Contemplations on the Art of Music Production

Reasons to Make Music

I mentioned in my last article that working on my Rhytual project is like spiritual practice for me. I did not intend to imply it would be the ”right” or ”only” way to approach making music. Why do you make music?

Reasons To Make Music

For about 26 years (I started at the age of 6) I never thought about why I was making or playing music. When I finally started thinking about it at the age of about 32, I couldn’t get the questions out of my head. What is the purpose of music? Why am I doing this?

I’m now 40. I’ve been thinking about it for the past 8 years or so. I’ve come a long way from where I started, but I don’t feel I’m finished with it yet. Here’s some reflection about how I currently approach my music making.

The Rhytual project for me is only one aspect of the whole. Other major music projects I’m currently involved with include Resound (my drum & bass focused solo work) and my collaborative work with Ink & Loxy (we have a label set up for this called I.L.R. Studios).

I have different thought processes for different projects. They are always evolving, too. Working on Rhytual has become a little bit like meditation in the past year or two. It helps me stay on track, so that I can stay focused and do right in other things. It’s been something that I go to when I feel like I need to take a breather from other work. Altough I’d like to release some material, I’m not too worried about it at the moment. I’ve had other things to tend to.

I never intended to move so slow with Rhytual releases. But life brings surprising events and right now I’m just happy to have my own little spiritual music practice that I can always return to. You should always evaluate your priorities because the world around you isn’t static, and you aren’t either.

For the past 9 months I’ve been focused on a new collaborative project with my friends Loxy & Ink. For us it was not an option to do it half-assed. We were very clear about that from the beginning. In order to do it properly, everything else was put on the back burner for a bit for all of us.

As a result, working with this new dynamic has been very rewarding. We’ve made close to 30 tracks by now, developed a killer routine and started to find our voice as a collective. Working hard we’ve learned many new things that will transfer to anything we may choose to do in the future. With 9 tracks released at the time of writing this, the public has only seen a glimpse of the project so far. But for us the project is already a success.

There is some overlap, but the “whys” and “hows” behind our collaborative project also differ from those of my Rhytual project, for example.

There are many different reasons to make music. Are you aware of yours? It’s good to think about it. It may change how you approach things for the better. Here are a few good ones, off the top of my head:

  • Moving yourself
  • Moving others
  • Spending time with friends
  • Connecting with new people
  • Connecting to your roots
  • Having fun
  • Maintaining inner balance
  • Learning new skills
  • Benefitting another project
  • Personal growth
  • Making a statement
  • Changing the world
  • Finding solace in a difficult situation
  • Helping someone
  • Making a living
  • Supporting your family
  • …and so on.

It’s usually a combination of many things, but our priorities vary.

A piece of music doesn’t care why it was made. Do you think Mozart’s work is less beautiful because he did most of it to please the clients and to make money?

I don’t think whether you make music for money or perhaps for spiritual reasons makes your music any better or worse. Having clarity about your reasons will make your music better though. It will help you focus and do better work. That process will help you in finding your own voice.

What are your reasons for making music? What am I missing? I’m curious to hear. Let me know in the comments.


Posted

in

by

Tags:

Comments

10 responses to “Reasons to Make Music”

  1. Scott Brownlee Avatar
    Scott Brownlee

    Really enjoyed this article. Sometimes I feel like I’m composing in a vacuum, just writing music for myself and a dozen Facebook friends. It helps to remember that sometimes, music is composed not for an audience to cheer about, but just for its own sake. I especially appreciated the reminder that a legitimate reason for composing music is simply to move yourself and others.

    1. Ilpo Kärkkäinen Avatar
      Ilpo Kärkkäinen

      Good to hear Scott. And yes, it sure is!

  2. oliver rhodes Avatar

    Catharsis is my main motivation, and an inability to go for long without making something..anything, an artwork, photography, a simple print flyer for an event. I don’t have a choice in the matter, design or die. I’ve gone long periods a couple of times over the years where I put on a shirt and tie and made money and played along, but…It was like physical pain not having time for a creative outlet and indulging a desire to create. I couldn’t ignore that, so, spiritual reasons as well I guess :-).

    1. Ilpo Kärkkäinen Avatar
      Ilpo Kärkkäinen

      Thanks for sharing your motivations Ollie. I know that feeling!

  3. Nick Shaw Avatar

    My main reasons for making music are that it gives me a sense of achievement and purpose. I find it intellectually satisfying. I also found that it helped me cope with my severe mental problems that plagued me for decades and I still have to deal with to a lesser extent. I can honestly say that music has saved my life. When I’m feeling euphoric, I’m driven by an urge to create and am overcome with all the possibilities. It gives me goals and I love the feeling of exploring the world of sounds and making weird noises with modular synths. It also gives me a feeling of self-worth when people listen to my tunes and appreciate them, particularly when it comes from people whose music I also admire. I love the sense of connection and being part of a community it gives me as I learn from other producers, speak their arcane language, and laugh at their jokes. Not only has music been good for creativity, but it’s also helped me develop general life skills, such as persistence, planning and networking. But things like money and fame don’t motivate me that much because they’re externals, not subject to my control, and not necessary for me to be happy. Having more money is always preferable, but fame isn’t necessarily all it’s cracked up to be, and comes with a lot of downsides.

    1. Ilpo Kärkkäinen Avatar
      Ilpo Kärkkäinen

      Loved reading that. Thanks Nick.

  4. Tim Avatar
    Tim

    It’s like an itch that you need to scratch. It’s a bit like hunger or thirst (with respect to the many millions who really go hungry – its *NOT* as bad for me as it is for them). It’s like a pressure that slowly builds. I’m full-time doing other stuff for a living, so making music is very much an occasional thing. It’s far too ad-hoc to develop into a ritual, but there is a real feeling for like like it is spiritual, and given enough time I can relax from my normal state and start to feel at one with the music. Just need to find more time.

    1. Ilpo Kärkkäinen Avatar
      Ilpo Kärkkäinen

      Thanks for reading and sharing your experience Tim. I hope it works out well for you finding more time for music.

  5. Chean Avatar
    Chean

    I think there’s a big line between “playing” and “making” music. I, like everybody I guess, started out just playing. There was a guitar around and by the time I was 12 I’d learnt the basics. For some years and concentrated on learning and playing, especially blues. But when the idea of composing my own songs hit my head, and I did start writing, I realized the songs told so much about me. And I got scared. I guess I just don’t know how to “distance” myself from the songs. I feel like I’m naked.

    1. Ilpo Kärkkäinen Avatar
      Ilpo Kärkkäinen

      It can be a scary thing. Maybe it also depends on the style of music you are making. But regardless, you’re always making yourself vulnerable putting your creations out there. It’s surely a fear that can be conquered like any other.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.