineer/producer at a studio in Chicago recording rappers we had a pro tools template that we used for every artist. Everyone had the same compressors, delay, reverb, eq, etc. We spent about 10mins mixing cause people paid by the hour. We didn't get to make art. We were just recording people and mixing as fast as possible with barely any creativity involved. The guy in charge said, "We're not making gourmet burgers. We're McDonald's." I hated it. I don't wanna work with every guy who wants to pay for studio time. I don't wanna make songs I don't like. I don't wanna treat art like a commodity. It sucked.
could be wrong, but that's because rap generally has fairly standard beats that don't try to be too different from each other. perhaps, in a studio that has more obscure/experimental music would allow you to use more creativity?
@@static7985 Yeah, I ended up building my own studio and now I record all my friends for free and we make whatever we want. Music might not be my job anymore, but I love making it again.
I am a 62 year old. I have been writing and recording music from when I was about 14. I have worked with bands and worked alone. The first recording equipment I had was a Tascam 144 portastudio . I dreamed of a 24 track with 2” tape. Well it is years later I have felt all the things you spoke about in your insightful video and still do. As I sit here in my studio with a 64 input digital studio. Do I make my living from music full time no do I have 100s of published tracks yes. Do I still think I suck yes. But I do what I want and I make my music for me. To get into a studio and record music because you enjoyed it was not a thing in the 1970s it just cost too much. Fantastic video thanks.
Dear human.... Your story gives me strength. I'll be turning 40 soon, and I've had this overwhelming feeling of not having accomplished anything, just weighing me down. I've got a 3 year old son and all I'm able to do is barely make ends meet.
a year can look really different from one person to another. there's actually putting the work in like VT says near the end, there are also ways to try structuring your creative life. but there is also the time consumed by hiatuses, sometimes necessary for mental health or economic or other reasons and sometimes just a rut we can get stuck in and need to punch our way through. at least the more time you've been doing it, the less permanent it feels to take a break.
I spent a year writing a song per week. I didn't worry about quality, my mixing skills aren't amazing, and treated it as a learning experience. Whilst some did suck, some were bangers and I learned so much during the whole process. I even went out of my comfort zone, recording vocals and trying writing for different genres. I'm glad I did it, it made me a better artist.
That was me all of last year. Sometimes two a weekend! Just plug in, hit record, and whatever happens happens. I wrote a lot of good DUMB shit that my kids like and that’s enough for me, really.
@@Geow1ng the first fourteen songs I basically relied on the auto drummer in GarageBand. The rest of it? I had a BLAST getting back into exploring music, the fact my kids dug my lighter punk stuff made me want to see if they’d be interested in my heavier side. And then I basically just used my art as therapy because I needed to get a loooooooooooot of stuff out suddenly. A lot.
@@Geow1ng the REAL challenge has essentially been trying to become comfortable behind a physical (or at least an electronic) drum kit, since I spent over a decade programming drums by hand.
I credit you for my return to music after a nearly decade break. I released my first piano EP and am knee deep in my fourth concept album. Thank you for videos like this.
When I was at my absolute lowest, legitimately being monitored for you can probably guess what…that’s when I wrote my first song that I actually liked. Depression is an intensely powerful emotion and the best music is created from the strongest emotions. When I was at my lowest, I had a conversation with my sister and cousin making light of the concept of “live, laugh, love” signs. As I was spiraling downward later that week, I picked up my guitar because it was the only thing that made me truly happy and then started writing about a breakup then used humor to add in the concept of the “live, laugh, love” sign, using the opposite of depression to combat it and using that emotion to write just the right rhymes, the perfect chorus, and the right melody, finally discovering what I was looking for in my own music that I had completely given up searching for. At that moment, I realized that there was no giving up when there was work to be done and from those intense emotions, it brought me back from the brink and now every time I’m feeling at my lowest (after a fight with my parents, after a breakup, after severing ties with a friend) I use those emotions to channel into creativity. I released a demo for that song a few days ago and now I plan on releasing thirteen songs alongside it. It doesn’t matter to me how much other people like it or approve of it (don’t get me wrong, the point of making my music public is for it to inspire/make other people happy) but I see these songs as something to be proud of. They signify the darkest times of my life that I’ve risen above and I think that’s a powerful message to share. This may not work for everyone, but for incredibly emotional people like myself who also suffer from depression and/or anxiety, channeling negative emotions into creativity may help more than you can expect. Sorry for the novel, but if this helps even one person, it was worth it.
"Embrace the chaos and turn all that energy into art" is what I always think of when making music Just purely focused/lost in the process and unfolding the beauty you can make through it.
the past couple of years when things got really tough for us musicians, I came to the realization that “music is its own reward”, quoting Bernard Shaw and Sting. Just being able to make music is enough of a reason to keep going.
#1: "I'm not very good" -> I think this an essential step on the journey to becoming good at art. It means you see the gap between your current work, and where you want to be. It means you're on the cusp of understanding how to improve. It's not just a step; it's a cycle. With the next improvement, you see other opportunities, and so the cycle continues with each piece of work, and over time, your work evolves. If you then look back at early work, you should see how far you've come.
7:21 I suddently realized that this morning, looking at some of the successful music channels here on youtube, but you know what? I don't care. I won't spend time on making videos I don't like to make, just to get my music known, I'm aware it won't change my life anyway so I prefer doing what I like (producing my songs), just for my kids to have something about their father to remember other than photos. I'm working on this mindset: thank God I don't need to rely on music to live, so I will do it as a free man, when I like, the way I like it, until I enjoy it! Of course, it is frustrating to be ignored and not getting attention or likes, but it's just ego. Once you realize that, ego will run away as a buglar caught stealing. Thanks for these videos because they really help!
I kind of teared up half way through this. When; in human history has a music producer been given 12 songs from an artist set in front of him to produce an album with? That happened to me last Halloween. I just finished our band's 5th album and paid for the distribution last Saturday. It comes out 4/20/23. I took 4 and a half months of waking up every day, and my work was set in front of me; working every day on music production for 4 and a half months! I learned a lot of things, meaning I made a lot of mistakes. I am now very much wiser on technique, and a much better musician. Thank you for the wise video.
On a side note, why do you subscribe to nasa ? I subscribe to nasa to laugh at how stupid people are but then I realize so many people never question that shit and it's sad.
@@ricktheexplorer hey, congrats!! good on you for learning and awesome job with the album. don't mind what the person above said - they're hating for no reason. you're doing a great job
As someone who's been a full-time, professional musician for the majority of my adult life I can confidently say the following: 1. Persistence is everything. That doesn't mean just not giving up, it means understanding your strengths and weaknesses and consistently addressing them. Playing up your strengths, and strengthening your weaknesses consistently and persistently. 2. Inspiration is a lie. The more you do this, the more you realize that you can tap into your creative well at any time. Inspiration isn't the problem, it's having the wherewithal to turn an idea into a fully realized, finished product. A riff is not a song, a line is not a poem, a sketch is not a painting. Finish your work every time.
This video feels like a warm hug of a dear friend telling you the world ain't that bad. And even as a fully grown male I need this sometimes. We're all the same in the end, we all want to feel like we spend our precious lifetime in a way that makes ourselves and other people happy, bringing a little joy into this overwhelming world where music is the only anchor sometimes. Don't let your brittle hope and your passion get buried in the harsh noise of your intrusive thoughts. You're worth a whole lifetime of love, joy and forgiveness. I hope everyone reading this understands that all of us artists feel exactly the same struggle everyday. As long as there is music, there's people struggling to make it, just as you are. As long as there's music, you're not alone, never.
Once when I was being down on myself for not being better at guitar, my girlfriend at the time said, “it’s ok. It’s not about being the best. It’s about loving what you’re doing. That’s all that matters right now… keep loving the process and the skill will naturally increase in time”
As the artist you always know more about the work and have examined it in so much detail, you know what you had in mind vs what you put out which is hard to overcome, and you're always hoping for better. For most people its easy to just decide if they like something or not without being too detail driven.
Do you know what dopamine is? Read about it, When you listen to music (especially when you make by yourself and listen its becoming boring if you dont take a couple days break) that's how dopamine works You get yoo much of it Then you get depressed, its cycle
Thank you for this!!! I've been a functional musician by trade for decades now and at various points along the way I've tried and tried to transition to a more creative career. Things go wrong every single time so I've been in an endless cycle of starting over. I started pursuing electronic production/performance and increasing my skill set about 4 years ago and so far this new phase has been in a foundational state. It's been brutal and arduous and lonely and frustrating, but also very rewarding because I continue to improve at everything. And just now, as of this writing, I'm about to release my first song with this new project! Not a big thing, just a performance video. But as soon as that's completed I'll be diving head first into the real meat of what I've been working toward and it's equally exciting and daunting. Daunting because I've been in this start-over scenario before. Exciting because the whole situation is different this time, and much more intentional. Long story short, the kind of encouragement I'm getting from seeing videos like this is priceless. The whole time I'm listening to the words I'm thinking about what I'm going to be doing tonight, and tomorrow night, and all the other nights to come, in my creative space, and this really helps with the motivation!
That. Was. PERFECT! Thank you Cameron. As a life long musician, I've felt all of these at one time or another. The single best thing I've learned is to keep showing up, no expectations. Just show up, do the work and let that be enough.
Very well said. When I feel happy about an idea I have and hear it first in my DAW, then polishing it so it becomes even better, then I feel like I have so much fun and it does not happen always on each track, but when it does, how good a feeling! Those tracks are not even always published on internet most of the time. Just for me when driving in my car, enjoying it to the max. The rest, getting likes and stuff, is optional.
A LOT of people only delve into sound, loops, patterns and synthesis these days..... BUT it is only the arrangement and the composition! that makes a song or film music great and really exciting and can even make it timeless....
Your attitude matters so much too. Why did Snoop's delivery on Doggystyle change rap forever? Because in 93 he really lived that life! Nowadays he's cooking with Martha but rappin about violence and crime, so his attitude comes through phony
@@SampleFire gotta disagree wit dat mate. If your arrangement is shit, no amount of sound design can save it. That's why people get bored of hour long modular sets. All sound design no composition leaves nothing to grab onto and listen to
This is my issue. I can make loops and cool stuff for days. When it comes to crafting a song I feel like I start to hate what I've made and move on. Any tips on getting out of that trap?
