Does making music stress you out?

[Auditor]

I find that stress is generally my default mood, especially when trying to get myself into the studio. Once I'm in the groove, I usually start to have a good time and hours will fly by (especially if I don't immediately hate what I'm working on

 

Lately I try to tell myself to have no expectations and just have fun in order to get in the right mind frame before starting on the work. This has been helping, but it's definitely a case of talking myself out of my "normal" mode - which is stress and a fear of failure.  

 

This isn't how it used to be when I started making music 20-some-odd years ago. I want to somehow get back to that natural feeling of excitement and wonder. But, for now, it seems I'll just have to settle for the artificial version. 

 

What about you folks, has making music become more stressful as you've gotten older, and what do you do to battle it? 

[modey]

No. Trying to find time to make music is stressful, but generally I find it relaxing/meditative, especially when working on repetitive music, or recently, making patches on the nord modular.

 

I stress about upcoming gigs though, especially when I'm playing in an unknown environment (like being the one solo electronic musician among indie bands, which is surprisingly common around here). As a result, I'm going to slow down on the gigs and concentrate on just making sound for a while.

 

As for how to battle stress, well, that's difficult.. maybe just spend more time pointlessly fucking around and try to not think that you need to make something worthwhile? edit: oh yeah you kinda already said that heh

Edited May 8, 2017 by modey

[granty]

Everything is less stressful if you let go of expectations. Having achievable goals is one thing, but don't put pressure on yourself for those goals to be met, otherwise life in general will be a living nightmare.

[Guest]

Give up and make music.

[xox]

from me it's would be stressful if i'd use only the ''right brain'' during the process but computers, synths, watevaa require a lot of procedural thinking, ''where's that file, directory?'', ''fak! wherez the plugin?'', ''how to do the sound i'm hearing in my mind? - take 765!!!'', ''how to mix this? - take 32987 faaaaak!!!!!!'' ...and so on... so basically techical problem solving, not musical problem solving

 

AND then there's the timeless lack of time shit

Edited May 8, 2017 by xox

[joshuatxuk]

The few times I relentlessly tried to seriously make and finalize track I gave up. They were part of remix contests and I think I was way overthinking it and not enjoying the process at all.

^

 

Everything is less stressful if you let go of expectations. Having achievable goals is one thing, but don't put pressure on yourself for those goals to be met, otherwise life in general will be a living nightmare.

 

Should of taken that advice to heed then. 

[BCM]

i find it stressful if i'm not in the right frame of mind...consequently i don't make half as much music as i used to. i definitely sympathise with losing the sense of wonder thing - i haven't had that in years. it's a shame coz now i'm older i've got much more money and lots of hardware i used to dream about, but most of the time i simply can't be arsed to use it.

[Leon Sumbitches]

Definitely doesn't stress me out, making music is magical and fun, especially once you get into it and the hours melt away. I'm paralysed with work atm and am waiting for the beginning of June when I'm just taking a full week off to make tunes. Longing for it.

[Psychotronic]

Give up and make music.

!

[Lada Laika]

The opposite, actually. I get stressed out when I haven't made music in a while. Sometimes I get frustrated when I can't create the sound I'm looking for, but usually I take a break for an hour and come back with no expectations and end up with something I like.

 

Finding time at this point is the hardest part. I've been trying to find time to throw together an EP/mini-album I've been working on and it's so much work.

[zkom]

Yeah, for me also it's a stress relieve. I really have no expectations when I start to make a new track. The only slightly stressful thing is the mastering.

[flacid]

The only part of it that stresses me out is options. 

[Guest]

I'll elaborate on my smart ass comment.

That natural feeling of excitement and wonder isn't always going to be there. Being creative is like being in a relationship with someone. It gets bumpy and frustrating, but you have to work at it to keep it positive and healthy. If you're stressed about things outside of your control like acceptance, praise, a livelihood, etc., you'll have to try to rise above that.

So, give up on things outside of your influence and work on what is completely under your influence: making music without judgment.

