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MonoStone

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Posts posted by MonoStone

    Song Title Association Game

    in Musician's Lounge

    Posted

    1 hour ago, Just1L said:

    Back in the 80's, every skater tape I made had at least one Descendents song on it. Are you saying though they're the inspiration for Blink & Green, or vice-versa?!?!

     

    I assumed they influenced Blink & Green when I heard it, they sound more raw and less cartoon but I could hear how it could lead to B&G type stuff... and googling seemed to confirm. Dunno... sorry I shouldn't have held the game up with the comment. Just have an unusual hatred fro Blink 182 and Green Day... not sure why... both get right under my skin, along with a lot of pop-punk/skate-punk ;) Guessing we might not agree on that one, and this wasn't the place to bring it up ;) 

    What Makes You Write?

    in Songwriting

    Posted

    13 minutes ago, Gravity Jim said:

     

    You should learn to recognize the difference between a "tantrum" and a "rejection."

     

    I left because there is nothing to learn here and I lost interest. I'm a professional, and I certainly don't need any validation from a group of wannabes. If you want to cut the soles out of your shoes and sit in a tree, waiting for The Muse to give you a big wet kiss, knock yourself out. But that would certainly explain the level of quality around here. I have no interest in reading half-baked lyrics and typing "Great Write!" (shudder) after each one, and then nitpicking one little twisted train car from the carnage, just so I sound legit but don't bruise anybody's feelings.

     

    So don't think decided to stop contributing because I was butthurt. I decided to stop contributing because you people aren't any good at this and it's a waste of time.

     

    Now go ahead and throw yourself an actual tantrum. This will help you discern in the future.

     

    Tantrum #2

     

    ;) 

     

     

     

     

    • Like 2

    What Makes You Write?

    in Songwriting

    Posted · Edited by MonoStone

    On 11/7/2016 at 5:53 AM, David Ritchie said:

    Interesting comments. it seems to me that many of you hear the music in your head, and live in that milieu. I live in words in my head. I don't need the music to be the impetus, but it does finish the 'sculpture' for me.

    I must be a rank amateur, Gravity, as inspiration is a beautiful, colorful, rewarding, encouraging, revelatory, arousing, and illuminating thing for me. But not everyone can have your genius.

    Tom, thank you for your thoughts. I do mean LYRICS, not SONGS. 

    I learn from your thoughts and comments, thank you all.

     

    I rarely hear a tune or words in my head first, and if I ever do it's only fragments. The music comes out when I start strumming my guitar or plonking on the keyboard or maybe even from a beat. The words come out partly at the same time but in more detail when the music base is there. Often real events, memories, or things people have said will make it into my songs, the initial spark of that is rarely there before I begin jamming some sounds out...but sometimes such inspiration is in my head when I sit down to make music.

     

    Personally I find Gravity's 'chuck close' quote irritating. Everyone has their own way of coming up with songs. If you want to write lyrics first, and if something inspires the lyric, that doesn't make you an amateur. A whole load of fantastic songs were inspired by books, people, events... a good chunk of Led Zep songs are inspired by Tolkien, I am The Walrus was in some part inspired by Lewis Carol, countless fantastic songs have been inspired by devastating events (look at U2 and CSN&Y), and many great artists have been inspired by previous generations of great artists. The list of inspiration in songs would be too big to list.

     

    I've not seen the original context of the Chuck Close quote, but posted here it makes both Chuck and Gravity sound soulless and egotistical....and I believe Gravity threw a tantrum and left so I'm not replying directly. 

    • Like 1

    Should I pursue composing or not even bother?

    in Musician's Lounge

    Posted

    1 minute ago, SuperMarioGamer said:

     

    I already have made art (music) in my mind that is really good to me and that is why I pursued composing in the first place so that this music in my mind can get recognized by others.  It is my only reason for taking up composing in the first place just like that situation I described with the painter.  The only way I can make great music is if my heart condition allows me to become a professional composer who has learned everything there needed to be learned to get my music out there just as how I hear it in my mind.  So I am in the process of wanting to become a professional composer and I hope that my heart condition allows for that, otherwise everything I worked for would all be a waste to me as long as these awesome songs in my mind cannot get recognition.