@@RogueAstro85 it's all about tension and release, that's what keeps people interested, feeling like something else is coming next. study your favourite songs by comparing the different sections in them: how do they contrast from each other? how does one build up the other and create an energy shift when the song gets to that part? Take your loop and call it section A, then try and make a Section B that works well with it, then C, D (assuming you're talking about instrumental music). The easiest way to start is to use the same chord progression for both sections and have the first section quite minimal, then add parts in on the next section and so on, keep building it up. Another way is to have short and fast notes on one section, and long notes on another. Or lower notes on one section and higher on another. All about that contrast.
Great video! Really amazing points especially the one about inspiration. When this happens to me I always think back to that quote on the wall from my elementary days; "1% inspiration, 99% perspiration". Relying to be inspired is immensely inconsistent, very unreliable. It's better to work in short bursts, get used to the flow, then again, again, again until you start to work longer and better. As long as you take proper self-care, lots of breaks in between, this can work for your benefit.
You are so right. I put my album out in 2002 and then I..paused. For 20 years. And everyday not making anything ,was just eating me up little by little. So one day last year, I decided to grab my ass off the couch and turn on my synth. And purchasedthe latest version of my daw.Then I realised that I had to match up with 20 years of evolution and digital development! But there was help, like your channel. Somehow piece by piece ,it's all getting back to me. Guys, just put your hands on the keyboard. Every day. Thank you for you videos. Just keep making them, with that...enviable bass voice of yours!
I been producing for 3 years now and I never thought about the monetary gain behind it. I just love music so much and I kick myself for not taking that route earlier in my life. Who knows what could’ve happened if I started when I was 12 but I am glad in partaking this journey that is and always will be my calling
Cameron, as usual you caught it. Even at 75, having taught art, I get discouraged (like now) with my sound design projects and tell myself useless stuff. Thanks for the necessary reminders!
"Art is never finished, only abandoned" -Leonardo Divinci I think about this when I get overly critical about my music. Each piece is a stepping stone of imperfection, not a contest to see how perfect you can get it. At some point you have to say, "yes, this is enough," and then move on to doing a bettee job next time instead of focusing on how imperfect the last thing was.
I love your channel just because you talk about topics, not a lot talk about in the music industry, like you arent talking about "10 ways to write a chord progression". You talk about the serious buissnes and the struggles that come with music production and stuff a lot of people (like me) can relate to I hope you will keep doing this!
I sure hope so too, this channel is actually a hidden gem. I have little interest in music, I hardly even listen to it! But there hasn't been a single one of these feely videos that hasn't been helpful for me.
This channel is so important to me. I work alone. I make music alone. I rely on Cameron’s thought provoking subjects and commentary to keep my creative mind stimulated. Thanks for the effort you put into this Venus Theory. You make a different in people’s lives.
I literally laughed out loud very loudly when you gave that punchline towards the end! I can just say as someone who started learning guitar and then bass when I was in high school in the late 80s, I sucked terribly when I began. I tried to jam with a dude who had been playing guitar just as long as I had, but he'd actually worked at it, and I just wasn't good enough to play along with him. He asked me if I was serious about playing music which was a real wake-up call. I continued to not be any good. I didn't even work hard at it at first. Then about a year and a half after I switched from guitar to bass, I joined my first band and a couple months later my first gig (opening for The Mentors! lol!) The former bass player of that band was standing right in front of the stage, and if I made the slightest mistake he would laugh as hard as he could. I tried to not let it bother me, and I used it to get better. I continued to work at it, going from band to band to a time when total strangers were actually complimenting me on my bass playing telling me I was really good. I just kept working at it. I'd practice on my own to cassette recordings of the band's songs. I became the back up vocalist as well. Two of the bands self-produced CDs in the late 90s in recording studios. One of the bands played 150 gigs over a four year span, doing so without any support from a manager, or a fanbase. In early 2002, I left my band needing a break and ended up not playing bass in a band for a decade. But I kept making music on my own and I didn't care if no one even heard it. I was just doing it for myself and to experiment. This is supposed to be fun, right?! PLAY!! At some point, I made a bandcamp page and started putting up albums, still not caring if anyone listened to it. The amount of downloads I have laughable and I've probably only made enough money at this point for a couple burritos. I started doing FAWM February Album Writing Month in 2018 after hearing about it in late January and yes, I still suck at songwriting, but I think I'm getting better. And I'm not going to stop doing it even if I continue to suck at it. No, you can't stop me. Nobody can. I did the 50-90 songwriting challenge last summer and made something like 88 songs. Some of it is weird spoken word crap, most of it is experimental synth noises, but on the very last day of the challenge, I wrote probably the best song I've ever written, and I did it in about 30 minutes! It still only exists as that phone recording I did on the spot, but I'm quite proud of how it turned out.
I make music for 15 years and i too had big aspirations and dreams. Needless to say i am just another producer in an ocean of countless producers. Surely wanted to quit at some point too because i got nowhere. I am still nowhere. I am not special. My music is generic. But i've accepted that not everyone is destined to "make it" - and i need to make music regardless if i am successful or not. If i don't express myself with music i am miserable. And so i jam on my guitar and write little tunes for my friends, family and myself. It's okay the way it is (but i still dream a little here and there).
4:21 "if you're able to deliver the idea with conviction, everything else is secondary" this is all it's needed. A lot of pros are not good at it, many even said it themself after getting so famous no one can touch them anymore. They just told people around them they were right enough to convince them they are. If you choose something cause you felt it was right, that certainty is contagious for people that are unsure of what they are doing. There is an even bigger point underlined by this sentence: most of your clients and people in general DON'T KNOW GOOD FROM BAD. They don't know what they want and often they don't know what's good for them. This is an universal truth in creativity, if you are surrounded by lame or standard people that don't understand what you are doing, you may feel that you are doing something wrong or bad while with other people may view you as a godsend. Most of consumers love stuff after it's pushed onto them for enough time and not cause they loved it before or they searched for it.
This is a really great video, there is not enough people talking about these kind of topics! thanks a lot for this and the hundreds of people you'll inspire thanks to this video. 🖤
I've been through this a couple of times in the last 25 years. The worst was when I packed everything up for almost 6 years. Some of it was inspiration some depression, but most of all it was circumstances beyond me and I needed to get myself put together again. I stayed creative by learning archery and making custom handmade knives. Then circumstances happened again that drew me back into music and that time off gave me so much to draw on. Since then I've had to stop every now and again for things kinda out of my control. I started up again this year and I've written a lot, but haven't really been inspired to be able to write new music. So instead of feeling defeated, I started working on old songs that never got recorded so I can still create. I guess my point is it's not always a bad thing to walk away for bit(I don't recommend 5 years). A few months even a year is ok. I think as artists we tend to think we SHOULD be inspired by the music, but we forget to go live life in the process of creating. Inspiration is fickle and you shouldn't be bound to hold a guitar and play until something comes to you. Go meet people, take a long hike in the forest, go get lost somewhere. Whatever it is you need for inspiration your body and mind will tell you if you listen. Sorry this was way to long, but I can be a wordy guy at times. "The only thing you have to do is die"... love it, I'd add to this by saying ..."so go live!" ✌️❤️🤘
Wise words as ever! I'm finding it incredibly difficult to just get started on anything at the mo. I always end up doing something else- even housework. I have a painting half finished that's been sat on the easel for over 2 months and switching the DAW to actually lay something down eludes me. I'm guessing it's just a slump- the productivity will return.
"The only thing in life you have to do is die" wow i love this. Thanks thats what i needed to hear right now. Reminds me of something I was once told by an instructor "dont wish your life away " its stuck with me for years
One of my favourite quotes (I can’t remember who said it) went something kinda like this: “Artists sit around and wait for inspiration. Professionals show up and do the work.” I think about that everyday.
I can only speak of music creativity for myself. But as far as inspiration goes, just keep listening to more and more music. New and old. Different genres that you wouldn’t normally listen to. You’re going to eventually come across that one song that does it for you, and there’s your new inspiration. It’s literally worked every time for me, and I think it should work for every creative musician out there who just loves listening to a great song.
Embrace the freedom you have to create exactly what you want - no record company telling you to be more MOR, no producer telling you to lose the guitar solo or Autotune your vocal. So what if no one's listening?
I’ve gotta say, you made this video at the perfect time for me. Lately music production has started to feel less fun, and I feel like I haven’t been able to creatively express myself in a way I liked, along With a lot of the other issues mentioned in the video. This video has given me a bit of hope in a time that feels hopeless, and depressing to me. Recently I’ve been considering quitting for good, but after seeing this, I’ve reconsidered. Thank you very much, I really needed this.
Alright, I'm just here to report back, like you said! Firstly, thank you for the video! Great stuff! I didn't release music for 8 years. I had so many songs on their way back in 2015, and at the time I thought I'd keep releasing a lot more songs, but I guess I was too scared of taking that step... I wasn't sure who I was or what kind of music I wanted to make, so I started a new alias called 'Oceans on Fire' where I made Pop-influenced Future Bass and Chillstep. So... now I'm back, and I'm releasing music every 3-4 weeks! I'll still release music as 'Oceans on Fire' as well, plus I started making Synthwave in a group called 'Solid Kids'.
Your last point reminded me of the book The Mental Game of Music Production. The main point of the book is that in the beginning, it’s quantity of quality. Just finish songs. Put in some time every day, just finish stuff. No matter how bad. Eventually, the stuff you finish will naturally get better. You’ll start making the right creative decisions with more regularity. But you HAVE to put the time in and actually get stuff done.
You’re definitely right bro, I found myself in situation where I just need to educate myself more, and practice making anything, one day we will hit the spot 🤝
Dude... I think I've felt every one of those feelings you listed at some point in the last 20+ years. I started making music (seriously) in 1998 but stopped around 2010 because of a variety of reasons, getting burned out, not getting paid at all, depression, just real life stuff taking priority. I had spent the next 13 years not making music at all and only just this year, I decided to finally get back into it... and all those feelings were lined up at the door waiting for me. Thanks so much for sharing this. It was really uplifting. 👍
Boy oh boy, THIS is such a good Video Cameron and reflects so much of my life. Just in short. First music schooling at the age of 5. With 9 hears Jean-Michel Jarre and was hypnotised by synths. Got my Korg MS 20 with 14 and taken away from my dad again when I was 16 (yes, he was a b*st*rd) - bought a Korg Wavestation and Alesis S4 + a drumcomputer again when I was 17 and tried to produce music since then, but never really succeeded. Sold everything again with 26, because - I just wasn't good enough - restarted trying to create music when I was 40, bought a shitload of synths and even build my own DIY modular, and got quit good in Livejamming - until i noticed, so much building, no time to create real tracks and .. as a producer I suck, so, sold everything again - very very frustrating. While Corona Lockdown I heavily hearted atmitted to myself, well, you are a shitty producer, but an okish Techno-DJ, so concentrate on that maybe and I did. But listening to so much Techno, it did again trigger my shitty producer side, so last year, with 51, I bought a Maschine MK3, shitload of plugins and courses on producing and arranging Techno and finally can get frustrated again while learning this beast and of course get even more frustrated as an overthinker, because --- woohooo, I suck again ^^ BUT I have to admit to myself, I just can't life without, so ... forget beeing famous or earning money with it - I now just do it for fun and am closer then ever to finish a track that might get out to a label - and if not, well, who cares, I will just go on ;)
Love this series. The real truth is that I can only control my thinking. I can’t control my circumstances. My brain feeds me toxic bullshit all day long, and I just have to carry that along with me and tell myself better things. And just do something.
