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Monicka Ferens
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12/2/2022 2:12:52 PM
Do you listen to your own music?
As I was returning back home from another weekly tour, I found myself listening to my own music. To 3 of my albums I included on Spotify and songs I only uploaded on yt and here, on indiemusicpeople. It wasn't the first time that I did that, tho. Even though I don't do it too often, I find myself enjoying my own songs from time to time. Sometimes I do it when I'm at my lowest, as a friendly reminder that I am a good songwriter and yes, I wrote these songs and they are as good as I believe they are. But sometimes I listen to them simply because I enjoy my own music. There are songs I haven't heard in a long time, such as ''Alien'' or ''Odd Man Out'' and hearing them after a long period of time was a pleasant surprise - they are catchier and better produced than I thought they were. Some songs are underproduced, which gave me an idea to remaster them. But one step at a time - right now I should focus on my new album (one of the new songs ''Ugly To The Bone'' on my site, shameless self-promo insert :D)
I know there are artists who never/rarely listen to their own music, much like a lot of chefs don't eat their own food. It got me curious: do YOU listen to your own music? If yes, why? Is it as simple as ''I like what I write'' or perhaps there is some different reason that is uniquely yours?
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Bryon Tosoff
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12/2/2022 4:16:45 PM
Good post and point. Truthfully yes. I think most of us do Monicka, I go through certain ones mostly instrumental piano ones I do, as I am not a singer, but have a few singer songwriter tunes.
I use it to measure how I have progressed and sometimes to evaluate why some songs have done better then others.
The ones I thought would do well,. did not, I the ones I though wouldn't did, I wanted to figure out why that was. And still to this day, cant, sometimes though it is the simplicity of songs that catch peoples attention it seems, so perhaps that is it and the answer is in the simplicity of the song and if with lyrics, the message one is trying to convey
anyways my take
best
bryon
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The Rhythm Kings
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12/2/2022 7:30:01 PM
Yes I do too. Recently our stuff got on Pandora. Starting to see streams. It’s mostly some of our old stuff from 8 years ago. And I’m like. Dang we did that!
Or wow. I never heard that before?!
Your a talent Monika!
Best Bruce
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negative tendencies
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12/2/2022 8:01:58 PM
Once in awhile I get in the mood that I want to do that. I've found when I listen to a playlist of our songs it makes time go more smoothly. I often listen to one of our youtubes for whatever reason and just let it play thru the playlist and it usually surprises me how much fun it is to do that.
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Chandra Moon
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12/4/2022 4:16:01 PM
Yes I do but sometimes it's been years in between and it's always a surprise to think - wow I wrote and recorded that. I don't like all my songs but I respect them as they just come from somewhere real - if that makes sense. I write all different styles - not necessarily what I'd usually listen to - it's a strange business ha ha!
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Duane Flock
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12/6/2022 10:35:55 AM
I've changed genres a few times over the years. I try to put a lot of thought into my works because I know the finished product is basically set in stone. That being said, yes, I enjoy what I've done and will revisit tunes from time to time. I love adding great talented artists to my music and give them a "blank slate" to create and express their style and abilities.
I play a lot of my own parts and will buy new instruments to try and explore with them just to change things up a bit. Although everyone has their own "style" including myself, I want to be different when I can.
Cheers,
Duane
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Larree
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12/6/2022 11:41:15 AM
Of course!
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Stoneman
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12/8/2022 12:46:51 AM
I listen to my own stuff all the time. Basically I am listening for flaws that need to be fixed but quite often I just listen because i like my own shit. My favorite way to listen is when i am driving a long distance. It keeps me hyper when i am driving and it helps me to stay awake. Lately, I have been listening lot because I recently got signed to a new label and I am very self conscious about everything I submit to them. I am constantly looking for any imperfections or rough areas that need to be fixed. When we go on vacation my wife and I like to listen to my music while partying in our room or laying out near the pool. Certain songs go perfect with certain events and activities. I love it when someone comes up to us and asks who that group is we are playing. Its fun to confess and invite them to my website for more. My logic is such that if you love making music why wouldn't you love listening to the music you make? Makes perfect sense to me.
