I would like to expand on something that I briefly touched on in the previous section on composing. While knowledge about the mechanics of music itself are important when writing anything...be it harmonically, melodically, rhythmically, form...etc... a big part of it is also psychological, and that’s what I will attempt to address here.
In my previous section on composing I suggested writing music almost as if it were a game. This means deliberately setting up creative restrictions in the writing process...be it stylistically, harmonically, rhythmically, texturally or whatever. Bare in mind, there is no right or wrong way to write music. I am merely trying to point to a few different paths that can be taken...and each path can lead to entirely new and wonderful destinations. Ultimately, the goal remains the same...to write music that simply sounds good.
The subtitle of this section is a reference to that tv show we all know called “Friends”. Anyone who has watched that show is probably familiar with the musical noodlings of Phoebe Buffet, one of the main characters. In the show, Phoebe often performs her ummm...music... in the local cafe to her peers and whoever else happens to be there. Her intonation is questionable, her rhythmic sense is non existent, and her lyrics are comical at best. She does, however, demonstrate a fearlessness and honesty in her delivery that many of the most astute musicians don’t have.
I’m not sure what it is, but we all tend to be our worst critics...especially artists. Anything that an artist creates is opening themselves up to the opinions of other people...who will either reject it or embrace it. Anybody who creates anything, obviously wants to put their best foot forward, as their creation is a reflection of themselves. Sometimes, however, this need to be accepted by others can inhibit the creative process. Fear can become the overriding factor in the decisions one makes while creating.
Johannes Brahms, the famous German composer is reported to have taken 21 (!!!) years to complete his first symphony. He was very...
