A word of wisdom regarding the perception of music

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A word of wisdom regarding the perception of music

Postby ExoBassTix » 29 Dec 2014 14:08

Just a few moments ago while I was doing the dishes, I overheard a conversation of my mom and a colleague/friend of hers who came over. At some point the conversation subject was health of the body. I don't remember the fine details, but one sentence got stuck in my head: "Don't look at your body through wisdom, but through modesty." Not sure if I'm saying this exactly right, but I think it was about how your body knows just right if it is healthy or not, that you don't have to look at knowledge to know what's good for you.
Not to know your body, but to feel your body. Only through feeling it will you know what's right.

Whatever it was, I kinda feel that this is a good message. I hope you too agree that this is right, for my intention for this post is to put that sentence in a different context and give you a small tool to keep with you whenever you look at music in one way or another:

Don't look at your music through wisdom, but through modesty.

Not to know the music, but to feel the music.



That's basically what I wanted to share with you, and what I wish to further discuss with whoever is interested in expressing their thoughts on the subject. I am aware that we have a completely functional discussion thread, but I felt this to be a serious enough topic to deserve it's own thread for dedicated discussion. If you disagree, then do forge this thread with the discussion thread, or if you can't, report it so.

What are your thoughts on the subject?
Last edited by ExoBassTix on 31 Dec 2014 02:36, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: A word of wisdom regarding the perception of music

Postby Stuntddude » 30 Dec 2014 05:35

Pardon if I'm misinterpreting, but it seems another way to say this is that you should rely on your intuition rather than conscious technical knowledge when making music. I'd argue, though, that an intuitive and a technical understand aren't contrary to one another. If anything, I think conscious knowledge is the fuel of intuition - when you learn something new, it usually requires a conscious effort to put it in place, but once you use that knowledge enough, it becomes intuitive to you. Everyone has intuition, but an expert's will be better because it develops over time. So in a sense, a good intuition is just the natural next step after good technical know-how, rather than something altogether different. And in that way, avoiding technical knowledge in favor of intuition can stunt the growth of the very thing you're trying to cultivate.

But it is 5:35 AM for me right now, so I don't really know.
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Re: A word of wisdom regarding the perception of music

Postby ExoBassTix » 30 Dec 2014 07:44

Well, if you disregard experience or intuition altogether, will your body be better off?
It's more to state a natural balance between experience and intuition, between wisdom and modesty, knowing when to apply experience and when to apply intuition, is preferable.

I'm also not saying one is the follow-up for the other either. Let the two sides coexist in harmony.
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Re: A word of wisdom regarding the perception of music

Postby Pulse Wave » 01 Jan 2015 09:19

Yes, basically — you need both.

You need knowledge and experience so you know what you're doing in the first place. You have your tools, be it musical instruments, be it software, and you know how to work with them.

On the other hoof, knowledge only doesn't take you far. At most, you'll make music that's technically brilliant but just as boring. And music is meant to entertain and not to show off m4d l33t music-making sk1llz, usually at least, pony music even more so.

Let me say it this way: If you don't feel anything making your music, nopony will feel anything listening to it.
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Re: A word of wisdom regarding the perception of music

Postby Stuntddude » 04 Jan 2015 14:23

Pulse Wave wrote:At most, you'll make music that's technically brilliant but just as boring.

See: most EDM.
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Re: A word of wisdom regarding the perception of music

Postby najjarqoauil » 07 Jul 2015 20:12

Well I believe our brains chemicals are a manifestation of the souls intent, and it's what you do with logic and how you interpret it that matters more then the logic itself. The same as such with music as it is a message in a product of sound and as long as we think critically of our own we'll be able to convey what we wish given we have the skill to do so, but it's not a guarantee your message will be respected even if you've perfected your own message having it relatable to others is another craft altogether: and one must also question the motives concerning music as in are you making it as art or as entertainment? Balance is essential and these two prospects are a factor in the sincerity of your message for entertainment is for others and art is usually for self representation and we should use our own testimony in our music as guidance not venting like most pop.
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Re: A word of wisdom regarding the perception of music

Postby GCKrastin » 08 Jul 2015 11:45

Technical understanding is extremely important. However: every rule, every standard, every single thing about music production that falls under the "technical understanding" umbrella was, originally, someone's instinct. Somebody, somewhere, thought "hm, maybe i should try [thing], see what that sounds like", and it worked. And then other people did [thing]. And now [thing] is part of the technical side of production that everybody understands as "standard". So, if you listen to your intuition rather than your technical knowledge, the only difference is that you came up with it instead of somebody else.

My personal rule is "if I were not the author, would I listen to this song, and would it entertain me?". If the answer is no, I either scrap it, or keep working on it until the answer is yes. I don't really think about whether I'm going off of learned knowledge or creative instinct.

Also I've just realized this is a kinda old topic but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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Re: A word of wisdom regarding the perception of music

Postby ExoBassTix » 08 Jul 2015 17:16

Wow this was ... surprisingly not that old.

I'd mention that I don't like your rule, but it wouldn't make much of a difference nor fit the thread :P
I also don't remember the original intent behind the OP, but it sounds like common sense to me lol. Like, don't look at the numbers but listen to the sound. I'm sure that's not how I meant it though, but the original meaning is lost on me.

Though something else has been brought up here, about the difference between music created with entertainment in mind and music created with art in mind. That is something I'd like to discuss.

I'll start off with an example. Mozart, we see nowadays as art. Long long ago, in his time, he was mainly entertainment. Nowadays, EDM has taken over the world because, as I see it, the wish for art has fallen silent to the craving for entertainment.
Before I throw opinions in this statement, let me ask, what do you think of this?
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