I have been on and off that professional music rollercoaster, and all you are saying makes complete sense. I would like to add that if you are after success, even if you get a slice of it, it will never be enough. Something else cruel also happens; once in the past, it doesn't feel real or it doesn't matter. I disregard everything I ever did, all that counts is the next song.
I honestly do not know how to thank you for this video. It resonated on so many levels with me as a sound artist who's trying to find her career as an audio producer to finance her artistic ideas. I'm very grateful of finding you on one of my random searches on how to do stuff on cubase.
Making music is one of the few experiences I've found that brings me a level of purpose and excitement that very little else can compare to. And yet it also brings me such frustration and ultimately depression when I fail. So many unfinished songs, so many unrealized visions, so many attempts where the vision never really even came to me. I'm long past the delusion that I will become famous, and I'm well on my way to the realization that very few people will ever enjoy or even listen to my music. And yet...I keep coming back to it. Because while I will never understand why some people are successful in their art and others are not, I can't deny the fact that the music is a part of me. I must bring it out of my head and into existence. That's all that matters. And I will spend the rest of my life fighting whatever mental hurdles get in my way and prevent me from achieving this goal.
The problem with that is toxic positivity. This dude has more views talking about music(in one video) than many musicians have in aggregate for their actual music catalogue. If someone really wants to monetize their music career...my belligerent comment will not discourage them. They would laugh and keep going. The music industry is hyper competitive and very brutal. There are more musicians making music than there is people who want to listen. Because of populism. 1% get 90% of the listens. I am sorry to be speaking truth. Yet that is how it is.
Something that was a huge breakthrough for me and very helpful was the idea of any artistic endeavor as a project. The idea of the project creates a box in my mind, everything about that project goes into this box. It also ends up being a series of folders and bookmarks on my computer, but this is good because all the helpful resources for doing the project are collected there. It seems like this would be obvious, but if someone is stuck, this may be something unconsidered. So the project can be whatever an artist decides, working on the project is answering questions and making choices about the project. For a record album, you can start with with something like the RPM project that happens every year: let's say its 35 minutes of original music. Thinking about timeframes doesn't make sense until the project is well under way. You can first answer- why am I doing this? Because it is good for my brain to flex and develop my creative muscles. What are the criteria for success? It just has to be two things: 1) Completed and 2) I am happy with it. #2 is actually freeing, because you can say- I will put this thing through however many iterations and attempts until I arrive at something I am happy with. It may take 10 years, 10 months, or 10 hours, we may not even know yet. Then you start making choices- who am I inspired by? I need to start with, in the case of a record- who am I similar to? What covers or music can I learn from that will take me closer to being able to realize what it is I have to say? With each choice made, I get closer to done. What genre is it? How many songs? What instruments and equipment can I use that are within my budget? Do I have others that can help me or collaborate, or is it just me? Something that ends up happening is that this project just becomes its own thing, an independent existence apart from any feedback. It is not me, it is something I am doing to benefit myself. I don't even have to release it. Lastly, I give myself permission to be bad. An album of crappy music never killed anyone from listening to it as far as I know. Sorry Cameron for the wall of text, I think this idea might be helpful.
As someone who has a huge passion for music and is trying to get into creating music, this was very inspiring and helpful. I’ve been lacking the confidence to create things because I’m worried it won’t turn out the way I want or that nobody will even like it. I’m glad I came across this video though, really makes me wanna just go into my studio and start recording something.
Venus Theory, thank you for explaining myths about success, creativity ...etc. Yes, sometimes it seems that we have no choices, but the truth is that we are expecting so much and so fast from ourselfs, so we can not see causality of choises what we made. OK, thaks again.
Cameron, thank you for all that you do and sharing these words of wisdom. It helps a lot with my own internal struggles and I'm sure it does the same for many, many others. 👊
I’d recommend to any creative The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. Probably the best book on being a creative and the blocks and hurdles we come across. Thank you to this! You hit it spot on Cameron! I appreciate all you do for Thai community of misfits and lovers of the arts.
I have similar thoughts about talent, it can't be trained, I don't have it, but after 10 years as a 2/d3d artist I'm still doing it even though I'm ashamed of half of my deliveries
Personally after few months shy of three years I have noticed that no matter how much I sometimes suck at making tracks and creating beats, I still feel better doing them than trying to live without it. Even then when I suck, I have nothing else in my mind than the music and it feels like a holiday compared to how shit I occasionally feel when my head is swarming with other things.
Right there @9:15. Glorious. Not only bitching, but attacking and shaming the productions they’re commenting on, spewing general negativity and justifying themselves behind claims of lengthy experience in this or that. Anyways… love yr message here. Valuable utilization of this platform. Thank you.
This is fantastic. Even though after 25 years having a 1000 fans is still a laughably impossible goal, the focus on the idea that artists should do what they believe in is an important thing to keep in mind. Plus the thing about dying. Always good to keep the thing about dying in mind.
The Stoics were really clear about the dying thing. Memento Mori The Stoics of classical antiquity were particularly prominent in their use of this discipline, and Seneca's letters are full of injunctions to meditate on death. The Stoic Epictetus told his students that when kissing their child, brother, or friend, they should remind themselves that they are mortal, curbing their pleasure, as do "those who stand behind men in their triumphs and remind them that they are mortal". The Stoic Marcus Aurelius invited the reader (himself) to "consider how ephemeral and mean all mortal things are" in his Meditations. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memento_mori Use it as a motivation to live a better life (I try! Honest!)
Here’s what’s worked for me as a creative professional with 20+ years of experience creating videos… I adjusted my expectations. Sure, the first dream was direct films and win Oscars. But when I was 20 I needed a job and one opened at a local TV station. The next 7 years were a whirlwind, as I was a TV photojournalist and covered stories like the Columbia Shuttle Disaster and Hurricane Katrina. I learned the power of creating stories for a community. I left that world to go to the commercial side of things where I still am. But in my personal projects I connected with a niche community and found value in creating for them… we share a rare disease experience that few understand, and so creating for them meant they had a deep, emotional connection to the material. I still have my day job that pays the bills, but my personal creative projects bring me so much fulfillment. My point is… it’s your life. It’s your journey. Find what works for you. But also know that accepting all of that can be a long journey as well.
When I needed this it came. I am just starting to teach myself music theory and the piano. I’ve made my first album on solely samples and it made me feel good but unfulfilled. I aspire to make my own music but it feels like a huge up hill climb. I am 28 and i have to constantly fight the thoughts of that it’s too late. This video gives hope but the feeling of not being “good” or “relevant” is over whelming. So thank you for sharing your thoughts
Your videos have reconstructed how I view success and the creative process. I convince myself that my shortcomings are proof that I can never improve, but this thought pattern alone limits me more than anything else. Without this barrier, I often become fully immersed in creativity. I can reach failure and choose what to do rationally, rather than immediately giving up. I've found that pausing to acknowledge these thoughts of self-disgust can be helpful. Not trying to suppress it, but noticing the sensations and thoughts that arise often times allow them to flow past. My mind doesn't hook on them as much.
The most recent thing I made had only one criteria: I was going to do the best I could at it. The best mix, vocal performance, etc. The thing is I started thinking about that with everything. The best marketing I could manage, the best effort at a live performance and so on. The most noticeable effect was that I liked the music so much more. I’m really proud of what I made because I did my best at it and I don’t have any regrets.
Whenever you're feeling down about your music remember all of the terrible or overly cheesy songs that have become popular through the years. Just keep going. Embrace your cheesiness and weirdness it's what makes you unique. Even if you make something you don't like, it's possible someone out there will like it anyway, so just keep going. And don't be afraid to expand your skills with lessons, classes and practice.
This is the kind of content that can turn your mindset around. Instantly useful, well thought out and intentionally made. I have made a few awesome things but am struggling to follow up with something that feels of like quality. This helps to take the expectation and pressure of myself. At least enough to keep trying to make something that I like. Thank you for everything you do.
I really felt that one. I also started producing my own music about 5 years ago and I can relate to all these points. But the funny part is that I somehow made my peace with it. I know my music is far from what I want it to be, or far from all my musical heroes I love listening to. I´m okay with having a normal day job and working on my music in my spare time, I try to release at least one song per month and honestly... if there´s only a single person enjoying it somehow I´m already happy. That´s all I want. I started to appreciate the process of creating without the expectation of a certain outcome. And that somehow... rewards me with an incredible freedom. I don´t need to justify anything, I´m not dependent on the income, if it sucks I´ll let it suck. As much as I sometimes struggle as well because I feel like it´s just not working and everything I do is just a bunch of c**p, as much as I sometimes wish I was someone like Mick Gordon or Klayton Albert... at the end of the day I´m actually happy to be myself and living through my own life, creating things the way I want to and to my best abilities. The first thing you create will probably be rather underwhelming, the tenth probably too.... but the 100th thing might be something really cool. Sometimes you just gotta stick with something because you feel that it´s the right course of action. With time and dedication results will follow, one way or the other. I wholeheartedly wish all of you aspiring artists that you´ll never lose trust in your own abilities and never lose the simple joy of just creating anything. Keep on rocking my fellows! 🤘
Checked out your work and your last track End Of The Line really reminds me of Celldweller's earlier work. It's nice how we can take our inspirations and influences and project it through our creations with our own touch and vision. And thank you for your words of motivation, wish you the same, keep going and keep creating!
