The Reasons Why: A blog about the motivations for creating electronic music and what it takes.
There are many ways to create electronic music, but they can be broken down into two basic categories: generative and authored. Generative systems use randomness or chance to compose music, whereas authored systems involve the expression of original ideas. Each has its own merits and drawbacks, with generative systems offering speed and serendipity, and authored systems offering control and authenticity.
Deciding which one to use is mostly a matter of personal preference. It’s about what you want to get out of making music. For example, if your goal is to explore sounds and discover novel combinations, you may find more enjoyment in a generative system that lets you sample from a large pool of possibilities. But if your goal is to express yourself with a particular style or idea in mind, then you may prefer an authored system that lets you select individual sounds and note patterns directly. The choice is really up to you – both systems have their advantages and disadvantages, so there’s no right or wrong way to create music.
The Reasons Why is a blog about the motivations for creating electronic music and what it takes to give it away for free.
If you love electronic music and would like to read stories from people who make it, you’re in the right place. If you’re a musician and want to learn more about inspiring others to follow your path, this site will help.
I’ve interviewed dozens of musicians to find out why they create music and how they feel about giving it away. The answers will surprise and delight you if you’re a fan of the scene (and maybe inspire you if you’re not).
The idea for The Reasons Why came from my desire to learn more about the musicians that I listen to on a daily basis. As an avid fan of Creative Commons licensed netlabel releases, I wanted a chance to engage with their creators beyond the music itself. It’s difficult enough to communicate with another human being through music alone, so I decided to take things one step further by directly reaching out to artists online.
I have been working on a new blog for the past year or so, called The Reasons Why. It focuses on the motivations behind creating electronic music and what it takes to be successful in the industry.
I’m no expert, but I’ve been in the game for about 12 years now. I’ve learned a lot, made a lot of mistakes and have had a great time doing so. In my journey I have met other artists who have inspired me along the way, some of which I have had the pleasure of interviewing for this site.
The interviews are with people who are successful in their own right and have valuable experience that they are happy to share with others. My objective is to be able to share this information with you and hopefully help you out on your path to success as an electronic music artist.
The Reasons Why is a blog about the motivations for creating electronic music. We will be interviewing artists from all over the world to discover what it is that drives them towards their goals and how exactly they manage to achieve them.
The Reasons Why will also follow my own progress as I attempt to take my production skills and online presence to the next level. I will document my successes and failures in the hope that others can learn from my experiences, both positive and negative.
I have been thinking about creating a blog for a while and this is my first post.
My name is Ricky and I am an electronic musician. I started composing music around the age of 12. I have composed music for video games, rpgs, cartoons, live theater, dance performances, bands and even some film. This blog will focus on what it takes to compose electronic music and the reason why I compose electronic music.
The Reason Why
It all starts with a “Reason Why”. The “Reason Why” is the motivation for doing anything. It is the level-headed answer that you give when someone asks you why you are doing something out of the ordinary. There are several reasons why one would compose electronic music:
1.) You love music
2.) You want to make money
3.) You want fame and fortune
4.) Some combination of all 3 above
I do not believe there are any other valid reasons to become an electronic musician. You could argue that there may be more but at some level they will fall into one of those categories.
I have been asked many times why I produce electronic music and why I am trying to release it through a label. This is not a question that can be answered with a simple sentence or two: it’s not like “I like electronic music” or “I want to become famous”. There are many reasons why I do this, but there are also reasons why I don’t, and these things must be kept in mind when discussing the subject.
A lot of people seem to think that any creative activity is somehow romantic: the creator has a great idea, they sit down and work on it, and then they release the finished product. But this totally ignores all of the obstacles that stand in the way. These obstacles can come from anything: a lack of money, a lack of time, even a lack of motivation. And these things can sometimes be more difficult to overcome than the actual creative process itself!
Why do people create electronic music?
It’s a question we’ve all asked ourselves, probably many times. Why do we put so much time, effort and money into doing it? What is it that drives us to do this thing that we love so much?
The reasons are unique for each and every one of us. Some of these reasons are common though, and I’ve decided to write about some of them here. I’ve also included some general observations about what it takes to succeed as an electronic music artist. I hope you find this enlightening.
You can read this essay in a way that suits you: from start to finish, or pick an area that interests you and jump directly there. You can also click on the links in the essay to get extra information and commentary on topics that might interest you. I’ve tried to be as clear as possible when writing this. If anything is unclear, or if you want me to expand on a subject, feel free to contact me or leave a comment with your thoughts.