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Monicka Ferens
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12/9/2022 2:16:06 PM
''I don't like all my songs but I respect them as they just come from somewhere real - if that makes sense.'' - I love what you wrote here. It's so true and makes total sense. Your past self wanted to express certain emotions, tell a certain story in a very specific way and he did it the best and most genuine way he could've done at that time.
I think more artists should listen to their own stuff, even if it ends up feeling awkward or even embarrassing. It can help us learn about ourselves, give ourselves more credit for the progress, perhaps inspire to re-write some stuff.
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Monicka Ferens
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12/9/2022 2:18:24 PM
I love how your music is a part of your daily life. I think it should always be this way, because we don't write music for other people ONLY, we write it because we love it. It comes from our heart, it's our stories, thoughts and emotions and why not enjoy it ourselves, right? ''if you love making music why wouldn't you love listening to the music you make'' yes, it makes perfect sense. If you don't like your own music, you must be doing something wrong.
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Psyche's Muse
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12/10/2022 3:34:28 AM
Well Said Monicka!
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Richard Scotti
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12/10/2022 2:13:23 PM
---- Updated 12/10/2022 2:14:45 PM
I enjoy listening to my own music simply for the fun of it but it's also an interesting learning experience. Sometimes I catch a technical error which I correct or something about the words or music that could be improved. Other times, especially with older material, it's like going into a time machine and revisiting my past lives. The songs are like entries in a diary documenting the chapters we love to remember and the ones we wish to forget. Sometimes I listen to these songs and ask myself: "Did I actually write that?" or "Why did I write that?" I often wonder who I was at the time of the song's inception. It's a reflection of how we evolve with the passage of time and how we change in significant ways regarding our lives and our art. Recently I was listening to some older songs and I came across one that I had forgotten all about. It was one that was unfinished and seemed to have real potential. By successfully completing and revamping it, I realized how much I had learned about my craft since the time the song was written which was several years ago. it was such a rewarding experience! The new me was collaborating with the prior me and came up with something really exciting and different. Gotta love that time travel machine called the human mind!
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Jeff Allen Myers
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12/15/2022 2:34:14 PM
Yes I do, I like to come back to songs I have not listened to in a long time. It's almost like hearing it for the first time, and it's another person...not me. I am surprised at times, I often wonder where the songs came from. For me, the songwriting process is magical. I have heard many people I admire talk about how the song just came to them, out of the ether. It was not there...than it appeared. That is how it is for me. I cannot sit down and try to write a song. Every single one has come to me when I pick up the guitar to simply play.....then a song emerges, and I grab my phone to record it. If I did not do this, the song would be lost forever.
So, back to the question. Yes, I do and it's ok for all of us to do so. The songs take on a life of their own, but they are always part of us. It's good to go back and reconnect with that person from time to time. We may find a part of us that has been lost, or possibly something we never knew was there.
Regards,
Jeff
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The Jay Dyall Project
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12/15/2022 8:10:02 PM
Hello Monicka!
Yes, I often listen to my songs. Sometimes I listen and think of how I can improve on one or two of them, or in my head I hear the song in a different genre and decide to re-record the song. I have a few songs recorded in two different genres.
One for instance is a song called "Try To Understand". Initially recorded as a scorching straight ahead rock n roll song, a friend read the lyrics and told me it's a nice romantic piece. She hadn't heard the song itself, so it gave me an idea to do a ballad version, and had a guest female vocalist, and to my surprise it garnered so much more plays than the rock n roll version. I've learned after a few years of writing and recording that you have to be able to expand into different genres and not pigeonhole yourself into just one or two.
Another reason I listen to my songs is to catch myself and stop myself from writing a repetitive set of lyrics and ideas that I've already done so much of in the past.
There's only so many love songs, or breakup songs, a person can write, lol
And another reason I listen to my songs is because I enjoy them. Have many great songs, but as it's been pointed out, I'm not much of a singer, therefore the songs don't get the recognition it should be getting.
But I'm a songwriting addict. As much as I want to quit sometimes, I submit and inject myself with ideas, grooves, beats and melodies. And in the end, another song is born! :-)
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