Realistic opinion please.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Orpheus
  • Start date Start date
Oh no, not at all, at least for me...if I wasn't clear, I absolutely hate the music itself, because I hear no heart, soul, or anything else that makes music human to me...but I'm a musician, and I prefer to hear a guy with an out of tune guitar singing off key, if it's coming from the gut, rather than perfectly in tune and syncronized melodic tripe that could be background music on the Weather Channel.
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.............but i am a musician dude. i just don't play the instruments. i sit here in front of computers, and i input my own soul with a mouse. nothing wrong with that. i appreciate your taste in music, and i know what you're talking about. i too like to see a man play with tears on his cheeks. but you are wrong to assume my music is lifeless just because no human "plays" it. the life of my music comes from the melodies and harmonies themselves.... the true heart of any music i might argue. but philosphies aside, i think that rather than judging this music book by its cover, try to involve yourself in the story it tells. i think you'd enjoy it more when you overcome your prejudices.
And I felt like I gave you "real feedback," so your post kinda' pissed me off, which is why I typed this rant.
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and yes, you did. that's why i thanked you man!!! do i need to thank you twice? i read your responses in their entirety and i will take them to heart while mixing my new songs.
but if you're looking to have your ego stroked on this ambient sampled stuff, you're gonna' have better luck posting it somewhere that not housed by people who make music with their hands and their heart.
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but...... with comments like this, it makes me wonder.......... are all the people here so prejudiced? i hope not. again, ALL music comes from the heart. i cannot imagine even the lamest songs by Britney Spears not coming from someone's heart. that's the nature of music--and that's why we all love it. you know, i work just as hard on my shit as you do yours. for what reason do you think that my music is any less substantial than your own? so you can strum a guitar....--so what? you remember that piano solo in the last 1/3 of Embrace?--where the fuck can i get a player to play that!? perhaps the reason i haven't recorded a real person is that not many can play my music! and where the hell am i going to find a whole orchestra to play my works? hmm? i'd love to. trust me. if i were Yanni.... yeah. but it's impossible for me. AND............. i don't even have a piano. you wanna lend me a Bosendorfer?--cause i am working on some new solo piano pieces.... and i actually have a player for them now!.................... but alas, no piano to play.

you know, when i give out CDs.... they are all autographed with the words, "May there always be music in your heart." i am not kidding you. that's exactly what i sign on all my cds.

so................... before you make such a prejudiced remark, just remember, we're all musicians..................... and we ALL have a heart.

orpheus
 
I think you've got talent and a good melodic ear but the original question was should you sell CD's.

Absolutely! Not because anyone buys new age style music but because if you can sell a whole bunch made inexpensively then you can get more new as well as write off your equipment for your taxes!!!! thats for at least for a couple of years. Check with your accountant for the specifics. Because Im pretty sure you cant sell 200 cd,s at 10.00 ea and write off $10,000 in outlay,depreciation and travel expenses without getting the evil eye from the
"eye are s"

A word of caution, If you write off your equipment and you get burglarized (sp), the homeowners won't cover it without a rider in most cases:( cause its business property

When your hobby becomes a business there are always advantages and disadvantages.



Then again if you set up a business and sold some cd's and then some whacko who was driving to Mcdonalds for a scalding cup of coffee and a extra high fat burger before seeing his lawyer about his pending frivilous (sp) suits.. Plays your CD and falls asleep. Can he file suit againt you the producer composer distributer????

What do you think Chrisharris?


Peace and prosperity
Bill
 
Then again if you set up a business and sold some cd's and then some whacko who was driving to Mcdonalds for a scalding cup of coffee and a extra high fat burger before seeing his lawyer about his pending frivilous (sp) suits.. Plays your CD and falls asleep. Can he file suit againt you the producer composer distributer????
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ha ha.................. hmm..................... or.... are you serious? ;) did you know that the old woman that sued mcdonalds for that coffee incident sighted permanent injuries to her burnt vagina!? as if she ever uses it! :rolleyes:

sorry.... needed that laugh. i was starting to think that i really should dump this CD selling idea.
 
I think you are taking some of the comments a little too hard. The truth is that the music is adequate for the genre. You have to realise that yes we are mainly musicians that play and our perspective while listening is much different than that of the casual listener. I see no problem with your music being marketable but the trick is getting the attention of that market. Since there is nothing that instantly grabs the listener in most new age tunes that's a hard trick to pull off.

Usually people who buy this kind of stuff buy it for background relaxation and when that is the goal there is a ton of music that works so the competition becomes very stiff. The other avenue is doing film scores but that is whole other ball game.

I've done a few film scores and my main emphasis as a performer/writer has been doing instrumental keyboard music so I am pretty familliar with the genre. My music faced a lot of the same challenges as you. I can definately play live but with this type of music that isn't really a great live show unless you have a $100k in killer lights and give everyone a tab of acid.

