There are times when I'm genuinely impressed with myself. But those easily get cut down with feelings of not being good enough or not being up to what I wish my standards are. Then I listen to some other people's stuff and I think, well, I mean I'm doing better than that, then feel awful about myself for criticizing someone else's music. Then I quit chipmusic. Then people message me and tell me how great my stuff is and I'm like, ehh, okay it's not awful. Wash, rinse and repeat.
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Savannah, Georgia
i go through phases like that just about weekly, tbh - first i think, "yeah, i think i got this" then two days later i start thinking "well people do way better than me without even trying, what am i accomplishing here" and then in about a week's time i want to just stop making chipmusic altogether because i have an inferiority complex that makes me feel horrible about every single thing i do.
but then next week i'm like "yeah, i think i got this"
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Neo Jersey
interesting topic... i do enjoy listening to my own music which i always thought felt odd...but it makes sense, because its exactly what my mind wants to hear, lol. its like you're feeding your psyche what your subconscious conjured up...weird. i find myself critiquing my music a lot. especially my older shit. and yes i do love my music like a mother loves a child. music is art. its something you created from nothing that expresses yourself (and maybe some other artists you ripped off 
) . so yea if all my music got erased somehow...id be devastated. it'd be like simultaneously losing a part of myself and someone/something i loved dearly.
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Going back over an unreleased set of 2 EP's that I've had for a while at the moment actually. I feel nothing but disappointment and surprise...I thought most of the songs were better than this. But there's also some that I'm pleasantly surprised with how well they've turned out.
I think I'm going to load up the savs tomorrow and make them all right. Thanks for the inspiration, thread.
EDIT: Also, I should mention that my music is a part of me. It's the way I express things, and it changes with me. It's the way that I speak, even though most of the time I feel musically tongue-tied. I can never get it out the way I want it to. It's like I know the words but can't use them correctly, resulting in music that makes me proud and devastated at the same time. It's never right enough for me. But I know it's good. But it's not right.
Last edited by Frostbyte (Aug 16, 2012 7:06 am)
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Sydney, Australia
I go through old music when creating new music. Some pieces age better than others. It's really good inspiration. 
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New York
Aeros wrote:
"well people do way better than me without even trying, what am i accomplishing here"
What you're accomplishing is creating music that's your own, part of your identity, even your legacy (no matter the size). I, for one, KNOW there are maaaany artists out there that are better than me, as is the case for most people, but you just kind of have to put that aside and enjoy your own work, and be proud that you created something. Something really cool. Muzaks. I mean it's always good to push yourself and get ideas and inspiration, but don't bog yourself down comparing yourself to others
Your music is yours.
Their music is theirs.
Last edited by Parallelis (Aug 16, 2012 9:45 am)
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The Multiverse ::: [CA, Sac]
Parallelis wrote:
Aeros wrote:"well people do way better than me without even trying, what am i accomplishing here"
What you're accomplishing is creating music that's your own, part of your identity, even your legacy (no matter the size). I, for one, KNOW there are maaaany artists out there that are better than me, as is the case for most people, but you just kind of have to put that aside and enjoy your own work, and be proud that you created something. Something really cool. Muzaks. I mean it's always good to push yourself and get ideas and inspiration, but don't bog yourself down comparing yourself to others
Your music is yours.
Their music is theirs.
God I wish I was Zef. (or STS now)
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.FILTHadelphia
I listen to the point of obsession until I release it to the public or play it live after that point the song gets a few playbacks every so often but not as much as during the writing process. Most of the time I listen because it needs changes and for some reason I feel like if I listen to it enough something will start to make sense and I'll know exactly what's going wrong and how to fix it but it has yet to happen. However this doesn't stop me from using this method. I do have moments when writing when I'm like "OMG! I can't believe I wrote this!" other times people will ask me to listen to some of my stuff and I get uncomfortable being in the room while the song is playing because my self-doubt hits like a ton of bricks. It's a double edged sword but the payoff is worth the risk
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Puerto Rico
Aeros wrote:
i think that my music is horrible and see every possible way i could've improved it before releasing it
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Utah
I usually listen to my music ad nauseam while I am working on it. After I give it some time, maybe a few weeks, I'll listen again and get a better idea of how other people hear it. And that is when I usually enjoy it the most. Also, I usually really enjoy listening to the LSDJ portions of what I write but don't like listening to my voice at all.
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Brighton | Portsmouth | UK
I cum myself
EDIT w/actual insight because it's a good question:
I tend to write music that I'd want to listen to, so when I'm listening to my music usually I feel pretty good about it. I understand why people can hate on their own stuff so much though, but as I'm writing JUST for myself there isn't that layer of having to deal with other's expectations. Not in an egotistical way, I don't expect anyone to give a shit about what I write so it's a two-way road of non-expectational-care
I've also found listening to past releases of my own has really helped me grow as a composer, as however much you're proud of something there is always going to be bits you like and bits you don't so you know what needs cut. The only problem is mixing this with writing purely for personal enjoyment as a product means I end up writing music based almost entirely on what I prominently listen to at that moment outside of chip (hence my sudden obsession with writing math rock/jazzcore infused chippity)
Last edited by AndrewKilpatrick (Aug 17, 2012 12:53 am)
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ohio gozaimasu
I always write a track, and listen to it over and over again until I hate it with a passion. I honestly don't like the music I make at all. I'll listen to some awesome album/EP and be all like, "holy shit this is the stuff I want to write". Then I'll go try to do something like it and I either can't write a thing, or do the same generic shit I've always done. I don't really even have much of a choice in what I write, I just kinda write it. I feel that affects my view on my own material greatly; I'll listen and think, "well that's decent I guess, but that's not what I wanted".
I honestly don't care what anyone else thinks about my music. I just write music. A few people are like, "yo dis is the shit bro" , and I'm just thinking, "well this is a peice of shit, but whatever you say bro". I really wish I could write not-shit music, but I don't. I don't really even care though, I mean it's fun either way.
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washington
I listen to my music mostly to listen for mistakes, but I also listen to it sometimes just for listening to. I feel like the music I've written is a part of me, like someone took a knife and cut off a piece of me. It's not really a mother-child thing for me, I guess that implies that they're two different things. I don't know.
I know it's weird, but I'm a weird person.
Last edited by basspuddle (Aug 17, 2012 5:49 am)