[juiceciuj]

it's a shame coz now i'm older i've got much more money and lots of hardware i used to dream about, but most of the time i simply can't be arsed to use it.

i don't find it stressful but i totally relate to the above statement. really just get frustrated w/myself for having all this stuff and not producing anything with it. been a long time since i've produced anything close to a "song" but still like to take the time to turn the switches on and knock about a pattern for an hour

[dingformung]

You have to drill a hole into your head to aquire a "childlike state of consciousness by self-trepanation".

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trepanning#Voluntary_trepanation

 

 

"After some time there was an ominous sounding schlurp and the sound of bubbling. I drew the trepan out and the gurgling continued. It sounded like air bubbles running under the skull as they were pressed out. I looked at the trepan and there was a bit of bone in it. At last!"

 

 

 

That'll help you to restore your float of creativity.

 

 

(it won't, don't do that)

[BCM]

 

it's a shame coz now i'm older i've got much more money and lots of hardware i used to dream about, but most of the time i simply can't be arsed to use it.

i don't find it stressful but i totally relate to the above statement. really just get frustrated w/myself for having all this stuff and not producing anything with it. been a long time since i've produced anything close to a "song" but still like to take the time to turn the switches on and knock about a pattern for an hour

 

 

lol yeah totally, i do quite often site there trancing out to some acid pattern or something for an hour or so without ever actually making it into a track.  i mean, i obviously do knock out tunes every month or two but i used to be doing several a week when i was in my twenties and i only had a shit laptop with fruity loops.  i haven't even got kids yet either...going to happen soon though, then i'll have even less time/will for it.  ah well, maybe i'll just end up sadly looking at my gear one day and forgetting how to turn it on.

Edited May 8, 2017 by BCM

[Psychotronic]

aquire a "childlike state of consciousness"

Edited May 8, 2017 by Psychotronic

[Auditor]

You have to drill a hole into your head to aquire a "childlike state of consciousness by self-trepanation".

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trepanning#Voluntary_trepanation

 

 

"After some time there was an ominous sounding schlurp and the sound of bubbling. I drew the trepan out and the gurgling continued. It sounded like air bubbles running under the skull as they were pressed out. I looked at the trepan and there was a bit of bone in it. At last!"

 

 

 

That'll help you to restore your float of creativity.

 

 

(it won't, don't do that)

 

When I was younger and smoking a shitload of dmt (and generally morbidly depressed) I sincerely almost talked myself into trying self-trepanation. I learned about it when I saw John Waters speak at a local college. He raved about it, but hadn't actually had the balls to do it. 

[Auditor]

Too much to quote and respond to here, but thanks for all the insightful and hilarious thoughts. I guess I'm lucky in that I don't have kids yet, and I don't work too often so I tend to have a lot of time to make music throughout the day. But I can totally relate to the opposite end of the spectrum - getting stressed because you want to make music and don't have the time. That's why I've never given it up for longer than a year. I miss it too much after a little while. 

 

Better to be a little stressed about doing what you love than not being able to do it at all. 

[Twelvetrees]

I think if you think about what you want to be the track to be too soon you'll end up creating anxiety for yourself. Generally I just mess around with sounds until something strikes me and then just keep going with it. Normally this makes me end up with forty maybe-fitting-together parts to a song and then I just try to make something out of the randomness I've made up. I think as long as you don't go in with strict expectations it's easier to enjoy it.

[mcbpete]

The only time I'm completely unstressed is when I'm making music. It's really the only thing that relaxes my brain, and yet foolishly I rarely do it nowadays.

[QQQ]

you're not alone. music making is 90% self loathing and stress, 10% enjoyment and relief for me.

[bumpacid]

Give up and make music.

This.

you're not alone. music making is 90% self loathing and stress, 10% enjoyment and relief for me.

You probly just trying too hard

[GetSquirrely]

only when there's writers block

[sweepstakes]

Everything is less stressful if you let go of expectations. Having achievable goals is one thing, but don't put pressure on yourself for those goals to be met, otherwise life in general will be a living nightmare.

This, fuck the expectations, they are the real bogeyman. I actually think listening to music less helps with this. Or, at least, other people's music.

 

That said, I do often get frustrated thinking about how my music could sound. But also fuck spending hours editing and fine-tuning just to drain the blood out of it all. I just want to get better at sketches - work on making my ears and hands and brain better, not my recordings of what they're doing.