You may remember, I tried a similar exercise.

The point of mine wasn't really getting listens. It was forcing me to develop workflow skills to finish tracks.

In your case, it is clear you already possess that workflow knowledge to push a track to what sounds like its completed state.

However you also will be aware that such time constraints mean you end up having to push the idea you started with to it's conclusion even though the original idea may not have been that great.

Also, although these tracks sound different in terms of their instrumentation (the ingredients), you are following a similar recipe each time to generate the end result, so none of the tracks stand out from each other.

This isn't a criticism. This is exactly the result I was achieving which is why I stopped.

 

I've just found your tracks. They're excellent!
If you don't get many listens then most likely too few people know that these even exist, and I'm not talkIng about other musicians.
Huge thanks for posting these.

 

Don't !!
You are doing it. Worrying about what other people think, do or feel should never be the basis for writing or composing music and putting it out there. !!

I am not sure if clicking inside this forum as an embedded-linked file translates the play to Soundcloud. I think it does not. In fact, I had one up here about four years ago and I know at least twenty people listened to it because they either made a comment or messaged. Soundcloud said it was played twice.

 

the real measure of today's talent is not butt size, but butt flapping.....

anyway your trax are great, keep your energy level up!

I hope you get your studio back soon.

 

As listens seem to have declined (whether due to boredom as @Stuck In The 80s politely put) I can't help but ponder the question of what exactly is "the basis for writing or composing music and putting it out there" to paraphrase your good self. The last few songs have reminded me of gigs where no audience showed up, then worse, felt like endless rehearsal rooms. But perhaps he is quite right. I have come to grips with the techniques to produce "that sound" of the angsty teen girl who sings as though her jaw is wired shut.

When my studio is back up and running I'm going to try that style of singing where I don't open my mouth. It seems to have some attraction to me now. It's moody. But not in a bad way like my partner. Uh oh... I think she saw that. I sure as hell hope

 

I'd leave but I want to find out if I'm next on someones hit list.[/QUOTE]

Typical "the young Pope" response

 

Sorry , but from this batch the only track I really liked was "Falling Down Again" , I know you can do a lot better and you did in some of your past songs. but perhaps pressuring yourself with the song a day idea may have affected the output. Just my personal opinion, others seemed to like all 9 of these songs. Anyways don't be discouraged, I think it is much better to focus in on a single song and work it out to perfection and which satisfies you 100% than outputting a gaggle of tunes that don't.

 

@Lenny Belardo II Some may say 'proof of life' but the reasons why are different for each of us.
It's a record, it's an achievement, it's a creative visible development and so much more.
It is only a problem if being concerned with being liked, listened to or making money ahead of creativity is the goal.
I see the logic in what Strat4ever said about focusing on a single tune and that is definitely a recipe for more focus, drilling down and a refusal to accept anything less than near perfection, a much longer scrutinisation and likely an editing process.
The only person who can answer the "WHY?" - is you.

 

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Ahh, but if I said to you "I am an author. I have written dozens of books" yet at the completion of each I printed them out and set fire to them without anybody ever having read it, am I still an author, or simply the "idea of being an author"?
Or what if I was Shrodingers cellist. A possible virtuoso. A fifty percent chance I am until you open the door, at which point the playing ceases.
When art is the medium, exposure is essential.
Plus how does one self evaluate quality? I can accept the advice of @Strat4ever and work on the one best track, but according to @Stuck In The 80s that is the worst track.
Hence the reason that I am happy to receive the guidance of my peers. Assuming of course there is some clarity in the opinions offered.

 

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Then I am pleased that I you at least liked one. Surely time spent writing a dozen or so tracks to create one that is of any value is better than not attempting any. Each track taught me something new about a style with which I would say I am unfamiliar.
In response to "I can do a lot better" I have to say that at present, I cannot. You may have missed the preface to my current situation, whereby I explained my studio was flood damaged and I am currently working on the kitchen table with just keyboard, mouse and headphones.

 

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Typical "the young Pope" response [/QUOTE]

I'm dying to find out if I'm next.

 

That one is easy. Do you like it? No? Then in the bin. Yes then it is good enough for you.
As I mentioned, if the criteria is making other people happy, then that needs to be targeted.
If you can do better, then as tough love as it sounds, then do better! - When your studio is back up and running of course.

P.S - The day that what comes out of an iPad sounds better than a $10,000 set of monitors, is the day nobody buys studio monitors anymore.

 

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Do I like it? In the case of this collection of tracks, I like them all because I learnt something in executing each one. Are they of high quality? No, but that wasn't my aim. These are a series of charcoal sketches of a model. If I was to develop them further I would break out the oil paints, but I won't be doing that because these have not been composed. They have been collated using the few tools I have at my disposal.

 

Rodgers and Hammerstein said they had to write 20 or so to one good one.

 

Great quote.

 

I believe John Lennon made himself write a song a day. Most were rubbish, but then Imagine would happen. We wouldn't have that song if it wasn't for the discarded rubbish.

 

What I said was that it wasn't my cup of tea but it was well produced.
You do seem to focus on the negatives... I also made a comment that the second track was excellent from about the mid point onwards. Sounded like a homage to a Dr Dre track.

 

I didn't see your comment as negative at all, In fact, knowing that I had hit the right buttons to engage your interest in the second half of that track was a real breakthrough. That was the point of the whole exercise for me. To play with modern pop genres. I used a vocal sample pack and reshaped each track. I discarded the backing elements and built a new song each time. Of course there is a superficial similarity throughout due to the use of the singers phrases and loops, but each track has a different taste.

 

There is a proverb. "The journey is the goal" - you can meditate on it. Just the fact that you deal with music is great. The question of what music does to you is also essential. There is music all over the world and everywhere it is something very good. Music is also international understanding. A film with the right music supports the plot. What a great brain we have. You can do several things while listening to music.
Some music releases memories and other music makes us aggressive and in turn other music makes us happy. Or you don't do anything other than sit down and grapple with the music. Music makers deal with music every day. Some is practicing and learning - some is craft and some is intuition.

Now comes the entertainment industry - radio - television - concerts - online portals. Some company owners are concerned with spreading good music and other company owners are just concerned with making a profit. Every number 1 hit flushes cash into the box office and the ratings go up. Greed drains the brain. As musicians buy new innovations and music products, they encourage the further development of new products. If nobody bought these products, there would be hardly any further developments. Every musician needs recognition - you can also call that appreciation and unfortunately there is too little of that. Some musicians do nothing but promote their music on the internet all day in hopes of gaining some recognition or making money from it. That kills the creativity and frustration builds up.

I would never have met Lenny without the internet. This is how you learn from each other - you can exchange ideas through trial and error. And if you got lost, other users can show you a different or new perspective. Sometimes you read nonsense and then you realize how people are sometimes wrong. I think this forum is a reflection of society. In 194 countries a lot of knowledge and information comes together.

So far it has been shown that quality always prevails. There used to be a belief that you should mainly hear the B side of the singles and if you have a number one hit you should buy or download the whole records to listen to all the songs of the band. This achievement society is a little sick. She just wants a winner and only people who work very hard. There are always reports about winners, they want to say "make an effort" then you will also be loved. Only achievement counts and wealth and money. Quite wrong, mendacious and vicious or in other words, inhuman.
In order to be or become satisfied one has to see through this and be and remain capable of criticism. Some psychology knowledge is useful. Believe little - question everything and think for yourself.

Thank you Lenny for exchanging your creative potential with us.

 

Last edited: Jun 10, 2021