Who do you try to impress?

We are attracted to different people and different situations for different reasons, reasons that simply blow our minds. We are who we are, and we can't change that, but we can educate ourselves as the years go by, so we can simply figure out what we want and where we want to be.

Personally, I'm very old fashioned, and I guess throughout all of the confusion that I face daily, as the day comes to a close there are always many different ideas still floating around in my head. And it's an amazing sense if relief to be able to simply finish a thought. When it comes to songwriting, there is simply music and words. And when we can apply both to a composition, it's an amazing feeling, its almost like we are defining certain moments in our lives. Almost like keeping a journal, once we finish a song, we can always look back and remember where it came from, or what was going on in our life at that time.

Yes, It's an amazing feeling, and it's something that we can forever cherrish as songwriters. However, for some people that feeling (to simply finish a thought) isn't enough. For some people it's all about public praise and recognition. For some people they can't even begin to work on a song uness they know who will hear it, when they will hear it, and how big it will ultimately turn out to be. But I think that kind of defeats your purpose.

Personally, I just like putting myself in a trance and taking myself away from the crowded world. Just to be at peace with myself after a long day. Just to know who we are, and to be able to remember some of the best moments in our lives.

Throughout the many relationships that we've been involved in as the years progress, sometimes all it takes is a little something, or perhaps a sudden reconciliation to get your thoughts pumping like never before. I think once we can strengthen that bond with that special someone, it simply makes us happy, and gives us more faith in our creations. Which helps to put our life into perspective.

When it comes to hope it kind of means that everything is left up in the air, and out of our hands. Where we're hoping that things will work out, but we never really can tell. But when we have faith, simply faith in who we are and faith in others, anything can happen. And we can turn some of the worst situations in our lives into pure magic.

So, I'll alwaus write songs, until I can no longer find meaning in my life. Until I no longer feel the need to define some of the most memories days pof my life. I write hundreds of songs, I don't always like what I write, and some weeks I feel the urge to throw a lot of my material away. But it's all a part of history which reminds us of the good the bad, and all that we can never get back again.

So as songwriters, from the very beginning what has always been more glamourous for you. Public praise, or (just to simply finish a thought) simply finding comfort in your creations?

-Joseph

[Edited by Joseph on 04-13-2002 at 09:04 PM]

I want to make myself happy first. If I can help others or make them happy at the same time so be it. I have no one to impress but my self. I have a family so I no longer have to impress girls. If someone takes notice of my work thats great. I just don't do it for the recognition.

I play to impress a record company exec. He he, no, really I just play in my room.

I receive mails about how good I am AND how bad I suck...
It seems that things that impress some just makes others mad... Go figure...

Originally posted by lalimacefolle
...It seems that things that impress some just makes others mad... Go figure...

Absolutely right.
Which is why,right now,I'm not trying to impress anyone.Wanting to impress and all that stuff goes back to why you play.

;) :) wow I just impressed my self

I love it when I complete something that I put all my effort into, whether music or otherwise. I love the creating process as well.

But deep down I'm also a show-boat, and love public praise. I think we all do... I wouldn't believe anyone if they told me that they don't care what people think about their creations; it's just human nature to care.

But without a doubt you do have to have a love for what you're creating and be able to appreciate it when it's complete. Otherwise you're not an artist, you're a manufactuer simply creating products to sell.

Originally posted by James
...But deep down I'm also a show-boat, and love public praise. I think we all do... I wouldn't believe anyone if they told me that they don't care what people think about their creations; it's just human nature to care.

But without a doubt you do have to have a love for what you're creating and be able to appreciate it when it's complete. Otherwise you're not an artist, you're a manufactuer simply creating products to sell.

It's impossible to agree more.
Off-course we love,I love it when people appreciate what I do.I'm not that good(unlike what lal seems to think),but it's a very good feeling when I do "Hotel California" and people go like,"Hey,I know that song........"Or when I do something they don't know,but it sounds good,and they say,"that sounds cool,the way its ....."
It's probably the best feeling(tho I'm yet to experience it,since I dont write stuff yet),when you make a song,and you find it really good,then play it for someone and they tell you they really like it,and you can see they appeciate.I think those are the two reasons why musicians do what they do:to create something their artistic prowess allows them to find wonderful,and others appeciating,even loving,what they think is good.

You're always better than someone, and someone's always better than you (sometimes it's harder to find the someone if you suck or if you are Steve VAI)
But more important, you always have something to learn from ANYONE, be it on the guitar, or in any domain...
Always approach a situation as a student(for more philosophical quotes, check out 'zen guitar'by Philip SUDO, excellent reading)

I want to impress everybody.

I think if anything, that's what might drive me to succede. A part of me will never feel good enough about my playing or my writing for me to ever really say "ok, I'm good enough now." I play what I play half for the love, half because I need to do better than last time.

[Edited by Raskolnikov on 04-15-2002 at 01:07 PM]

I agree Rask. I have what I think are a couple of good qualities for a guitar player: I am never happy with my skill level at any time, and I always feel proud when I feel like I'm getting somewhere. Also, I aim to play and make others actually enjoy listening. Sure, you can't please everyone all of the time, but it's nice to get close. I must say I would find it hard to be quite as committed if I only ever played for myself; i mean sure i would want to get better to jam with albums etc, but performing does so much to inspire.

Isn't it more simple to just play for the fun of it all?

Originally posted by blackrose
Isn't it more simple to just play for the fun of it all?

Yeah, but then you'll keep strumming Simon and Garfunkel's song all your career, which is fine...

If you play for the fun of it you'll always be trying new stuff. If you play for most other reasons you'll end up playing nothing but overused covers.