I figured everything out. Everything is for the purpose of reproducing.

I will reproduce (artistically/creatively), I will follow euphoria, I will have gratitude.

REPRODUCTION

Everything is for the purpose of reproducing. I’ve been having this lingering thought in my head of how my urge to create art makes no sense, and that my strong determination closely resembles a caveman hunting for days on end to bring back food for the tribe. Hilariously ancestral. It is my survival instincts that I learned when I was 12 years old in the year 2 million BC that motivate me to make art today.

I closed my eyes and looked inside myself to understand what it is that I need to make to acheive maximum personal fulfillment. There was an opaque orb I encountered that would not let me pass, blocking my view of what it is I will have created in the future. I determined it is there because the future creation is not for me to see. My only role in this equation is to blindly create, and let the feeling of euphoria be my guide! If the creation process is not led with euphoria, then that’s a sign my babies (the creation itself) won’t be strong enough to carry on my lineage. I will be the leader of a strong tribe of inanimate audio objects which neighboring tribes will be intimidated by. MY LINEAGE is STRONG. Do not threaten my tribe! Haha.

It’s unfortunate to me that other peoples’ opinions matter on some level. I’ve been working to release all my concern for external judgement, but I think those feelings are also ancestrally intertwined. It won’t deter me from what I need to do, but we are all very connected on deeper levels that are unbreakable. Obviously, I wouldn’t create things if it wasn’t the incredibly rewarding experience that it is for myself. It really is my purpose, and I don’t know why. But it doesn’t matter that I don’t know. All I know is that it feels great, I’m able to challenge myself and grow, and I stay grateful. I need to remember this gratitude part of it. It’s been apart of my nightly routine to reflect on the prior day and feel grateful for it.

CONNECTION

In creation, there is a point of connection every step of the way. From one point to the next. Always relate to the prior step in order to evolve a singular idea and move forward.

My current process for creating music is to create movement via a single note melody over a drone note. I deem this droning note “The God Note,” because it is within all the music that stems from it. And because it is the only part of the process that appears from no prior connection point. It is the basis of creation and comes from nothing.

Choose a note. As you sustain the God note, a simple core melody can be improvised on top of it. Each note of the melody is its own strong connection point that relates to the God note in its own unique way. Create simple movement by choosing another note in your melody. Feel the movement, and complete your simple core melody. Now release the God note. It is now musically implied and doesn’t need to be there anymore. Once you have formed your core melody (the basis of movement), you can apply chords to this core melody. I usually do one chord per note of the core melody. This part of the process does require basic chord knowledge. Shifting around certain simple chords to see how it feels over a specific note. Not being too judgmental along the way, and following euphoria! If you go “oh?” with an inquisitive excitement, that’s probably euphoria! Lock that chord in and move onto the next note of the core melody to find a chord for.

Once you’ve finished applying chords to the core melody, you can develop the melody by adding the detail notes between each core melody note. In other words, how will you get from point A to point B? This requires a summoning of energy from within yourself. RAAHHHH!!!!! I am here, AND I AM GOING THERE RAAAHHH!!!! This energy is just a way to put emotion and storytelling in your playing.

Practice repetion, too. From A to B, go RAHHHH doodle doot. Then from point B to C, go RAAHHH doodle DOOT. A slight alteration on the second repetition to develop that phrase.

I see connection as two points with a line in between, connecting them. They are both equally strong. If one point is weak, the connection is unbalanced and the opposite point has to put in more effort to maintain that connection. The connection is only as strong as the points it connects. Like two active units connected with a passive cable. The connecting cable doesn’t power itself. The points do! What am I getting at? Every step of the way, you are a point of relation to the art. Feel it and love it!

I am one end of a line, with the other end being the music. I do not weakly submit to the other end, nor do I ignorantly dominate. But I listen, and leap forward after having resonated with that point. Listening is all you have to do. RAHHHHHHHH!!! Thanks for reading!