     

    Like I said, if you make good music then some people will appreciate it. Becoming a professional is another matter, it's a very difficult industry to find any success in. It's impossible to know whether you will succeed or not. I can't hear what's in your head, and I don't know whether you'll be able to realise the music that's in your head (imagining it and making it are two very different things). If you're just looking for a reality check - the vast majority don't find huge success or huge recognition even after many years, the quality of your music does not guarantee that...far from it. I was trying to be positive or optimistic for you, but now I feel like joining in with the 'don't bother' answer.

     

    Good luck.

    Should I pursue composing or not even bother?

    in Musician's Lounge

    Posted · Edited by MonoStone

    24 minutes ago, SuperMarioGamer said:

     

    I don't plan on singing.  I just plan to make my music in computer music software such as FL Studio or other more advanced musical software.  I am learning how to compose as of now.  But in my free time when I am taking a break from learning, I will post here if something important comes to my mind.  What would you say to a painter in this situation I am going to describe below?  He is just like me since his reason for painting is my same reason for pursuing composing:
     
    "I am very inspired to create beautiful and magnificent landscapes in my mind.  There is absolutely no way I want such innovative and unique landscapes to go unrecognized by my friends, family, and people all over online.  Therefore, I need some means of accurately recreating these landscapes I envision in my mind.
     
    So I will take up painting even though I have no passion for painting.  I will cultivate the necessary years of knowledge and skill needed to become a professional painter so that I can finally get those landscapes in my mind out into the world just as how I envisioned them.
     
    Actually, I now have a passion for painting, but only because of this goal I wish to achieve.  If this goal of having my envisioned landscapes recognized by many people was somehow unattainable due to some fatal disease or illness, then I would give up painting right then and there and I would no longer have anymore passion for it.  
     
    Painting would mean absolutely nothing to me now.  The only thing that gives my painting meaning and the only thing that drives my passion to learn how to paint and to pursue it would be this attainable goal.  I sure hope I manage to attain this goal despite my heart problem.  Otherwise, everything I did and learned would all go to waste."
     
    So what would you say to such a painter and what would you think of him/her?  The reason why I ask this is because I am curious as to what you think about my passion for becoming a composer. 

     

    As it happens I'm an artist too... I've made a career in art. And in music I have been recognized to some small extent by other music artists and been heard and appreciated (a bit, not to any huge extent) beyond that.... Hence I'm saying that your goals are not beyond reach... your reply here suggests that you misunderstood my post to you. I'm the one saying that you COULD achieve your goals IF you make great music.

     

    However... you're going about things in a slightly back to front way. The way you explain your ambition is probably causing others to see the negative side. If we shorten your opening post it kind of says 'I've never played a note before, I have no idea how to make music, but I want success. Should I bother trying?' ... I read it slightly differently, I don't think you're looking to become a star or make a living from it, you just want to realise the music you imagine, and then be heard and have your music be appreciated by a few people, right??

     

    The way that's back to front is that your starting from nothing and yet you're focusing on recognition. As an artist myself, I focused on creating art before I even thought about making a career from it. You need to know whether you're any good at something before you start thinking about your work being appreciated by others. You need to make art/music that YOU believe is good first. And personally I think it's best to make any kind of art firstly because you just want to, because you love it or because you're just compelled to. And unless you're a natural musical genius, if you've never played an instrument or made music before you should expect it to take quite a long time before it even sounds 'ok'. 

     

    Taking lessons on Youtube won't make you great if you've never even tried to make music before. Get a DAW, get a keyboard for it, and just start making sounds. Online tutorials will help you learn how to use the DAW, but not how to make great music.

     

    And don't be so defensive! ;) I'm trying to be positive and helpful. People here will help you if you have the attitude that you just want to make music. Asking 'should I bother' isn't going to get you many great comments.... If you want useful feedback, just make some music and post it. Get stuck in. Post your music. For all we know you might be brilliant... it is impossible to know until we hear.