So facing the facts that you can't promote the music live and you are in a very crowded market if you want this to be profitable you will need to do some very clever marketing. Sell the CD as part of a relaxation package with massage oils or candles or a nature video. Something along those lines to make it viable as a product. Or team up with somebody who is already selling to the new age market and get them to promote your music.
 
Orpheus said:
so................... before you make such a prejudiced remark, just remember, we're all musicians..................... and we ALL have a heart.
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Okay, the "prejudiced" remark I made was made AFTER I listened.

Look, if I knew anything at all about anything, I probably wouldn't have over 2,000 posts on a freaking HOME recording website, okay? Ignore me. I just don't like the genre. In fact, there are probably only 4 or 5 instrumental tunes on the planet that have ever captured my attention. I'm shallow...move on. Go make millions.
 
Sell the CD as part of a relaxation package with massage oils or candles or a nature video. Something along those lines to make it viable as a product.
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you know, that's a good idea........ but i really didn't mean the music to be heard in that way. i don't want it to be a relaxer really..... but........ people in real life who have heard my music do keep saying it's good to listen to when they come home from work, or driving, or studying.... or whatever. but what i really wanted was the music to be a truly immersive experience. i did think the music was "good" music, and that a person could really sit down in front of it and close his eyes and really listen..... not just to use it as background noise.

so, though marketing it as "relaxing" and stuff might help me sell, i wouldn't do it that way. i would rather just give it away if i have to resort to condeming my music to being elevator crap.

do you know what i mean?

........for instance, sometimes friends would come over, and so i would ask, "Hey, i have a new song... wanna hear?" so they sit down, and i play them the song. but 1 minute into it they get bored and start making a conversation. I HATE THAT! i want my music to capture a person's attention and hold him there, speechless. when i hear music that does that to me, i know it's good stuff.

perhaps my music isn't quite there yet.......... some stuff i think is, the rest maybe not. but i'm learning................................

so keep the comments comin'! thanks!
 
Look, if I knew anything at all about anything, I probably wouldn't have over 2,000 posts on a freaking HOME recording website, okay? Ignore me. I just don't like the genre. In fact, there are probably only 4 or 5 instrumental tunes on the planet that have ever captured my attention. I'm shallow...move on. Go make millions.
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aw man........ come on. do you understand the point yet? i am merely saying that my music is just as emotional as your guitar stuff, or whatever you play. just cause you don't like it doesn't mean it lacks human soul or life. look........ i'll tell you this then: i used to like a girl in college, so i wrote her a song on my computer. i bet you did the same before too, but on guitar. well, i still remember her head on my shoulders and her arms around my waist. the song did not win her over, and i still cannot help but to feel sad everytime i play that song. i swear i put my heart into that song.... it was for my love at the time after all!

get it?

that is why your comment was prejudiced.... to say that my song is without soul while your acoustic music is more meaningful just cause some actual person played it live.
 
Orpheus said:
........for instance, sometimes friends would come over, and so i would ask, "Hey, i have a new song... wanna hear?" so they sit down, and i play them the song. but 1 minute into it they get bored and start making a conversation
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There may in lie the problem. :rolleyes:

Now that I have posted I feel compelled to comment despite hating this type of music.

Back in a minute...

Listened to Introduction.

Yes, this is the type of music where I walk by the display with a song like this playing and I want to bash the display in. But, obviously this stuff sells and I think you have got a pretty good handle on it. So go for it!
 
Yes, this is the type of music where I walk by the display with a song like this playing and I want to bash the display in.
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just curious.... why does this type of music irk you so? i don't see how it can be so offensive.
 
Orpheus said:
get it?

that is why your comment was prejudiced.... to say that my song is without soul while your acoustic music is more meaningful just cause some actual person played it live.
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Look man, first of all, my acoustic music is about as meaningful as spam, but I digress.

I'm sure you're a fabulous person with a huge heart, and you obviously care about your music...for the 9 gazillionth time, it moves ME none. You poured your heart and soul into it, that's awesome...it doesn't translate very well to me...but so fucking what??? I'm nobody, and from your self-published reviews and your comments in this thread, people who aren't me love it.

I may have stated it poorly, but my dislike for what I heard has nothing to do with HOW the music is made...I don't give a flying rip if a person sings or if he manipulates a test tone into a french horn with software; it's about emotion to me. I like to feel something, ANYTHING, other than "relaxed" when I listen to music. I like to be on the edge of my seat, playing a fake drum kit on my steering wheel, or I like to hear a cool lyric that I've heard 100 times hit me in a totally different way on the 101st listen.

You have heart, you have soul, you have intellect, and you have music that didn't move me. Nothing preconceived about it, dude.
 
Orpheus said:
just curious.... why does this type of music irk you so? i don't see how it can be so offensive.
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OK, you caught me using some hyperbole, but nonetheless I think Chris covered my answer to your question pretty well.

No heart. No emotion. Just sleep......Just an opinion.

I think at best this could be background for what is supplying the emotion, like in a film.
 