@@z-boss Thank you very much for your kind words, what you said is actually sort of the highest possible compliment for me as Celldweller is my highest standard of what "excellent" sounds like 😂 But you are right - there are so many great artists that have influenced so many other and still continue to do so and I see it as a great flow of inspiration and energy. Once again thank you - all the best to you! 🤘
Totally agree with many topics you pointed out during this video! I also think that if you want to go on this path: just never give up! Mistakes are your best friends and any new challange is a way to learn something new and gain new experience, no matter if the final results are good or bad!
This is good stuff. I used to feel these things, but the older I've gotten, the more I just want to create for myself. I couldn't care less if anyone else likes what I'm making. If they do, that's fun I guess, but mostly I just like the act of making music, of designing sounds. And also, Bjork is a freaking genius.
Man, that last bit hits hard. I've dealt wth pretty much all of these feelings throughout my life in music, to the point where I've nearly given up on ever making a career in creating music and being relatively content just making music for the fun of it. But in other parts of my life, everything has been turned upside down and I've been left questioning a lot of things, not knowing what direction to go, what decisions I need to make, etc. But knowing that the only thing required of me is live my life until I can't is an extremely liberating feeling.
Damn ! For me it's just a hobby and I mostly make music for meself not others so can't relate with the depression part. But I get how it could be difficult for someone who is much passionate and want to break into the industry.
I love it when you make a philosophical video every now and then. It is one of the reasons I follow this channel actively, instead of it just being one of the many channels I've signed up for over the years and never revisited. You provide me with both technical and musical information as well as food for thought. To me that's important. And I really think you are good at what you do. This video has some valid points also for us who are never going to try to make a living out of what we're creating. Keep it up.
@@VenusTheory nobody can eat a whole baguette. You need some friends and some cheese and a nice wine. In a park somewhere in maybe Switzerland on a sunny morning.
The point of being "not good enough" is something that has riddled me too in the past. It especially bothered me when i recorded and mixed my songs that it's not up to standard. I felt like i am stepping on the same spot. Eventually i had the breakthrough of getting a guitar tone - a "Swedish Chainsaw" style - that just worked in my mixes. I sat down, wrote a song with it and in the end, that's one of the first ones where i thought "I could release this to the world without hiding" and it was great. It made me feel like i am finally progressing again.
You're a jewel and I loves ya. Thank you many bunches for all the help. You, Kenny Gioia, and Adam Steel are my "teachers" and fav youtube gents. Many of us benefit greatly from your efforts. Keep preaching and teaching my man!
Great video. I have been a full-time professional artist for 34 years. It is a wild psychological ride. The twists and turns and forks in the road are consistent. Enjoyment of the process of creating has been the driving force throughout all of the challenges.
subscribed when you said "sleepy time gorrilla museum." I'm now relocated my studio near Buenos Aires, immersed in a river delta surrounded by water and nature, to attract plant medicine healers and record their spiritual music where they feel comfortable. Thats my side gig, between me renting the studio to bands who come to get inspiration, and composing commercial music. There is a way. Might take years of sacrifice. Dedication is the only reason my studio could be relocated at all.
I'm always going to keep making music and art in general because I love it, not that I won't try to improve but i want to say my love will never die. Appreciate your video alot bro!
This is just what I needed…. As a long time animator who has been pushed towards more corporate work and less artistic work due to budget deficiencies between sterility opposed to unique ideas and what is marketable…
This video made me cry for all the right reasons. I've been making music for 16 years or so, no real "success" if success is defined as monetary gain, but I release music relatively consistently and make things I love. And beyond that I do filmmaking and acting and dnd and everything else. I work a normal person day job that funds the stuff I actually want to do and that's fine. This world isn't super conducive to actual creative "Careers" as ways to support oneself, but truly, there isn't much stopping you besides desire from making things. get out there, do the thing. I'm also producing their first TV pilot with no real idea of how it will go or if it will be "successful", just because I went "i wanna make tv". Works with everything, as it turns out. Just need the motivation and the true desire to do something. I believe in all of you.
i would say perseverance is the key. i started playing piano years back, then came to know music production right when ipassed school. bought a pretty pathetic laptop and cracked softwares, 1st year of my college. i never enjoyed being around people so i spend 1st year of my college in producing music. after 1 year of fucking practicing a lot, i realised im bullshit. but i kept doing it, because deep inside me i was like "if i stop doing it, i dont know what i'll be doing"... then there came a time, where i started listening to a lot of music, started experimenting a lot, started doing things differently then most of youtubers. end of 3rd year of production, i graduated college, still didnt make a single penny, my released music in total had 30 views combined all platforms, but i internally got this feeling that i have fucking improved. my strategy was make something (obviously it was inferior as compared to pros), do an a/b comparison, criticize myself, then improve on that particular mistake. right after college, i had very good quality music, a job, and nothing. in day, i did job and made music in the rest time. eventually i decided to make some money by offering music production services. thankfully got my first client very quickly, because honestly my music quality was amazing. then rest is story. its been 6 months, now i make like 1000 dollars from music, which is not a lot but i earn good from my day job as well and I'm from India, so its more than enough. but i projecting that my music income would be atleast 4k dollars per month in the next 4-5 months. i would give credit to my piano skills. again it comes down to perseverance, i didnt learned piano in 1 year, it took 10. because i never had a tutor, my parents couldnt afford. if you are good, you will feel it after years, and then on you will make money. thats how i feel , maybe im wring. i'll get to know that in future
I found that getting good at producing itself and then selling music to people who want to be performing artists is a goldmine. A lot of people want to be a DJ but are not able to produce. It's very possible to sell your music to people who want the DJ lifestyle but not the producing side of it. It happens more that people think. I'm not there yet, but the thought of those possibilities are motivating. If you can't to EVERYTHING by yourself, maybe focus on 1 aspect and sell just that to other people
Brian fucking Trifon(ic)! Nice plug dude! Trifonic taught me more about making electronic music in his little 20-minute videos in 2010 than anyone else on the internet to date. Things you could use immediately, no extra hours on repeat, reading forums with wheels spinning. Despite his outboard gear, insane sound design and technicality borne of DnB, he made it all so damn approachable. Visualize-able. Bypassed the overwhelming anxiety of learning any DAW, just foundations you could apply in your workflow that day... And every day since. If I ever release an actual album, "special thanks" just wouldn't do justice to his contribution. Brian, I salute you sir... And you too V.T., all you guys that tear down the barriers of entry for those who could once only listen and feel bitter.
Welcome back to mustache feelings show! Last video I'll be filming for a bit as I'm on the road most of April, so hopefully the algorithm gods shine on it! 🙏
🎸 Bandzoogle ► bandzoogle.com/?pc=venustheory
Thankyou.
This is some really great work man...
Your words are gospel brother..
🔥🤘🔥
🥀🥀🥀🥀
I made something
Wanted to point out a very enlightening book/documentary called The Brain That Changes Itself. This describes how you can literally rewire your brain based on what you choose to do. This can change the way your life unfolds. But it also applies to people helping each other.
@@floraphonic Is it assume?
I've been producing music for about 23yrs. 15yrs in i got depressed, i had no chart/dance hit (which i expected to have had by then) and felt like all those years were for nothing except my own enjoyment. I was contemplating giving up but i loved producing music, so after a long hard think (and realising fame and fortune was not going to happen) i decided to concentrate on a stable income and made music as an evening hobby. 2yrs later by pure chance i was an extra in a movie, ended up having an acting role, whilst working with the Director mentioned i was a music composer/producer, wrote some pieces of music for his movie which he loved. I went on to compose and produce the soundtracks to 4 other movies and had an acting role in 5 movies. Became friends with a Tech house dj, jointly worked on some tracks, he then went to Ibiza and became a resident dj in a club and also does a monthly mix for an online radio station where we get to play our tracks. All of this has happened in the last 5yrs. Ok, i've had some lucky breaks, but none of this would of happened if i had given up. Keep going keep getting better as you never know what is around the corner.
Hey thanks for sharing your story, that's very inspiring! Really needed to hear this. All the best in the future!
It sounds like beating a horse at this point, but if people like Stefan Betke (Pole) Jan Jelinik (Farben) Matthew Herbert, or Akufen listened to other people’s opinions, they would have given up. If you are in to tech house there is a plethora of labels that are off kilter and do not follow conventional thinking. Music For Freaks, Revolver, Dumb Unit
and Kompakt to name a few.
Oh damn! Great determination. You love to see it and congrats to you.
Who are you? Gonna search you up.
i've been making music for about 22 years- and some of my tracks now have DOZENS of listens. just stick with it, and you could be like me! * jumps out window *
I cried a little when you said you expected us to report back with whatever we’ve created. It felt like the compassion, permission and love we deny ourselves for the very reasons you covered in the video.
I smashed out 4 super basic tracks and dumped them on Bandcamp with no concern for who would like them. Despite no one listening to it, it feels good to have done it.
Music is therapy. If you feel inclined to write despite who will listen then follow that. I'm a burn survivor and making music is my form of therapy
I've done same with my 4 tracks recently. Feels good as closure to some phase of creative journey. Can now go on and continue making new tracks.
And never stop
"Use what talents you possess - the woods will be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best" - Henry van Dyke
☝️☝️This…so much _This_ ☝️☝️
Lovely quote!
I remember a teacher read this quote out loud one time. Then, a student defiantly chimed in: "Yeah, it might be more silent, but it'd sound a hell of a lot better".
...But the quote does hold its weight in gold.
Deep
Yes, but only the birds that sing best get laid.
Feeling like your music is too weird is definitely a better place to be than feeling like your music is too derivative. Lean in to what makes your art unique!
Hey man if you can bypass the technical hurdles and just go straight to weird, and comfortable with what came out of you... It's probably worth pursuing. Be weird, just for you. Theyre lucky, IMHO, artistic identity is important and rarely discussed beyond "finding your sound". Know there are plenty of people out there who would feel better about themselves, proud even, to be mind-blown by something most people can't get down with. Even the most uneventful folks can feel like a hipster with a secret, and it's got serious merit. Manson played some stuff I knew I wanted to hear... Mr Bungle helped me become the person I didn't know I already was.
thankyou....weird is important, then tweek it to give it a beautiful edge, and to make it in some way compelling
yes yes for fucks sake YES. this world is filled to the FUCKING brim with copycats. be weird, be unique, be a pioneer going in a direction that feels like YOU
For the guys who wanna make money off music, I wanna warn you what that entails. When I worked as an engineer/producer at a studio in Chicago recording rappers we had a pro tools template that we used for every artist. Everyone had the same compressors, delay, reverb, eq, etc. We spent about 10mins mixing cause people paid by the hour. We didn't get to make art. We were just recording people and mixing as fast as possible with barely any creativity involved. The guy in charge said, "We're not making gourmet burgers. We're McDonald's." I hated it. I don't wanna work with every guy who wants to pay for studio time. I don't wanna make songs I don't like. I don't wanna treat art like a commodity. It sucked.
could be wrong, but that's because rap generally has fairly standard beats that don't try to be too different from each other.
perhaps, in a studio that has more obscure/experimental music would allow you to use more creativity?
