New And Need Advice

[Sukin]

Hi all,

 

I just joined this forum, although it may not be exactly the one that I am looking for.

 

I am a 52 year old man who is desperate to find something to do as means of living. I have failed again and again in business and have been out of work for eight years now. This is in part due to ADHD. My question to all of you is this:

 

Can someone like me learn music theory for the sake of then being able to compose music without the ability to play any musical instrument?

 

When I was young, I had for a short time, taken instructions for the piano. This did not last long, because I lost interest after a while. The reason for for my interest at the time, was because I wanted to be a composer. I believe that if there is anything, it is musical ideas that I have a lot of. I may actually be deluded. However at the time (30 years ago), a qualified music teacher was willing to teach me for free as a result of having been inspired by some of the ideas that I expressed.

 

So can I at this age, at least learn to compose music without having to play any musical instrument?

 

Thanks.

Sukin

[Sukin]

Thanks Tom.

I trust your judgement, you sound like someone who knows what he is talking about. 

I was about to order a kindle book on both music theory and composing, so you've help me save time as well as money. :-)

I wonder though, if it makes any difference if I said that my interest is not in writing music for a pop or rock band, but what might come under contemporary classical music?  

[john]

Will it make difference if I say that learning music composition is not a quick thing to learn? Or that as a proposition for earning money it is far from certain? Arts is under funded pretty well no matter where you are, and much of the earning potential has disappeared with the massive rise in illegal music downloads well nigh killed the recording industry. So many full time pro musicians from many genres, jazz, blues, classical, rock, pop all ended up leaving music as a full time career and going back to being semi- pro or giving up completely as a professional. Very sad.

True there are opportunities, but less of them and more competition per opportunity.

Should you study music?

Yes if you are passionate about learning music because it is in your blood

Yes if you are prepared to put in the time and effort for as long as it takes to learn and if you realise you will always be learning.

No if you are looking for a quick buck

No if you are looking for steady employment

No if you can't be bothered learning an instrument (skill apart it takes almost as long to learn the theory and digest it, and an instrument gives you a critical point of reference

[Sukin]

Hello John,

 

Should you study music?

Yes if you are passionate about learning music because it is in your blood
Yes if you are prepared to put in the time and effort for as long as it takes to learn and if you realise you will always be learning.

 

First off, I am glad that I decided to seek advice here. Although they are not the answers I was hoping for, you and Tom have given me just what I need to hear. I realize that my main problem is motivation, both then as well as now. 

 

When I first decided to learn music, thirty years ago, you could say that I was very passionate and also very ambitious about composing music. What made me change my mind was after realizing that a little piano piece I wrote was in fact a result of the influence of two composers, Bartok and Prokofiev. Up until then, I had prided myself for being original. And I also came to the conclusion, that there is no such thing as originality and that the history of music was one which involved one composer developing ideas of his predecessor. And besides, with music by Beethoven and Bach being available, why would anyone need me?

 

After thirty years, the ambition and pride is gone (more or less). And the passion is not so much either, due largely to the Buddhist influence. What now motivates me is the idea of earning a living only, which did not exist when I was young. The musical ideas that spin in my head are more or less the same. And the market that I am now thinking about, is the film industry of this part of the world, i.e. Asia. 

 

Still think that I should drop the idea?

[Kel]

Hi Sukin,

 

Nobody should ever learn music as a means to make money. You should only learn music if you are passionate to learn music, period. Some people can make money at it. It might help if you are already close personal friends with industry people, both music and film. But to start from scratch with a view to making an income in a relatively short time. Nope. Reality check time.

 

I am 53 and have been seriously writing and playing for a little over a year, though I have dabbled for 40 years.

Do I hope to make money from music?  Darn tootin' I do.

Do I expect to make money from music? Nope.

 

Of course, you could be the exception to the rule, but you've asked if it's likely you can make money. No, it's not likely at all. You can bet your eye teeth it will cost money though. 

 

And as for learning music theory and not learning an instrument, in my opinion it will make it so much harder. I accepted a long time ago I won't be setting the world on fire with my dazzling guitar licks or my haunting keyboard skills, so it's the passion to write and play that is the driving force for me, not the expectation of a livelihood. 

 

Again, no. It is not likely you can learn music theory and make a living from it.

 

Good luck with whatever you choose to do. 

Kel

[Sukin]

Kel, John, Tom,

 

You three have helped me to see that it would be a waste of time and energy to pursue a career in music composition. 

With regard to not playing any musical instrument, what I had in mind was that perhaps there is now some computer program which helps to do away with this particular requirement, and in general, help make the work of composing easier than it used to be. I don't know of such a program, but judging from your reactions, I gather that even if such software exists, it would probably not do as I expect it to.

 

Thanks and all the best to you. 

[john]

Now that I can agree with.

 

Do music for personal benefits, not monetary.

 

Monetary benefits may happen but they most definitely cannot be depended upon. If anything I would say get a job doing something else while you learn music so that one day, at some point, music may be a viable option as an income stream. Just now it is just a pipe dream of what you would like to happen.

 

Typically it takes years of hard work and a degree of good luck to turn what we want into it's solid equivalent in reality.