Orpheus said:
perhaps my music isn't quite there yet.......... some stuff i think is, the rest maybe not. but i'm learning................................
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Making compelling instrumental music is tough. Much harder than writing some catchy pop songs. Unless you are one of the lucky few prodigies it usually takes years of study to write good music. Not being able to play puts you at a huge disadvantage from a compositional sense because you can't sit down and hammer out some ideas, no improvisation and real feel.

You will probably disagree with that but from a 'feel' standpoint there is no replacement for a real performance. Even if you just want to be a composer you should try to get a few real tracks recorded on the tunes. A simple flute or acoustic guitar arpeggio can be a big help to giving the songs a more organic feel.

Very few people have the capacity to just sit and listen to any type of music. If you expect people to stop in their tracks and really focus you have to deliver something that grabs them by the balls and doesn't let go. Definately not an easy task.
 
You have heart, you have soul, you have intellect, and you have music that didn't move me. Nothing preconceived about it, dude.
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okay.... sorry... misunderstood your words. no prob.

then that will be my goal........... someday i will give you an instrumental that will keep you on the edge of your frickin' toilet seat, with yo tears overflowing the bowl. ;) seriously...... heh he.

(just so you know.... i have all the NIN CDs.... so i can appreciate more emotional music too. :) )
 
Orpheus said:
but i really didn't mean the music to be heard in that way. i don't want it to be a relaxer really
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You know, if this is the case you may want to change your band name from "Falling To Dreams". Just a bit of marketing advice. ;)
 
You know, if this is the case you may want to change your band name from "Falling To Dreams". Just a bit of marketing advice.
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yeah...... but you know, dreams don't have to be sleepy. like everything i've written so far......."I didn't mean it that way." :p .....i meant dreams as in another world.... away from real life. i didn't mean put you to sleep type music.
 
chrisharris said:
Oh no, not at all, at least for me...if I wasn't clear, I absolutely hate the music itself, because I hear no heart, soul, or anything else that makes music human to me...but I'm a musician, and I prefer to hear a guy with an out of tune guitar singing off key, if it's coming from the gut, rather than perfectly in tune and syncronized melodic tripe that could be background music on the Weather Channel.
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LOL LMAO LMFBO :D :D :D :D


I almost wet myself, man. :D That was frickin' hilarious.




sorry... I'm done... talk amongst yourselves.


:p









oh yeah... I did listen to this stuff the other day...


I'm gonna agree with the "concensus"... It's fine for the genre... there's some decent programming going on there... but there's nothing remarkable aboot it, so... seeing how the New Age market is already full of stuff that sounds exactly the same as this, you're gonna need some decent marketing tactics to get successful results.



It's surely possible though... so don't let our less-than-stellar reaction deter you from your goals.



P.S. I agree with the rest that all the songs I listened to didn't really "go anywhere"... but I must disagree with you aboot rock music... it definitely does go somewhere... go listen to any Rush song (i.e. Freewill, 2112, Tom Sawyer, etc.) and tell me they don't "go anywhere". :p



WATYF
 
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I'm gonna agree with the "concensus"... It's fine for the genre... there's some decent programming going on there... but there's nothing remarkable aboot it
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but that really confuses me. like if you listen to Embrace, i have never heard a piano solo like that, EVER. and the incorporation of the orchestra with the piano in my style seems to be pretty original. one reason i thought my music was good was that it's totally original. it does fit inside a genre in that it is an instrumental.... but that is about it. i have never heard another artist sound the same as me. of course, i could be wrong........... but perhaps someone with more "new age" experience might disagree with you. maybe not?--who knows. i've been mightily perplexed through this whole thread.
 
Orpheus-

The people here care about your situation enough to have written quite a few posts.

Their reactions to the content of your music is a matter of personal preference. Thats not your problem. You had a question, and you got some high quality answers.

In the future, you'll save yourself alot of time and energy here if you resist the urge to react to other peoples reactions - -
and refrain from questioning their convictions. Once you're used to playing live, when the time comes, you'll get used to the ups and downs and disappointments with people not having the desired reaction to your work.

The music is beautiful, and everyone here would probably help you despite their preferences. It's a real community. But your irratiblity with our honesty will make it hard to help you.
 
The music is beautiful, and everyone here would probably help you despite their preferences. It's a real community. But your irratiblity with our honesty will make it hard to help you.
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i am not upset at all. i'm sorry if that's the impression all of you got................well, except about that comment i thought was prejudiced.

.....i like to argue--not really, argue, but to discuss. if someone posts a comment, i like to get in-depth and ask all the why's and answer all the how's.

i appreciate all comments, no matter praise or disgust.

if you read carefully my replies, i did not personally attack any one person besides chrisharris. perhaps my light-hearted jokes did not lighten the mood enough for you.

so..... if i have scared anyone away from this thread... i really didn't mean to. i'm actually pretty nice i think, and i don't really have a temper at all. it's VERY hard to get me mad. even chrisharris didn't really make me mad.... i was just trying to show him why his comment could have been construed to be prejudiced and unfair.

so, please keep the comments going......... especially those out there who actually listen to this type of music!--i'm sure someone here does! ;)
 
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