On Loving to Listen
On Loving to Listen....
So while this could easily turn into a rant about selfish songwriters, I'm going to try to make this as convincing as possible... Why should a songwriter listen to music other than their own??? First of all... if you are shaking your head in disbelief that there are musicians out there that seriously refuse to listen to anything they didn't play or write, thank you! You don't really need to read any further unless you are just curious. Believe it or not folks, there are songwriters out there that absolutely refuse to listen to anyone else. Unfortunately I have run into them. So why? Why would someone do this?
A friend of mine and I recently had a brief discussion on this. He suggested "insecurities." He may be right. Maybe it's the thought of "what if I listen to something that is better than what I do? What if their vocals outshine mine? What if their piano / guitar / tuba / flute / etc playing is better? What if their instrumentation is better? What if their production is better?" So rather than be proven right or wrong they just refuse to listen? Perhaps they are just that wrapped up in themselves. So rather than psychoanalyze someone, let me just explain why I listen to other music.
1. My own music is influenced by EVERYTHING. And I do mean everything. Images. Conversations. Relationships. Feelings. Ideas. Sounds. And music. I love music. I listen to music all the time. And I get inspiration by listening to what others do. To think that I could not learn from what others do would be fooling myself. And no this doesn't necessarily mean that I copy what others are doing. But other types of music or the application of an instrument or a vocal gets my own imagination and creativity flowing. It inspires me to try new things or to approach a song differently. I have written songs about how much I love a song or a voice. I love music with a passion. And to not study other musicians, songs, and genres would cripple my own ability to create.
2. Common ground. I work with a lot of people. I talk to a lot of people. Even if my music is not exactly like a certain artist's, I know what others compare my work to and why. I know what I might compare my work to and why. It helps me relate to fans and to friends. It's how I connect. One of the first ways I determine if I have much in common with someone is by the music we both listen to. It doesn't have to exactly match up... I love Foo Fighters... Oh you too? Awesome! What's your favorite song of theirs... and then you have the makings of a relationship. So simple.
3. "Why should I listen to you if you don't listen to me?" Gonna tread carefully here... but honestly... I follow and am followed by a lot of musicians. I get along with many of them. I love talking to many them. And I will listen to their music! Why should they bother with me or even discuss music technique and theory and process with me if I don't bother to listen to their music? And I don't just listen to get them to listen to me... I want to listen to them. I have found fantastic collaborations and had great discussions with people I admire. I value the opinions of some over others because of their music and their own talents. How would I ever have such fantastic music relationships if I refused to listen to others? My circle of music friends inspires me. I don't even feel like I listen to them as much as I should. And much of that is due to time and commitments.
So, you may be wondering if I ever get jealous of the talents of others. Sure I do. I'm human. Or at least a reasonable facsimile. But I appreciate that these folks do what they do and I find inspiration in them. I know my music is my own hard work, but then let me appreciate what others can do with their own talents.
So this is my outlook. Hoping the right people read it and take a step back. But I know that if someone is really that wrapped up in themselves that they won't give this a second thought. Maybe I just wasted my typing skills...
At any rate... Stay tuned Loves,
Sarah Schonert (They Lyrical Physicist)
So while this could easily turn into a rant about selfish songwriters, I'm going to try to make this as convincing as possible... Why should a songwriter listen to music other than their own??? First of all... if you are shaking your head in disbelief that there are musicians out there that seriously refuse to listen to anything they didn't play or write, thank you! You don't really need to read any further unless you are just curious. Believe it or not folks, there are songwriters out there that absolutely refuse to listen to anyone else. Unfortunately I have run into them. So why? Why would someone do this?
A friend of mine and I recently had a brief discussion on this. He suggested "insecurities." He may be right. Maybe it's the thought of "what if I listen to something that is better than what I do? What if their vocals outshine mine? What if their piano / guitar / tuba / flute / etc playing is better? What if their instrumentation is better? What if their production is better?" So rather than be proven right or wrong they just refuse to listen? Perhaps they are just that wrapped up in themselves. So rather than psychoanalyze someone, let me just explain why I listen to other music.
1. My own music is influenced by EVERYTHING. And I do mean everything. Images. Conversations. Relationships. Feelings. Ideas. Sounds. And music. I love music. I listen to music all the time. And I get inspiration by listening to what others do. To think that I could not learn from what others do would be fooling myself. And no this doesn't necessarily mean that I copy what others are doing. But other types of music or the application of an instrument or a vocal gets my own imagination and creativity flowing. It inspires me to try new things or to approach a song differently. I have written songs about how much I love a song or a voice. I love music with a passion. And to not study other musicians, songs, and genres would cripple my own ability to create.
2. Common ground. I work with a lot of people. I talk to a lot of people. Even if my music is not exactly like a certain artist's, I know what others compare my work to and why. I know what I might compare my work to and why. It helps me relate to fans and to friends. It's how I connect. One of the first ways I determine if I have much in common with someone is by the music we both listen to. It doesn't have to exactly match up... I love Foo Fighters... Oh you too? Awesome! What's your favorite song of theirs... and then you have the makings of a relationship. So simple.
3. "Why should I listen to you if you don't listen to me?" Gonna tread carefully here... but honestly... I follow and am followed by a lot of musicians. I get along with many of them. I love talking to many them. And I will listen to their music! Why should they bother with me or even discuss music technique and theory and process with me if I don't bother to listen to their music? And I don't just listen to get them to listen to me... I want to listen to them. I have found fantastic collaborations and had great discussions with people I admire. I value the opinions of some over others because of their music and their own talents. How would I ever have such fantastic music relationships if I refused to listen to others? My circle of music friends inspires me. I don't even feel like I listen to them as much as I should. And much of that is due to time and commitments.
So, you may be wondering if I ever get jealous of the talents of others. Sure I do. I'm human. Or at least a reasonable facsimile. But I appreciate that these folks do what they do and I find inspiration in them. I know my music is my own hard work, but then let me appreciate what others can do with their own talents.
So this is my outlook. Hoping the right people read it and take a step back. But I know that if someone is really that wrapped up in themselves that they won't give this a second thought. Maybe I just wasted my typing skills...
At any rate... Stay tuned Loves,
Sarah Schonert (They Lyrical Physicist)
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