expressing yourself and all that stuff.

[Chankgeez]

Also, I've found that my playing mirrors all other aspects of my life in that I rarely follow things to completion.

[D.o.S.]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh1jdJK6VU4[/youtube]

[Chankgeez]

Watts 103rd Rhythm Band, FTW.

[shred]

How do you do it? Do you feel the need to express yourself through your music? Or do you play for other reasons?

How to get to where you want your sound to be? And how do you decide what it is you're trying to express? How do you work with others to express it?

Do you work within a framework of a given genre and then express yourself with the freedom that comes with that? Or throw everything out and only pursue what you're interested in playing and making it sound like?

Thinking about this a little bit tonight. Would love to hear what people think on this sorta touchy-feely subject.

For me, like others have said, playing music in any capacity is directly linked to my mood/outlook/energy level etc., so virtually every time I pick up the guitar I'm trying to channel something. Whatever I'm feeling at the time. I go through waves of the importance I place on other people hearing whatever I'm playing and whether or not their opinion matters. Sometimes I need to play for other people, sometimes I just want them to hear what I'm playing although it's not directed toward them, other times I don't want anyone to hear what I'm playing. It all depends on the setting or mood I'm in.

Usually I start with some sort of "genre" or style I feel comfortable with but that's mostly out of habit. I don't like to feel like I'm playing a certain pre-determined way though. I tend to just start playing and see what comes out.

I think that is the most important thing: if you want to establish more of a connection to your emotions or if you want to be more expressive... just fuckin play all the time. If you have free time, pick up the guitar, or whatever instrument, and play. Switching up different learning techniques or adopting a stricter practice plan can be good. At least it breaks up the routine you've been in and gets you thinking differently. Just don't let it turn into feeling like a chore. Like you have to do x,y,z today or you'll feel like you haven't accomplished anything. Anytime you pick up the guitar you are progressing, whether it feels like it or not. Just play whatever comes out. The more you play the better you will become and the better you become the easier it will be to stop caring about what you're doing and let it flow.

[Casavettes]

i think for me it's realizing that my interaction with music is really just an extension of who i really am. understanding that being a better guitar player isn't necessarily associated with becoming a better human being. my skills don't mirror my ability to become a better son, lover, worker, person in general. it's the other way around, and the more i can grow and learn to love as a human being, the more my playing will be influenced for the better. it's a process..

[gunslinger_burrito]

When I play live, it's all drone, noise, and very ambient. I'd love to have a full band, but I am very picky about who I'll be band mates with. I'd rather be friends and know that we're on the same page before trying anything as a band. I figure that way there'll be less butting of heads and arguing/so-forth.

So, most of the time when I play live, it's very stream-of-consciousness, and non-structured. Sometimes I know of some ideas or "tricks" that I've been practicing and want to use, but for me, drone/noise/ambient/psychedelic will always be about two things: creating sounds and letting those sounds take control of what's happening, and using said sounds to alter my perceptive experience. It becomes like meditation, or almost like an "escape."

As far as using themes in my music, I'm not much with words (though I plan to change that eventually!) but I tend to "write" or at least think about non emotional things, like evolution, space, cultural and psychological ideas. I do this mainly because if I write something sad or very angry and emotional, then, no matter how good it may be, I know that each time I play it, I'm going to be reminded of whatever made me write it. I'd just rather not re-live negative times in my life, especially if I've gotten over them. I really like it when some aggressive bands talk about how it should be empowering, not complaining or dwelling on shit that drags you down. Catharsis is great, but if I can walk away feeling better, not worse, I do.

[Big Mon]

I wouldn't say I set out to project any specific emotion.That said, everything in my world depends on mood: When I'm content and motivated is when I "come up with something new" or record. If I'm mad at the world, it's probably best that I just plug up and jam for one-a few hours to let off steam. Flying solo also offers me a lot of freedom that people in bands don't have. With that freedom comes limitations, which force me to be extra creative. Basically, it's like "I feel good, think I'll record an album." And then, during play-back, I'll see what kind of images/colors/emotions are evoked. That's when/where I get my storylines, concepts, song titles, and all that. And I hardly ever edit. The only thing I guess I set out to convey is authenticity, as most of my heroes were dudes doing field recordings with a guitar, some whiskey, and not much else. So mistakes and blunders/production mishaps are all left in. In spite of all that, my stuff has all been conceptual thus far. Didn't really plan it that way. It's just what the finished products "sounded like" to me.

[Bassus Sanguinis]

um... a truly interesting question asks if there is expression of personality at all or is t personality expressing artistic ideas. What does it mean anyway to express oneself, what is expression, what is expressed, what is the role of the personality in there, etc.

Besides, what does a quarter note represent, how does a low C sound, or what does a architects line express? Bollocks. How about if he's depressed? Still bollocks. The connection of artistic ideas and expression of the artist himself can be more complex than our interpretation of what we experience.

Do You feel You have a band in which You get expressed? Great! If You have artistic ideas, pursuit them, no matter what they are. If You feel Your feelings and stuff come through Your art... that's hardly a bad thing either. As long as it's not all patently mayo, syrup, and /or vinegar for its own sake. You know. That's got hardly anything to do with expressing oneself, BUT it CAN be expressing an idea, especially when it's connected to the margin limits of a genre and context.

I noticed my drawings lately have some same aesthetical features as most of my music has had for a few years now, so that tells it's personality related or something. Perhaps. And my wife argues my latest lyrics/ poems show the same aleatoristic blindfolded playful aspect of blind chances presented in playing with a band.

But my poems and some of my lyrics have paved the way to that feature to be represented in music a looooooooooooooong time ago, I just have done different things when composing and playing for most of the time, so can iut be... that we express differnet ideas and different aspect of our persons and our tastes and ideas through different mediums? That sounds fallib to me.

I like a lot the indefiniteness, loose ends, game of chances, luck, abrupt and unforeseen twists. I also like a solid idea and structure. Why not, I guess everybody does. To compose a song, everybody has to do that, at least a little, And somehow that's often what I do with noise too - build frames inside which stuff can happen and grow outside the predicted limits. In literary pursuit people are more likely to claim it's dada or surrealism or something in music I feel it has a lot in common with free jazz aesthetics.

It could all be argued to be an example of the alchemistic formula of solve et coagula. Or somebody else might come up with another psychological /philosophical theme out of it and shit.

But is it me that is being expressed?? Or am I trying to express some platonic ideas, perhaps filtered through my personality?? Who knows. Knowing me, is there a me at all if I'm not doing it - if I had no part of it, who could tell me apart from my neighbor painter? As I said, it's kinda complicated.