@@static7985 Yeah, I ended up building my own studio and now I record all my friends for free and we make whatever we want. Music might not be my job anymore, but I love making it again.
@@xSaintxSmithx what is your job now? i need to know
The lost of art...that's what next generation have to face. Fast and effective ...doesn't mean shiet when you talk about Art.
I am a 62 year old. I have been writing and recording music from when I was about 14. I have worked with bands and worked alone. The first recording equipment I had was a Tascam 144 portastudio . I dreamed of a 24 track with 2” tape. Well it is years later I have felt all the things you spoke about in your insightful video and still do. As I sit here in my studio with a 64 input digital studio. Do I make my living from music full time no do I have 100s of published tracks yes. Do I still think I suck yes. But I do what I want and I make my music for me. To get into a studio and record music because you enjoyed it was not a thing in the 1970s it just cost too much. Fantastic video thanks.
Thank you for sharing!
Right on! Can we hear these tracks somewhere?
Dear human.... Your story gives me strength. I'll be turning 40 soon, and I've had this overwhelming feeling of not having accomplished anything, just weighing me down. I've got a 3 year old son and all I'm able to do is barely make ends meet.
Ditto, although you had a Tascam 144 !!!, while I was on a Fostex X-15.
I guess I just gotta applaude this guy for genuinely not giving up on something he's sucked at for 4 years. That's some serious tenacity.
I'm on 18 years and I am better than I was 5 years ago but I do in fact still suck 🤘
Shit I'm 30 and been doing this for 10 years and still am very mediocre
42 tears / years! Still chipping at the block. Something to do innit?
a year can look really different from one person to another. there's actually putting the work in like VT says near the end, there are also ways to try structuring your creative life. but there is also the time consumed by hiatuses, sometimes necessary for mental health or economic or other reasons and sometimes just a rut we can get stuck in and need to punch our way through. at least the more time you've been doing it, the less permanent it feels to take a break.
@@chukah9484 10 years is nothing, try 40
I spent a year writing a song per week. I didn't worry about quality, my mixing skills aren't amazing, and treated it as a learning experience. Whilst some did suck, some were bangers and I learned so much during the whole process. I even went out of my comfort zone, recording vocals and trying writing for different genres. I'm glad I did it, it made me a better artist.
That was me all of last year. Sometimes two a weekend! Just plug in, hit record, and whatever happens happens. I wrote a lot of good DUMB shit that my kids like and that’s enough for me, really.
How were you able to commit that hard?
@@Geow1ng the first fourteen songs I basically relied on the auto drummer in GarageBand. The rest of it? I had a BLAST getting back into exploring music, the fact my kids dug my lighter punk stuff made me want to see if they’d be interested in my heavier side. And then I basically just used my art as therapy because I needed to get a loooooooooooot of stuff out suddenly. A lot.
@@Geow1ng the REAL challenge has essentially been trying to become comfortable behind a physical (or at least an electronic) drum kit, since I spent over a decade programming drums by hand.
Doing this as we speak. feels good to consistency does pay off
I credit you for my return to music after a nearly decade break. I released my first piano EP and am knee deep in my fourth concept album. Thank you for videos like this.
Well damn that's awesome haha. Released under your name on Spotify or where can I hear it?
i want to hear it! where can we find you?
Hats off to you - good to hear your back on track. Doesn't matter how long takes if it means you get back home..
@@elone3997 Thank you! It’s amazing what can happen when people talk about their feelings. You never know the impact you can have.
I was hoping the top comment would be something like this and I wasn’t disappointed. Glad to be a new listener, Jerry. Keep making that good good.
When I was at my absolute lowest, legitimately being monitored for you can probably guess what…that’s when I wrote my first song that I actually liked.
Depression is an intensely powerful emotion and the best music is created from the strongest emotions.
When I was at my lowest, I had a conversation with my sister and cousin making light of the concept of “live, laugh, love” signs. As I was spiraling downward later that week, I picked up my guitar because it was the only thing that made me truly happy and then started writing about a breakup then used humor to add in the concept of the “live, laugh, love” sign, using the opposite of depression to combat it and using that emotion to write just the right rhymes, the perfect chorus, and the right melody, finally discovering what I was looking for in my own music that I had completely given up searching for. At that moment, I realized that there was no giving up when there was work to be done and from those intense emotions, it brought me back from the brink and now every time I’m feeling at my lowest (after a fight with my parents, after a breakup, after severing ties with a friend) I use those emotions to channel into creativity.
I released a demo for that song a few days ago and now I plan on releasing thirteen songs alongside it. It doesn’t matter to me how much other people like it or approve of it (don’t get me wrong, the point of making my music public is for it to inspire/make other people happy) but I see these songs as something to be proud of. They signify the darkest times of my life that I’ve risen above and I think that’s a powerful message to share. This may not work for everyone, but for incredibly emotional people like myself who also suffer from depression and/or anxiety, channeling negative emotions into creativity may help more than you can expect.
Sorry for the novel, but if this helps even one person, it was worth it.
"Embrace the chaos and turn all that energy into art" is what I always think of when making music
Just purely focused/lost in the process and unfolding the beauty you can make through it.
Great motto there, way to be in the zone
totaly agree
turn all that energy into social transformation.. knock down the local ma5onic lodge "making art" is exactly what suckers do
Beautiful
100% agree
the past couple of years when things got really tough for us musicians, I came to the realization that “music is its own reward”, quoting Bernard Shaw and Sting. Just being able to make music is enough of a reason to keep going.
I love this.
#1: "I'm not very good" -> I think this an essential step on the journey to becoming good at art. It means you see the gap between your current work, and where you want to be. It means you're on the cusp of understanding how to improve. It's not just a step; it's a cycle. With the next improvement, you see other opportunities, and so the cycle continues with each piece of work, and over time, your work evolves. If you then look back at early work, you should see how far you've come.
7:21 I suddently realized that this morning, looking at some of the successful music channels here on youtube, but you know what? I don't care. I won't spend time on making videos I don't like to make, just to get my music known, I'm aware it won't change my life anyway so I prefer doing what I like (producing my songs), just for my kids to have something about their father to remember other than photos. I'm working on this mindset: thank God I don't need to rely on music to live, so I will do it as a free man, when I like, the way I like it, until I enjoy it! Of course, it is frustrating to be ignored and not getting attention or likes, but it's just ego. Once you realize that, ego will run away as a buglar caught stealing. Thanks for these videos because they really help!
I kind of teared up half way through this. When; in human history has a music producer been given 12 songs from an artist set in front of him to produce an album with? That happened to me last Halloween.
I just finished our band's 5th album and paid for the distribution last Saturday. It comes out 4/20/23. I took 4 and a half months of waking up every day, and my work was set in front of me; working every day on music production for 4 and a half months!
I learned a lot of things, meaning I made a lot of mistakes. I am now very much wiser on technique, and a much better musician. Thank you for the wise video.
When you start off with such a lie I don't know whether to believe anything you said after that .
On a side note, why do you subscribe to nasa ?
I subscribe to nasa to laugh at how stupid people are but then I realize so many people never question that shit and it's sad.
@@AuntAlnico4 That doesn't bother me, and neither should you......
@@ricktheexplorer hey, congrats!! good on you for learning and awesome job with the album. don't mind what the person above said - they're hating for no reason. you're doing a great job
What’s it called? I’ll definitely give it a listen when it drops
I feel like I'm being called out every time I watch your videos.
I just wanted to say thank you for that.
Truly.
Dude.. I really needed this today. In my musical life, & my regular life. I really appreciate this channel, & your perspective…
As someone who's been a full-time, professional musician for the majority of my adult life I can confidently say the following:
1. Persistence is everything. That doesn't mean just not giving up, it means understanding your strengths and weaknesses and consistently addressing them. Playing up your strengths, and strengthening your weaknesses consistently and persistently.
2. Inspiration is a lie. The more you do this, the more you realize that you can tap into your creative well at any time. Inspiration isn't the problem, it's having the wherewithal to turn an idea into a fully realized, finished product. A riff is not a song, a line is not a poem, a sketch is not a painting. Finish your work every time.
This video feels like a warm hug of a dear friend telling you the world ain't that bad. And even as a fully grown male I need this sometimes. We're all the same in the end, we all want to feel like we spend our precious lifetime in a way that makes ourselves and other people happy, bringing a little joy into this overwhelming world where music is the only anchor sometimes.
Don't let your brittle hope and your passion get buried in the harsh noise of your intrusive thoughts. You're worth a whole lifetime of love, joy and forgiveness.
I hope everyone reading this understands that all of us artists feel exactly the same struggle everyday. As long as there is music, there's people struggling to make it, just as you are.
As long as there's music, you're not alone, never.
Once when I was being down on myself for not being better at guitar, my girlfriend at the time said, “it’s ok. It’s not about being the best. It’s about loving what you’re doing. That’s all that matters right now… keep loving the process and the skill will naturally increase in time”
Sounds like a keeper
I’m always surprised after showing people my tunes, how much they actually like them and how my mind is usually over critical.
As the artist you always know more about the work and have examined it in so much detail, you know what you had in mind vs what you put out which is hard to overcome, and you're always hoping for better.
For most people its easy to just decide if they like something or not without being too detail driven.
Do you know what dopamine is?
Read about it,
When you listen to music (especially when you make by yourself and listen its becoming boring if you dont take a couple days break) that's how dopamine works
You get yoo much of it
Then you get depressed, its cycle
Feeeeel youuu😊
what we may not like, other people may love.
How can you tell that they actually like them?
For me to really believe it it’d have to be a stranger liking it who didn’t even know I made it.
Thank you for this!!! I've been a functional musician by trade for decades now and at various points along the way I've tried and tried to transition to a more creative career. Things go wrong every single time so I've been in an endless cycle of starting over. I started pursuing electronic production/performance and increasing my skill set about 4 years ago and so far this new phase has been in a foundational state. It's been brutal and arduous and lonely and frustrating, but also very rewarding because I continue to improve at everything.
