After a few months of teaching, gigs, and other lifestyles of the rock and roll I have separated a month for making a new Album. During that time I want to write some articles on here about my creative process so you can see how I navigate, making music, finishing music, staying inspired, and such. I also want to inspire you, as I am being inspired, by the process of making music. This is a very personal perspective, I am glad to share with you.
So lets start at the beginning of making new music.
The best way to start making music is to start off by not making music. Seriously. Spending a few days by yourself and in contemplation will go a long way. You need to take a moment to look at the larger picture of your art, music, why you are doing what you are doing. If you start by thinking;
I need to finish this new album.
I will lose fans unless I make something great in the next few months.
I think people would love a new album that is dark, and uses this one synth sound, and like the other artist I love.
If you think like that going into making music it will be mediocre at best. The reason why is you are coming from a place of fear. You will compromise your own expression and artistic integrity. Now what would happen if you asked other questions to start with;
What am I feeling of late and where am I at in my life?
What is really important in my life and experiences that I want to share with others?
What inspires me to make music? Why even make it?
These questions are much more existential, but I can guarantee you that everyone thinks these things and can relate. By exploring this yourself, you will be able to get into a much deeper and more creatively rooted place. Think about what music would sound like if it was diving into the questions and core feelings of the human race as compared to a song that is trying to be popular.
For me personally I escaped the city and went to Orcas Island with my partner. I have been writing in a journal, taking walks, talking with friends, and taking moments to myself. Another thing that helps is making sounds for the fun of it. I just bust out my autoharp and play it for hours and explore the wonders of music. This way I have started to formulate thoughts of what my music is.
Creating Story
Another way of staying creative and motivated is thinking about the story. I have created an epic with every track and album I make. I have a whole mythos of the Subaqueous character. People might not get it, or even know about it, but it creates a sense of place and purpose that helps move my music.
Try to think of what room the music is in. Is it in the desert, a cave in Africa, a festival at twilight, or what. This will add life and story to your music that people might not consciously get, but it will affect them.
So with that I will leave you with this podcast I did a while back about my artistic process. It walks through what I was thinking with my past music.
Over the next few weeks I am going to go deep into what making music means to me, some techniques for staying in the flow of things, and my process to help inspire other artist. Register on the site to join the newsletter and get the newest updates in your inbox.
