for my friends on ableton forum: some wisdom

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the_antagonist
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for my friends on ableton forum: some wisdom

Post by the_antagonist » Tue Nov 17, 2009 1:04 pm

By far the most important skill to have if you wish to become successful with anything is ATTITUDE. An old Chinese proverb once said, "90% of the journey towards success is over once you have stepped outside your front door." The reason many people fail, is because they'd rather stay in and watch the TV.

Of course, that first step outside is a philosophical one. As a musician or songwriter, you spend the vast majority of your time being creative. If you think that writing a great song, or playing an instrument well, is the hardest part of being a successful artist, you are wrong.

3dot...
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Re: for my friends on ableton forum: some wisdom

Post by 3dot... » Tue Nov 17, 2009 1:13 pm

agree...
most of the battle to be won is in our own heads...
but only acknowledging that...(awareness) isn't enough...
you have to actively fight it all the time...
i'ts so easy to cut yourself slome slack... and postpone stuff..
so it becomes a regular thing... until you forget how to DO..
aside from that... it's also very immportant to work on your people skills...
especially as an artist looking for open doors...

great advice... :D
now...something special happen that made you get that deep undestanding?
Image

the_antagonist
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Re: for my friends on ableton forum: some wisdom

Post by the_antagonist » Tue Nov 17, 2009 1:23 pm

i never wrote it.

once i read it i started I HART DIGITAL.

2010 is looking bright!

supamonsta
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Re: for my friends on ableton forum: some wisdom

Post by supamonsta » Tue Nov 17, 2009 1:50 pm

AMEN to that.

cheers and long life to IHARTdigital ;)

beats me
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Re: for my friends on ableton forum: some wisdom

Post by beats me » Tue Nov 17, 2009 1:51 pm

But you have to admit that being successful in music takes a lot more than just stepping off your porch. I'd alter that proverb to say 90% of being successful in music has nothing to do with music.

squelcht
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Re: for my friends on ableton forum: some wisdom

Post by squelcht » Tue Nov 17, 2009 2:12 pm

beats me wrote:I'd alter that proverb to say 90% of being successful in music has nothing to do with music.
+1 True.

sowhoso
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Re: for my friends on ableton forum: some wisdom

Post by sowhoso » Tue Nov 17, 2009 2:56 pm

90% of being successful in music is luck/good fortune (well, maybe not 90%, but a lot)

every time I read or see a bio of successful people (in music or otherwise) I find that to be true. it seems circumstance cannot be underestimated since we cannot control what others are doing with their time. No one becomes successful all on their own. The self-made man is a myth

make the most of your circumstance --music forum proverb

LoopStationZebra
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Re: for my friends on ableton forum: some wisdom

Post by LoopStationZebra » Tue Nov 17, 2009 3:04 pm

the_antagonist wrote:By far the most important skill to have if you wish to become successful with anything is the ability to remember to always hit the User1 button first on the Launchpad when laying down a beat because firing a bunch of clips in session view or turning on off shit in User2 when you don't mean to is a real fucking drag.
fxd. :P
I came for the :lol:
But stayed for the :x

sowhoso
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Re: for my friends on ableton forum: some wisdom

Post by sowhoso » Tue Nov 17, 2009 3:14 pm

following that other thread about Domu quiting music I read this:

I’ll leave you all with this. Life isn’t the X-Factor. No one has a God given right to his or her dream or ambitions coming true. I have worked hard and had some great luck. I followed some opportunities, squandered others.
Last edited by sowhoso on Tue Nov 17, 2009 3:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Salty P
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Re: for my friends on ableton forum: some wisdom

Post by Salty P » Tue Nov 17, 2009 3:17 pm

By far the most important skill to have if you wish to become successful with anything is ATTITUDE.
I guess that would depend on what your definition of success is?

beats me
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Re: for my friends on ableton forum: some wisdom

Post by beats me » Tue Nov 17, 2009 3:35 pm

sowhoso wrote:90% of being successful in music is luck/good fortune (well, maybe not 90%, but a lot)
I really don't think it's luck. To tie it into the OP we are the socially lazy generation, and I mean everybody, not a specific age group. You'll never hear "I was just banging out a beat in my bedroom and [insert big name producer here] knocked on my door." You have to go out and show you give a shit about music and the scene and that can outweigh any talent you may or may not have.

Although I don't believe in just pure luck, I do believe having connections helps like having a successful friend or relative in the music business.

I started the Van Halen thread yesterday and I did a little research on where the band is now and found out Eddie Van Halen's son replaced Michael Anthony on bass. Hm, convenient. Also one of the members of Daft Punk has a father that is well tied into the music industry. For some people music is the family business.

OvertoneZero
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Re: for my friends on ableton forum: some wisdom

Post by OvertoneZero » Tue Nov 17, 2009 3:56 pm

the way I see it, luck presents opportunities, but it is hard work and attitude that produce results from opportunity

in the modern world, for most people, there is no shortage of opportunity to create music

it gets more complicated when you try to assign external value, money, to music

because these days, everyone wants to get paid, and most don't really want to pay

what are you going to do that has value, is relevant, sets you apart from everything else that is already out there? and I'm not just talking music.. I'm talking all forms of digital entertainment and if you want to, all products that people purchase.

when you are entertainer, that's what you get paid to do - entertain

you may be a very hard working musician, but you may not be valued by society as an entertainer, essentially, unlucky

I see that as very possible outcome for many

the music business is all about getting noticed and keeping peoples' attention, arguably, a very different thing from music itself

sometimes the most pragmatic means to being able to express yourself musically in the way you prefer could be a relatively good day job

I don't see that as having a negative attitude


Tone Deft
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Re: for my friends on ableton forum: some wisdom

Post by Tone Deft » Tue Nov 17, 2009 4:50 pm

the_antagonist wrote:By far the most important skill to have if you wish to become successful with anything is ATTITUDE. An old Chinese proverb once said, "90% of the journey towards success is over once you have stepped outside your front door." The reason many people fail, is because they'd rather stay in and watch the TV.
the ancient Chinese watched Television?

I've met people with attitude that didn't have a goddamn clue what they were doing. all the enthusiasm in the world but they were just blowing smoke up their own ass. think Ralph Wiggum. maybe instead of attitude I'd say fortitude but that's just the start.

fuck luck, make your own. "good luck comes at 4am in the library." if you don't know what that means you're doing it wrong.

everything is a matter of time and focus. I can make a holodeck out of a rubber band and duct tape, just give me 30,000 years to figure it out.
In my life
Why do I smile
At people who I'd much rather kick in the eye?
-Moz

Hidden Driveways
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Re: for my friends on ableton forum: some wisdom

Post by Hidden Driveways » Tue Nov 17, 2009 5:44 pm

You can analyze it to death... attitude, marketing, schmoozing, etc. It doesn't matter.

Who cares what your dad or mom did. What makes music crossover with the public is 100% pure MYSTERY. Nothing will ever change that.

Active musicians have more of a chance at tapping into the mystery. Musicians with a great live show have even more of a chance. Endless analysis and fortune cookie wisdom won't really push things along.

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