And just now, as of this writing, I'm about to release my first song with this new project! Not a big thing, just a performance video. But as soon as that's completed I'll be diving head first into the real meat of what I've been working toward and it's equally exciting and daunting. Daunting because I've been in this start-over scenario before. Exciting because the whole situation is different this time, and much more intentional.
Long story short, the kind of encouragement I'm getting from seeing videos like this is priceless. The whole time I'm listening to the words I'm thinking about what I'm going to be doing tonight, and tomorrow night, and all the other nights to come, in my creative space, and this really helps with the motivation!
That. Was. PERFECT! Thank you Cameron. As a life long musician, I've felt all of these at one time or another. The single best thing I've learned is to keep showing up, no expectations. Just show up, do the work and let that be enough.
Very well said. When I feel happy about an idea I have and hear it first in my DAW, then polishing it so it becomes even better, then I feel like I have so much fun and it does not happen always on each track, but when it does, how good a feeling! Those tracks are not even always published on internet most of the time. Just for me when driving in my car, enjoying it to the max. The rest, getting likes and stuff, is optional.
A LOT of people only delve into sound, loops, patterns and synthesis these days.....
BUT it is only the arrangement and the composition! that makes a song or film music great and really exciting and can even make it timeless....
Your attitude matters so much too. Why did Snoop's delivery on Doggystyle change rap forever? Because in 93 he really lived that life! Nowadays he's cooking with Martha but rappin about violence and crime, so his attitude comes through phony
@@SampleFire gotta disagree wit dat mate. If your arrangement is shit, no amount of sound design can save it. That's why people get bored of hour long modular sets. All sound design no composition leaves nothing to grab onto and listen to
This is my issue. I can make loops and cool stuff for days. When it comes to crafting a song I feel like I start to hate what I've made and move on. Any tips on getting out of that trap?
@@RogueAstro85 it's all about tension and release, that's what keeps people interested, feeling like something else is coming next. study your favourite songs by comparing the different sections in them: how do they contrast from each other? how does one build up the other and create an energy shift when the song gets to that part? Take your loop and call it section A, then try and make a Section B that works well with it, then C, D (assuming you're talking about instrumental music). The easiest way to start is to use the same chord progression for both sections and have the first section quite minimal, then add parts in on the next section and so on, keep building it up. Another way is to have short and fast notes on one section, and long notes on another. Or lower notes on one section and higher on another. All about that contrast.
@@RogueAstro85 making a song is a hard thing I feel Bad to when making one but I guess theres no recipe than keep making it
Great video! Really amazing points especially the one about inspiration. When this happens to me I always think back to that quote on the wall from my elementary days; "1% inspiration, 99% perspiration". Relying to be inspired is immensely inconsistent, very unreliable. It's better to work in short bursts, get used to the flow, then again, again, again until you start to work longer and better.
As long as you take proper self-care, lots of breaks in between, this can work for your benefit.
You are so right. I put my album out in 2002 and then I..paused. For 20 years. And everyday not making anything ,was just eating me up little by little. So one day last year, I decided to grab my ass off the couch and turn on my synth. And purchasedthe latest version of my daw.Then I realised that I had to match up with 20 years of evolution and digital development! But there was help, like your channel. Somehow piece by piece ,it's all getting back to me. Guys, just put your hands on the keyboard. Every day. Thank you for you videos. Just keep making them, with that...enviable bass voice of yours!
I been producing for 3 years now and I never thought about the monetary gain behind it. I just love music so much and I kick myself for not taking that route earlier in my life. Who knows what could’ve happened if I started when I was 12 but I am glad in partaking this journey that is and always will be my calling
Cameron, as usual you caught it. Even at 75, having taught art, I get discouraged (like now) with my sound design projects and tell myself useless stuff. Thanks for the necessary reminders!
"Art is never finished, only abandoned" -Leonardo Divinci
I think about this when I get overly critical about my music. Each piece is a stepping stone of imperfection, not a contest to see how perfect you can get it. At some point you have to say, "yes, this is enough," and then move on to doing a bettee job next time instead of focusing on how imperfect the last thing was.
I love your channel just because you talk about topics, not a lot talk about in the music industry, like you arent talking about "10 ways to write a chord progression". You talk about the serious buissnes and the struggles that come with music production and stuff a lot of people (like me) can relate to
I hope you will keep doing this!
I sure hope so too, this channel is actually a hidden gem. I have little interest in music, I hardly even listen to it!
But there hasn't been a single one of these feely videos that hasn't been helpful for me.
The only thing I truly have my full attention span for is music and I will continue to create it. This was a great watch.
This channel is so important to me. I work alone. I make music alone. I rely on Cameron’s thought provoking subjects and commentary to keep my creative mind stimulated. Thanks for the effort you put into this Venus Theory. You make a different in people’s lives.
I literally laughed out loud very loudly when you gave that punchline towards the end! I can just say as someone who started learning guitar and then bass when I was in high school in the late 80s, I sucked terribly when I began. I tried to jam with a dude who had been playing guitar just as long as I had, but he'd actually worked at it, and I just wasn't good enough to play along with him. He asked me if I was serious about playing music which was a real wake-up call. I continued to not be any good. I didn't even work hard at it at first. Then about a year and a half after I switched from guitar to bass, I joined my first band and a couple months later my first gig (opening for The Mentors! lol!) The former bass player of that band was standing right in front of the stage, and if I made the slightest mistake he would laugh as hard as he could. I tried to not let it bother me, and I used it to get better. I continued to work at it, going from band to band to a time when total strangers were actually complimenting me on my bass playing telling me I was really good. I just kept working at it. I'd practice on my own to cassette recordings of the band's songs. I became the back up vocalist as well. Two of the bands self-produced CDs in the late 90s in recording studios. One of the bands played 150 gigs over a four year span, doing so without any support from a manager, or a fanbase. In early 2002, I left my band needing a break and ended up not playing bass in a band for a decade. But I kept making music on my own and I didn't care if no one even heard it. I was just doing it for myself and to experiment. This is supposed to be fun, right?! PLAY!! At some point, I made a bandcamp page and started putting up albums, still not caring if anyone listened to it. The amount of downloads I have laughable and I've probably only made enough money at this point for a couple burritos. I started doing FAWM February Album Writing Month in 2018 after hearing about it in late January and yes, I still suck at songwriting, but I think I'm getting better. And I'm not going to stop doing it even if I continue to suck at it. No, you can't stop me. Nobody can. I did the 50-90 songwriting challenge last summer and made something like 88 songs. Some of it is weird spoken word crap, most of it is experimental synth noises, but on the very last day of the challenge, I wrote probably the best song I've ever written, and I did it in about 30 minutes! It still only exists as that phone recording I did on the spot, but I'm quite proud of how it turned out.
I make music for 15 years and i too had big aspirations and dreams. Needless to say i am just another producer in an ocean of countless producers. Surely wanted to quit at some point too because i got nowhere. I am still nowhere. I am not special. My music is generic. But i've accepted that not everyone is destined to "make it" - and i need to make music regardless if i am successful or not. If i don't express myself with music i am miserable. And so i jam on my guitar and write little tunes for my friends, family and myself. It's okay the way it is (but i still dream a little here and there).
It’s more about being able to bring beauty into the world. However you can do it. That’s the entire point.
Do what makes sense and be practical.
You are a extremely effective content creator. That career didn’t even exist a few years back. You are damn good at it. Like Beato or Neely.
4:21 "if you're able to deliver the idea with conviction, everything else is secondary" this is all it's needed. A lot of pros are not good at it, many even said it themself after getting so famous no one can touch them anymore. They just told people around them they were right enough to convince them they are. If you choose something cause you felt it was right, that certainty is contagious for people that are unsure of what they are doing. There is an even bigger point underlined by this sentence: most of your clients and people in general DON'T KNOW GOOD FROM BAD. They don't know what they want and often they don't know what's good for them. This is an universal truth in creativity, if you are surrounded by lame or standard people that don't understand what you are doing, you may feel that you are doing something wrong or bad while with other people may view you as a godsend. Most of consumers love stuff after it's pushed onto them for enough time and not cause they loved it before or they searched for it.
This is a really great video, there is not enough people talking about these kind of topics! thanks a lot for this and the hundreds of people you'll inspire thanks to this video. 🖤
Glad you enjoyed it! And let's hope so - that's the goal!
I've been through this a couple of times in the last 25 years. The worst was when I packed everything up for almost 6 years. Some of it was inspiration some depression, but most of all it was circumstances beyond me and I needed to get myself put together again. I stayed creative by learning archery and making custom handmade knives. Then circumstances happened again that drew me back into music and that time off gave me so much to draw on. Since then I've had to stop every now and again for things kinda out of my control. I started up again this year and I've written a lot, but haven't really been inspired to be able to write new music. So instead of feeling defeated, I started working on old songs that never got recorded so I can still create. I guess my point is it's not always a bad thing to walk away for bit(I don't recommend 5 years). A few months even a year is ok. I think as artists we tend to think we SHOULD be inspired by the music, but we forget to go live life in the process of creating. Inspiration is fickle and you shouldn't be bound to hold a guitar and play until something comes to you. Go meet people, take a long hike in the forest, go get lost somewhere. Whatever it is you need for inspiration your body and mind will tell you if you listen. Sorry this was way to long, but I can be a wordy guy at times.
"The only thing you have to do is die"... love it, I'd add to this by saying ..."so go live!"
✌️❤️🤘
Wise words as ever! I'm finding it incredibly difficult to just get started on anything at the mo. I always end up doing something else- even housework. I have a painting half finished that's been sat on the easel for over 2 months and switching the DAW to actually lay something down eludes me. I'm guessing it's just a slump- the productivity will return.
"The only thing in life you have to do is die" wow i love this. Thanks thats what i needed to hear right now. Reminds me of something I was once told by an instructor "dont wish your life away " its stuck with me for years
inspiration is 50% a myth and 50% unreliable but i definitely felt inspired after watching this video
One of my favourite quotes (I can’t remember who said it) went something kinda like this: “Artists sit around and wait for inspiration. Professionals show up and do the work.” I think about that everyday.
I can only speak of music creativity for myself. But as far as inspiration goes, just keep listening to more and more music. New and old. Different genres that you wouldn’t normally listen to. You’re going to eventually come across that one song that does it for you, and there’s your new inspiration. It’s literally worked every time for me, and I think it should work for every creative musician out there who just loves listening to a great song.