     

     

    Should I pursue composing or not even bother?

    in Musician's Lounge

    Posted

    2 hours ago, SuperMarioGamer said:

    But then again, Stephen Hawking had a serious life threatening condition; but that did not stop him from trying to achieve what he wanted.  I have this life to live, so what am I going to do with it?  Well, I might as well pursue composing in the hopes that one day I will be able to share my music to others and my family just as how I envisioned those songs to be in my mind.  I just hope that I achieve my goal of having my music recognized by others since that is my only reason for taking up composing in the first place.  

     

    I am glad that I do not know if or when my heart condition will kill me off.  If I were told by my doctor that I only had 1 month to live, then I would not even bother with composing since there would be no way I would be able to achieve my goal of wanting to become a professional composer in order to get the music I hear out of my mind and for it to be recognized by others, youtube, soundcloud, etc.  The music I hear in my mind is such awesome and bizarre music that there is absolutely no way I would want such music to go to waste and go unrecognized.

     

    You say you know nothing about composing. Do you play an instrument? What kind of composing do you want to do, is it instrumental? Rock? Classical? You say 'bizarre' but I mean is it guitar based? Synths? Orchestral? Will it all be done in a DAW or with real instruments? Will you sing too? Or will you be composing scores for others to perform? Please explain.... what are your current skills and what approach will you take?

     

    If you plan on going for it then you'd be wise to explain better, that way you can get some advice here.

     

    The way I understand your opening post... you want recognition from peers, from other musicians/composers etc...i.e. from us! Or maybe from a few well known artists/composers. That's not a goal out of anyone's reach IF you make great music. If you want fame and fortune then you'll need to be really special, very hard working, and lucky too. 

     

    But you need to care first about the music... it's good to have a goal of 'making it', but you need to care most about just making great music.

    Should I pursue composing or not even bother?

    in Musician's Lounge

    Posted

    You should do the things you love to do, or just want to do...

     

    Nobody can tell you whether you'll be successful, or certainly not before you have something to show. Take a shot at it and see whether you enjoy it and whether you're good at it. 

     

    You can try! Nobody knows how it will turn out....so it's not possible to answer your question definitively. Good luck! Just enjoy it.

    What Makes You Write?

    in Songwriting

    Posted

    I've always come up with lyrics after music, and through blabbing out nonsense or part-nonsense to get a melody/phrasing, usually by whatever mood the music puts me in, then editing and adding words to try to make it all work and find the point of it... Similar to Hobo by the sounds of it... I used to think I was special!!! ;) Or sometimes I get the words by listening back to the gobbledygook I sang in the first run and writing down what I think I was saying... I enjoy doing that. I'd really struggle to write lyrics before music... I could write a poem, but I'd likely have to edit it a lot to fit a tune and I've never managed (or really tried hard) to do that.... I've occasionally used bits of previously written prose to fill in some lines.

     

    But if I take the question as 'what makes me write a song' (including the music)...  I think it's partly an addiction. Sometimes I'm inspired to write, sometimes people I know inspire me or hearing an amazing song inspires me etc etc... but generally it's a feeling of having to make music or else be in a really bad mood like I've not fed the addiction so just get started and make something. 

     

    Also, I think it's sometimes therapy. I let a lot of stuff out... often same old same old feelings and hangups said different ways to be honest... If I make it into a song it makes me feel a bit better ....  NURSE!!!

     

    And it's escapism sometimes... It's a drug in that respect too.

     

    All sorts of reasons why I make music. But again I don't write words first unless I'm just writing words...poems, stories...not lyrics.

     

     

    • Like 1

    Please -I need your help-what means mojo?

    in Musician's Lounge

    Posted

    2 hours ago, sideline said:

    I think this describes nearly the "picture" I had on my mind;)))))))))))....

    Because in music is something you can't explain, and so it seems like you try to catch something magical.....may successful or not......to decide this will be on the listener....

     

    Then you should be Mojo Catcher or something else, not 'Catch A Mojo'

    Please -I need your help-what means mojo?

    in Musician's Lounge

    Posted · Edited by MonoStone

    2 hours ago, sideline said:

    May I should try to explain what I meant with mojo in this case;)

    Lets say, mojo is a kind of good/positive magic or spell you can't explain  that surrounds people or things in a very special way, to make things work (to me its different from "good luck" ...)

    I think I cant explain it better in english, but Just1L was nearly on point.

