Geez, Mathis I can't tell you anything. You should be teaching somewhere. Why do you ask for advice? You're far more together in what you're doing than I am. I'm a fragmented, schizoid nutcase on the brink of the Abyss.

I do not disagree with anything being said here, and would add:

Consciously trying to create "Great Art" will result in shit.

The only way to do real art is to keep working hard (and eat occasionally).

Inspiration is an illusion in the old sense of a sudden, divine flash - it's more like having a little idea buzzing around that you suddenly just notice and think - that's o.k. I'll try that. And it turns out to be useable or maybe good.

There is absolutely no way anyone can ever know if what he does is significant. Even the most famous guys. In the 19th Century, the three greatest composers ever were known by everyone to be: Beethoven, Brahms and Spohr.

Beethoven, Brahms and WHO?

So you can only hope you will not be that "WHO?" guy but there is no way to know. So f*** it. You have to just do your best.

p.s. And please, Ludwig Spohr fans on the internet - don't write me indignantly. Maybe his day will come again. Maybe. Possibly? Nah...

@Another User said:

I'm a fragmented, schizoid nutcase on the brink of the Abyss.

Good expression. So let´s move on [[;)]]

Move on?

From where to where?

The only place I have to go is over the edge.

@PaulR said:

keyboard players, on the other hand, are extremely tidy and well-balanced, but they're still a pain if one has to talk to them for more than, say, 20 seconds.

Guilty as charged.

Now who wants to know anything about anything in the universe?

Step right up.

Dave

George Gershwin, "I would like to study composition with you."

Igor Stravinsky, "How much money did you make last year?"

Gershwin, "One hunded and fifty thousand dollars" (Huge sum then)

Stravinsky, "I should be studying with you."

DC

Um, yes, Bill, that was the cheap joke. Mine are often too cheap, sorry.

@dpcon said:

Guilty as charged.Now who wants to know anything about anything in the universe?Step right up.Dave

Hahha! Now Dave, you know we're both keyboard players. I've got talking to myself down to 7 seconds........ have I mentioned what I think about Cellists and Double Bass players?

[:D]

Regarding formulas, I've never relied upon them because it's easier for me to try and come up with something than painstakingly model after something else. I know because I have to knock off identical copies of rock and pop tracks for TV and it's a big pain and not at all artistic or even musical. I threw in a John Williams type passage in "New Life" as a complete joke to mock that kind of thing.

However, if unfortunately some lame director wants you to do something very close to a temp track and won't budge, you either compromise or quit. Take your name off the credits if your unhappy with what you had to deliver. But if a little hack work allows you to keep working on a symphony well why not? Or, do something else to support yourself if it's too painful.

I think each composer knows if he has any artistic integrity. He knows whether he's copying someone else's work or just copying good musical conventions such as orchestral voicings, textures, or balance.

If I could make a killing in any business that totally freed me up artistically I would. Sometimes that other business is the music business.

Dave Connor

"Sometimes that other business is the music business."


That's a good point.

@PaulR said:

Guitarists don't read books. They read magazines. Knowledge of string gauges will get you into their good books. Be honest, I mean, BE honest. How many times has one wished for that thing they use in Men in Black. The thing that they flash in your eyes. [:'(] [:O]ops: [[[[;)]]]] [[[[;)]]]] [[[[;)]]]]

I have to say that this guitarists characterisation is fully true. And after 20 years of guitar playing I still didn´t find the right strings. [8o|]

What´s that Men in Black thing? I didn´t see the film.

@mathis said:

What´s that Men in Black thing? I didn´t see the film.

Look Mathis my friend, I've just been hammered at golf, so having a bit of a mid-life crisis at the moment. However, Men in Black is well worth watching and has some genuinely funny moments in it. Buddy-Buddy movie with a twist. The flashing thing, is flashed into a subjects eyes and they immediately forget everything. If I had one of those, I would spend most days flashing it into my own eyes, especially after a game of golf. OK!

[6]

Fred, pleeeeeease! The live monkey story!
Otherwise I really need to get this men in black thing since it won´t get out of my head.

It's really not THAT funny a story. One of those, 'you had to be there' things. I'll try to keep it short.

I studied with Ziggy for 7 years, and during that time was already doing a fair amount of commercial and TV work. It was great, because I could bring him my works-in-progress to critique. Most of the time his reviews were helpful and insightful. But, being the enormous kidder that he was, sometimes he liked to pull one over on me. And he always COULD, since his opinion mattered to much to me.

Also during this time, I was writing and performing regularly with a local jazz group, and we had just recorded our first album. I was VERY proud of the fact that we had recorded it live to two-track. No overdubs, no edits. I couldn't WAIT to play it for Ziggy.

We had hired a well-known percussionist to play on the recording with us, and on one of the latin-flavored tunes, he had done this really cool cuica part. Our engineer really liked it, so he had mixed it a little hotter than I would have. If you can imagine the sound of the cuica for a moment, HOO-hoo-hoo. HOO-hoo-hoo.

So Ziggy is listening to the tune, and about halfway through turns to me and very seriously says,

"All recorded live, huh?"

"Yep"

"No overdubs? Everybody playing live in the studio?"

"That's right"

"Really?" (Long pause.) "Live monkeys, too?"

I played along. "I lied, Ziggy. No live monkeys"

"Good. They shit all over everything. NEVER use live monkeys."

You know, it just occured to me...I haven't used cuica on anything since.

Fred Story

[:D]

It *is* a funny story! Thanks for that!