Embrace the freedom you have to create exactly what you want - no record company telling you to be more MOR, no producer telling you to lose the guitar solo or Autotune your vocal. So what if no one's listening?
I’ve gotta say, you made this video at the perfect time for me. Lately music production has started to feel less fun, and I feel like I haven’t been able to creatively express myself in a way I liked, along With a lot of the other issues mentioned in the video. This video has given me a bit of hope in a time that feels hopeless, and depressing to me. Recently I’ve been considering quitting for good, but after seeing this, I’ve reconsidered. Thank you very much, I really needed this.
Alright, I'm just here to report back, like you said! Firstly, thank you for the video! Great stuff! I didn't release music for 8 years. I had so many songs on their way back in 2015, and at the time I thought I'd keep releasing a lot more songs, but I guess I was too scared of taking that step... I wasn't sure who I was or what kind of music I wanted to make, so I started a new alias called 'Oceans on Fire' where I made Pop-influenced Future Bass and Chillstep. So... now I'm back, and I'm releasing music every 3-4 weeks! I'll still release music as 'Oceans on Fire' as well, plus I started making Synthwave in a group called 'Solid Kids'.
Your last point reminded me of the book The Mental Game of Music Production. The main point of the book is that in the beginning, it’s quantity of quality. Just finish songs. Put in some time every day, just finish stuff. No matter how bad. Eventually, the stuff you finish will naturally get better. You’ll start making the right creative decisions with more regularity. But you HAVE to put the time in and actually get stuff done.
I feel this very much so at times. There is only the thought of one day i might get better that keeps me creating
Honestly I guess that's really the best way to look at it. Sorta like the old phrase 'the only one to compare yourself to is who you were yesterday'.
You’re definitely right bro, I found myself in situation where I just need to educate myself more, and practice making anything, one day we will hit the spot 🤝
Very right time to watch this out of the blue.😭 I'm crying right now. 2:27
Dude... I think I've felt every one of those feelings you listed at some point in the last 20+ years. I started making music (seriously) in 1998 but stopped around 2010 because of a variety of reasons, getting burned out, not getting paid at all, depression, just real life stuff taking priority. I had spent the next 13 years not making music at all and only just this year, I decided to finally get back into it... and all those feelings were lined up at the door waiting for me. Thanks so much for sharing this. It was really uplifting. 👍
Boy oh boy, THIS is such a good Video Cameron and reflects so much of my life.
Just in short. First music schooling at the age of 5. With 9 hears Jean-Michel Jarre and was hypnotised by synths. Got my Korg MS 20 with 14 and taken away from my dad again when I was 16 (yes, he was a b*st*rd) - bought a Korg Wavestation and Alesis S4 + a drumcomputer again when I was 17 and tried to produce music since then, but never really succeeded.
Sold everything again with 26, because - I just wasn't good enough - restarted trying to create music when I was 40, bought a shitload of synths and even build my own DIY modular, and got quit good in Livejamming - until i noticed, so much building, no time to create real tracks and .. as a producer I suck, so, sold everything again - very very frustrating.
While Corona Lockdown I heavily hearted atmitted to myself, well, you are a shitty producer, but an okish Techno-DJ, so concentrate on that maybe and I did. But listening to so much Techno, it did again trigger my shitty producer side, so last year, with 51, I bought a Maschine MK3, shitload of plugins and courses on producing and arranging Techno and finally can get frustrated again while learning this beast and of course get even more frustrated as an overthinker, because --- woohooo, I suck again ^^ BUT I have to admit to myself, I just can't life without, so ... forget beeing famous or earning money with it - I now just do it for fun and am closer then ever to finish a track that might get out to a label - and if not, well, who cares, I will just go on ;)
Love this series. The real truth is that I can only control my thinking. I can’t control my circumstances. My brain feeds me toxic bullshit all day long, and I just have to carry that along with me and tell myself better things. And just do something.
I have been on and off that professional music rollercoaster, and all you are saying makes complete sense. I would like to add that if you are after success, even if you get a slice of it, it will never be enough. Something else cruel also happens; once in the past, it doesn't feel real or it doesn't matter. I disregard everything I ever did, all that counts is the next song.
I honestly do not know how to thank you for this video. It resonated on so many levels with me as a sound artist who's trying to find her career as an audio producer to finance her artistic ideas. I'm very grateful of finding you on one of my random searches on how to do stuff on cubase.
Making music is one of the few experiences I've found that brings me a level of purpose and excitement that very little else can compare to. And yet it also brings me such frustration and ultimately depression when I fail. So many unfinished songs, so many unrealized visions, so many attempts where the vision never really even came to me. I'm long past the delusion that I will become famous, and I'm well on my way to the realization that very few people will ever enjoy or even listen to my music. And yet...I keep coming back to it. Because while I will never understand why some people are successful in their art and others are not, I can't deny the fact that the music is a part of me. I must bring it out of my head and into existence. That's all that matters. And I will spend the rest of my life fighting whatever mental hurdles get in my way and prevent me from achieving this goal.
Love how you push people not to get discouraged, and just create. You're dope brother! 💯
The problem with that is toxic positivity.
This dude has more views talking about music(in one video) than many musicians have in aggregate for their actual music catalogue.
If someone really wants to monetize their music career...my belligerent comment will not discourage them. They would laugh and keep going.
The music industry is hyper competitive and very brutal. There are more musicians making music than there is people who want to listen. Because of populism. 1% get 90% of the listens.
I am sorry to be speaking truth. Yet that is how it is.
Something that was a huge breakthrough for me and very helpful was the idea of any artistic endeavor as a project. The idea of the project creates a box in my mind, everything about that project goes into this box. It also ends up being a series of folders and bookmarks on my computer, but this is good because all the helpful resources for doing the project are collected there. It seems like this would be obvious, but if someone is stuck, this may be something unconsidered. So the project can be whatever an artist decides, working on the project is answering questions and making choices about the project. For a record album, you can start with with something like the RPM project that happens every year: let's say its 35 minutes of original music. Thinking about timeframes doesn't make sense until the project is well under way. You can first answer- why am I doing this? Because it is good for my brain to flex and develop my creative muscles. What are the criteria for success? It just has to be two things: 1) Completed and 2) I am happy with it. #2 is actually freeing, because you can say- I will put this thing through however many iterations and attempts until I arrive at something I am happy with. It may take 10 years, 10 months, or 10 hours, we may not even know yet. Then you start making choices- who am I inspired by? I need to start with, in the case of a record- who am I similar to? What covers or music can I learn from that will take me closer to being able to realize what it is I have to say? With each choice made, I get closer to done. What genre is it? How many songs? What instruments and equipment can I use that are within my budget? Do I have others that can help me or collaborate, or is it just me? Something that ends up happening is that this project just becomes its own thing, an independent existence apart from any feedback. It is not me, it is something I am doing to benefit myself. I don't even have to release it. Lastly, I give myself permission to be bad. An album of crappy music never killed anyone from listening to it as far as I know. Sorry Cameron for the wall of text, I think this idea might be helpful.
As someone who has a huge passion for music and is trying to get into creating music, this was very inspiring and helpful. I’ve been lacking the confidence to create things because I’m worried it won’t turn out the way I want or that nobody will even like it. I’m glad I came across this video though, really makes me wanna just go into my studio and start recording something.
Venus Theory, thank you for explaining myths about success, creativity ...etc. Yes, sometimes it seems that we have no choices, but the truth is that we are expecting so much and so fast from ourselfs, so we can not see causality of choises what we made. OK, thaks again.
Cameron, thank you for all that you do and sharing these words of wisdom. It helps a lot with my own internal struggles and I'm sure it does the same for many, many others. 👊
Unison Midi Chord Pack. I use it for everything. Solves all those problems. Get Cakewalk and Lupis Sonar for maximum efficiency.
"high level chords"
I’d recommend to any creative The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. Probably the best book on being a creative and the blocks and hurdles we come across. Thank you to this! You hit it spot on Cameron! I appreciate all you do for Thai community of misfits and lovers of the arts.
I have similar thoughts about talent, it can't be trained, I don't have it, but after 10 years as a 2/d3d artist I'm still doing it even though I'm ashamed of half of my deliveries
Personally after few months shy of three years I have noticed that no matter how much I sometimes suck at making tracks and creating beats, I still feel better doing them than trying to live without it. Even then when I suck, I have nothing else in my mind than the music and it feels like a holiday compared to how shit I occasionally feel when my head is swarming with other things.
Right there @9:15. Glorious. Not only bitching, but attacking and shaming the productions they’re commenting on, spewing general negativity and justifying themselves behind claims of lengthy experience in this or that. Anyways… love yr message here. Valuable utilization of this platform. Thank you.
This is fantastic. Even though after 25 years having a 1000 fans is still a laughably impossible goal, the focus on the idea that artists should do what they believe in is an important thing to keep in mind. Plus the thing about dying. Always good to keep the thing about dying in mind.
The Stoics were really clear about the dying thing.
Memento Mori
The Stoics of classical antiquity were particularly prominent in their use of this discipline, and Seneca's letters are full of injunctions to meditate on death. The Stoic Epictetus told his students that when kissing their child, brother, or friend, they should remind themselves that they are mortal, curbing their pleasure, as do "those who stand behind men in their triumphs and remind them that they are mortal". The Stoic Marcus Aurelius invited the reader (himself) to "consider how ephemeral and mean all mortal things are" in his Meditations.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memento_mori
Use it as a motivation to live a better life (I try! Honest!)
Here’s what’s worked for me as a creative professional with 20+ years of experience creating videos… I adjusted my expectations. Sure, the first dream was direct films and win Oscars. But when I was 20 I needed a job and one opened at a local TV station. The next 7 years were a whirlwind, as I was a TV photojournalist and covered stories like the Columbia Shuttle Disaster and Hurricane Katrina. I learned the power of creating stories for a community. I left that world to go to the commercial side of things where I still am. But in my personal projects I connected with a niche community and found value in creating for them… we share a rare disease experience that few understand, and so creating for them meant they had a deep, emotional connection to the material. I still have my day job that pays the bills, but my personal creative projects bring me so much fulfillment. My point is… it’s your life. It’s your journey. Find what works for you. But also know that accepting all of that can be a long journey as well.
When I needed this it came. I am just starting to teach myself music theory and the piano. I’ve made my first album on solely samples and it made me feel good but unfulfilled. I aspire to make my own music but it feels like a huge up hill climb. I am 28 and i have to constantly fight the thoughts of that it’s too late. This video gives hope but the feeling of not being “good” or “relevant” is over whelming. So thank you for sharing your thoughts
Your videos have reconstructed how I view success and the creative process. I convince myself that my shortcomings are proof that I can never improve, but this thought pattern alone limits me more than anything else.