    So we try to "catch" (capture?) the positive and magical vibes of Music/Songs when you bring them to an acoustic style......its more in this direction.

    Catch this special energie and emotional vibe of acoustic music.....

     

     

     

    Mojo is still connected to a magic charm but these days the charm is forgotten and 'Mojo' is just a way of saying you have ability so good that it's like you have some kind of magic powers working for you. It refers to a time or situation where everything you do is special in some way or at least works especially well. For example if your mojo is working the songs you write or perform will be brilliant. It's not about luck, it's more like unexplainable boosted ability or confidence. In my opinion.

     

    If you say 'a' mojo then as Hobo said that's singular, and so in that case your name can only be refering to the magical item ... I.e if someone throws a macic talisman at you then you could 'catch a mojo'

     

    The 'a' is the problem,  so you could be 'Mojo Catcher' ... it might not be possible to catch mojo but it sounds sinister as though you steal mojo from others, or could refer to the ability to grab or capture magic from thin air.  

    Please -I need your help-what means mojo?

    in Musician's Lounge

    Posted

    3 hours ago, sideline said:

    - to find something that "says" something about us or at least our attitude

     

    If 'Mojo' really said something about you then you wouldn't be asking us about 'Mojo'... because if you have your Mojo working, you'll be confident in the name and you'll just know if it's right and you won't care much about other opinions... Your Mojo doesn't seem to be working in this situation ;)

     

    That said, it's quite a cool word so might make part of a cool name...but then again, it's been used to death in music, and it might suggest 'Blues' so if you're not Blues based it might be a misleading name.

     

     

    Blackbird - The DIY Way

    in Musician's Lounge

    Posted · Edited by MonoStone

    On 6 October 2016 at 2:47 PM, Mahesh said:

    And Dek, if you're reading this, about the 'messing around' with others' songs - ummmmm oops. :D lol Sorry about that.

     

    Ha ;) Well you picked a fantastic song and you did it superbly. Just about every great artist has done a cover or two at some point...nothing wrong with that... unless they murder it (like Miley).

     

    Do you do your own recordings then? The quality is really top notch. I'd be interested to read about your methods and equipment.

     

    Also... reading your comments here with interest - I have some experience working with businesses in India (outside of music) so I've had a glimpse of the divide between rich and poor...and the rich are RICH. Listening to you talk about the struggle out there I wondered... do you write songs about how you feel about things there? If you have or if you ever feel inclined to, I'd like to hear... 

     

    In some ways your cover here hints at a sense of that maybe, maybe it's in my head but then again maybe that's why Rob asked the question... The way you've done the video adds to the feeling... Am I imagining that? It's in your eyes...OR you just happen to have that feeling about you.

     

    Thinking out loud as I type... the businessman on my shoulder says maybe you could have chosen a more moving location or even varied it behind you but then again maybe it's not important AND more importantly if you're going to cover a Macca song this well then I think you should aim to have him see the video. Tweet it to him and see what happens! Seriously!!

    Miley is back?

    in Musician's Lounge

    Posted · Edited by MonoStone

    9 minutes ago, Mahesh said:

    Oh, my comment is relative to her 'recent stuff' that she'd been doing (and by your comment, I'm assuming you've not heard Wrecking Ball lol It went viral for a 'not so musical reason' ;) )

     

    As for my opinion of the performance in itself without comparing, no comments.

     

    Sorry Mahesh, my comment was meant kind of playfully ...we all have our own tastes and there's something about this cover that really rubs me up the wrong way, but I suppose partly it's because I rarely enjoy covers. At least she's put her own spin on it, but I just don't like that spin...it's not to my taste.

     

    I actually think Wrecking Ball is a very good pop song. I've never listened deeply to it and I've only heard it a couple of times (I don't listen to current pop radio) but the song has definitely got a great hook and a fair bit of power. I mean I wouldn't listen to it out of choice because it doesn't speak to me, but I think it's well done. I do see the good in songs like that, and I'd lump in other artists like Katey Perry too...not my cup of tea but they're not bad songs and they're done well. IF Miley wrote Wrecking Ball, by herself (or had a really major part in that and the arrangement etc), then respect to her....more respect than for taking somebody else's song and messing with it :)

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