Without this barrier, I often become fully immersed in creativity. I can reach failure and choose what to do rationally, rather than immediately giving up. I've found that pausing to acknowledge these thoughts of self-disgust can be helpful. Not trying to suppress it, but noticing the sensations and thoughts that arise often times allow them to flow past. My mind doesn't hook on them as much.
The most recent thing I made had only one criteria: I was going to do the best I could at it. The best mix, vocal performance, etc. The thing is I started thinking about that with everything. The best marketing I could manage, the best effort at a live performance and so on. The most noticeable effect was that I liked the music so much more. I’m really proud of what I made because I did my best at it and I don’t have any regrets.
You live and learn. I gave up too at one point, but I discovered it was therapy and I wasn't doing it for fame or fortune. Do it because you love it.
Whenever you're feeling down about your music remember all of the terrible or overly cheesy songs that have become popular through the years. Just keep going. Embrace your cheesiness and weirdness it's what makes you unique. Even if you make something you don't like, it's possible someone out there will like it anyway, so just keep going. And don't be afraid to expand your skills with lessons, classes and practice.
This is the kind of content that can turn your mindset around. Instantly useful, well thought out and intentionally made. I have made a few awesome things but am struggling to follow up with something that feels of like quality. This helps to take the expectation and pressure of myself. At least enough to keep trying to make something that I like. Thank you for everything you do.
I really felt that one. I also started producing my own music about 5 years ago and I can relate to all these points.
But the funny part is that I somehow made my peace with it. I know my music is far from what I want it to be, or far from all my musical heroes I love listening to.
I´m okay with having a normal day job and working on my music in my spare time, I try to release at least one song per month and honestly... if there´s only a single person enjoying it somehow I´m already happy. That´s all I want.
I started to appreciate the process of creating without the expectation of a certain outcome. And that somehow... rewards me with an incredible freedom. I don´t need to justify anything, I´m not dependent on the income, if it sucks I´ll let it suck. As much as I sometimes struggle as well because I feel like it´s just not working and everything I do is just a bunch of c**p, as much as I sometimes wish I was someone like Mick Gordon or Klayton Albert... at the end of the day I´m actually happy to be myself and living through my own life, creating things the way I want to and to my best abilities. The first thing you create will probably be rather underwhelming, the tenth probably too.... but the 100th thing might be something really cool. Sometimes you just gotta stick with something because you feel that it´s the right course of action. With time and dedication results will follow, one way or the other.
I wholeheartedly wish all of you aspiring artists that you´ll never lose trust in your own abilities and never lose the simple joy of just creating anything.
Keep on rocking my fellows! 🤘
Checked out your work and your last track End Of The Line really reminds me of Celldweller's earlier work. It's nice how we can take our inspirations and influences and project it through our creations with our own touch and vision.
And thank you for your words of motivation, wish you the same, keep going and keep creating!
@@z-boss Thank you very much for your kind words, what you said is actually sort of the highest possible compliment for me as Celldweller is my highest standard of what "excellent" sounds like 😂
But you are right - there are so many great artists that have influenced so many other and still continue to do so and I see it as a great flow of inspiration and energy.
Once again thank you - all the best to you! 🤘
Totally agree with many topics you pointed out during this video!
I also think that if you want to go on this path: just never give up! Mistakes are your best friends and any new challange is a way to learn something new and gain new experience, no matter if the final results are good or bad!
This is good stuff. I used to feel these things, but the older I've gotten, the more I just want to create for myself. I couldn't care less if anyone else likes what I'm making. If they do, that's fun I guess, but mostly I just like the act of making music, of designing sounds. And also, Bjork is a freaking genius.
The creation of music is not My problem it's all the other requirements around releasing music.
I create music for myself, and it still depresses me when I’m unable to create something that I personally like. And I’m a harsh critic.
@@HOLLASOUNDS YES it's completely exhausting, I wish I didn't even have to think about it until the very end.
@@cantstopstopelle I think I'm just going to Wright out a plan and just do it and worry about it after.
Our art is our legacy. Thank you for the video.
Man, that last bit hits hard. I've dealt wth pretty much all of these feelings throughout my life in music, to the point where I've nearly given up on ever making a career in creating music and being relatively content just making music for the fun of it.
But in other parts of my life, everything has been turned upside down and I've been left questioning a lot of things, not knowing what direction to go, what decisions I need to make, etc. But knowing that the only thing required of me is live my life until I can't is an extremely liberating feeling.
Damn ! For me it's just a hobby and I mostly make music for meself not others so can't relate with the depression part. But I get how it could be difficult for someone who is much passionate and want to break into the industry.
I love it when you make a philosophical video every now and then. It is one of the reasons I follow this channel actively, instead of it just being one of the many channels I've signed up for over the years and never revisited. You provide me with both technical and musical information as well as food for thought. To me that's important. And I really think you are good at what you do. This video has some valid points also for us who are never going to try to make a living out of what we're creating. Keep it up.
have my comment good sir
Have a baguette, friend 🥖
@@VenusTheory nobody can eat a whole baguette. You need some friends and some cheese and a nice wine. In a park somewhere in maybe Switzerland on a sunny morning.
And my axe
@@jonathanvinesar9023 just what i needed :)
@@gen-amb but does he want me to eat it
The point of being "not good enough" is something that has riddled me too in the past. It especially bothered me when i recorded and mixed my songs that it's not up to standard. I felt like i am stepping on the same spot. Eventually i had the breakthrough of getting a guitar tone - a "Swedish Chainsaw" style - that just worked in my mixes. I sat down, wrote a song with it and in the end, that's one of the first ones where i thought "I could release this to the world without hiding" and it was great. It made me feel like i am finally progressing again.
You're a jewel and I loves ya. Thank you many bunches for all the help. You, Kenny Gioia, and Adam Steel are my "teachers" and fav youtube gents. Many of us benefit greatly from your efforts. Keep preaching and teaching my man!
Thank you!
Great video.
I have been a full-time professional artist for 34 years. It is a wild psychological ride. The twists and turns and forks in the road are consistent. Enjoyment of the process of creating has been the driving force throughout all of the challenges.
subscribed when you said "sleepy time gorrilla museum." I'm now relocated my studio near Buenos Aires, immersed in a river delta surrounded by water and nature, to attract plant medicine healers and record their spiritual music where they feel comfortable. Thats my side gig, between me renting the studio to bands who come to get inspiration, and composing commercial music. There is a way. Might take years of sacrifice. Dedication is the only reason my studio could be relocated at all.
I'm always going to keep making music and art in general because I love it, not that I won't try to improve but i want to say my love will never die. Appreciate your video alot bro!
This is just what I needed…. As a long time animator who has been pushed towards more corporate work and less artistic work due to budget deficiencies between sterility opposed to unique ideas and what is marketable…
Conviction! This is it. Whatever the type of music, are you delivering it or creating it in a way that makes people believe that YOU dig it.
This video made me cry for all the right reasons.
I've been making music for 16 years or so, no real "success" if success is defined as monetary gain, but I release music relatively consistently and make things I love. And beyond that I do filmmaking and acting and dnd and everything else. I work a normal person day job that funds the stuff I actually want to do and that's fine.
This world isn't super conducive to actual creative "Careers" as ways to support oneself, but truly, there isn't much stopping you besides desire from making things. get out there, do the thing.
I'm also producing their first TV pilot with no real idea of how it will go or if it will be "successful", just because I went "i wanna make tv". Works with everything, as it turns out. Just need the motivation and the true desire to do something. I believe in all of you.
i would say perseverance is the key.
i started playing piano years back, then came to know music production right when ipassed school. bought a pretty pathetic laptop and cracked softwares, 1st year of my college. i never enjoyed being around people so i spend 1st year of my college in producing music. after 1 year of fucking practicing a lot, i realised im bullshit. but i kept doing it, because deep inside me i was like "if i stop doing it, i dont know what i'll be doing"... then there came a time, where i started listening to a lot of music, started experimenting a lot, started doing things differently then most of youtubers.
end of 3rd year of production, i graduated college, still didnt make a single penny, my released music in total had 30 views combined all platforms, but i internally got this feeling that i have fucking improved. my strategy was make something (obviously it was inferior as compared to pros), do an a/b comparison, criticize myself, then improve on that particular mistake. right after college, i had very good quality music, a job, and nothing.
in day, i did job and made music in the rest time. eventually i decided to make some money by offering music production services. thankfully got my first client very quickly, because honestly my music quality was amazing. then rest is story. its been 6 months, now i make like 1000 dollars from music, which is not a lot but i earn good from my day job as well and I'm from India, so its more than enough. but i projecting that my music income would be atleast 4k dollars per month in the next 4-5 months.
i would give credit to my piano skills. again it comes down to perseverance, i didnt learned piano in 1 year, it took 10. because i never had a tutor, my parents couldnt afford.
if you are good, you will feel it after years, and then on you will make money. thats how i feel , maybe im wring. i'll get to know that in future
Thank you brotha you definitely have opened up my eyes in a different way then I could think
I found that getting good at producing itself and then selling music to people who want to be performing artists is a goldmine. A lot of people want to be a DJ but are not able to produce. It's very possible to sell your music to people who want the DJ lifestyle but not the producing side of it. It happens more that people think. I'm not there yet, but the thought of those possibilities are motivating. If you can't to EVERYTHING by yourself, maybe focus on 1 aspect and sell just that to other people
Brian fucking Trifon(ic)! Nice plug dude! Trifonic taught me more about making electronic music in his little 20-minute videos in 2010 than anyone else on the internet to date. Things you could use immediately, no extra hours on repeat, reading forums with wheels spinning. Despite his outboard gear, insane sound design and technicality borne of DnB, he made it all so damn approachable. Visualize-able. Bypassed the overwhelming anxiety of learning any DAW, just foundations you could apply in your workflow that day... And every day since. If I ever release an actual album, "special thanks" just wouldn't do justice to his contribution.
Brian, I salute you sir... And you too V.T., all you guys that tear down the barriers of entry for those who could once only listen and feel bitter.
Art isn’t a competition and perfection isn’t real
Excellent rant. I'm going to share it with my 26 year old musician son to help inspire him when he gets frustrated. Thanks!
Probably the best motivation music production video ever made,