#152990 - 11/24/07 04:20 PM
The Measure of Success
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FractalCracker
Planeteer
Registered: 10/05/07
Posts: 343
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how do you measure success relative to your music?
As young musicians, how many were in bands, and had, at least, vague notions and dreams that one day you'd hit the bigs? Realizing that 'the Bigs' is a relative term, has that happened for you?
For rational thinkers, life has a way of changing our expectations as reality sets in. In the end, music and performance can be deeply satisfying on a personal level if your expectations are in line with your potential. Or I could see where it would be frustrating enough to make some give up playing altogether if their goals were sheerly to have a loving audience they couldn't maintain.
It seems like many of the 'big name' musicians that we loved growing up were ruined by success. They got to a point where they stopped doing new music and, if they still perform at all, it's just as a jukebox, rehashing the old hits.
Life is interesting, huh? Hope your music and your 'success' still make you happy. 
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#152991 - 11/24/07 04:25 PM
Re: The Measure of Success
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RGR
Planeteer
Registered: 03/12/04
Posts: 25172
Loc: UK
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Success is about money, hot women and fast cars...erm...not.
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#152992 - 11/24/07 04:28 PM
Re: The Measure of Success
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Blue Roots
They call me: "Snake"
Planeteer
Registered: 09/23/00
Posts: 12180
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Life is a golf game.
Success is just being better than you were the day before.
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#152993 - 11/24/07 04:35 PM
Re: The Measure of Success
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Brian Roberts
Planeteer
Registered: 07/13/04
Posts: 13426
Loc: The Department of Inexplicable...
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Originally posted by FractalCracker:
For rational thinkers, life has a way of changing our expectations as reality sets in. ...Or I could see where it would be frustrating enough to make some give up playing altogether... 
Yeah--I basically got so disillusioned that I quit listening to music altogether for about 10 years. I finally came out of my shell when a friend asked me to help a wannabe-neophyte singer form a country band. I thought "how hard can that be--they only play 3 chords." (But I was wrong!) Anyway, I did rediscover the joy of performing for performing's sake and music for music's sake. I also rediscovered the frustration of trying to find 5 or 6 other players on the same page--and since we're only "doing it for fun" now (as the money barely covers expenses if that), it's even more important that everyone have the right attitude. We have one guy now that is kind of spoiling it for everyone else. The majority are all about putting forth the extra effort to have a kick-ass unit for the sake of our own musical pride--the money not being a consideration--but the one guy seems to be about getting by with the least amount of effort possible just to pick up the spare change. This is causing bad feelings and turmoil within the band. Sad part is he's a class A player--but that only takes you so far when you're trying to do stuff on a coordinated basis. Something's gonna give real soon I think.
_________________________
  "hey, what's a half-step among friends?"Old songwriters never die...they just decompose. 
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#152994 - 11/24/07 05:06 PM
Re: The Measure of Success
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FractalCracker
Planeteer
Registered: 10/05/07
Posts: 343
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Yeah, that 'coordination' effort is a problem at all levels. Some of the big name acts that suffer with it manage to get back together in some incarnation or another every 5 years or so (Eagles & Van Halen spring to mind).
That synthesis of separate energies which comes together (or not) in a band to form a result greater than the sum of the individual parts is another interesting facet of music.
Hope your class A player gets some inspiration (or that you can learn to live without him)...
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#152995 - 11/24/07 05:22 PM
Re: The Measure of Success
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avetter11
Planeteer
Registered: 10/13/04
Posts: 3434
Loc: Illinois
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My music today is an exercise in happiness. I do it to have fun. If I'm having fun, my music is a success to me. On the other hand, if others enjoy listening to it, That's a bonus.
_________________________
Brian
Truth exists, only falsehood has to be invented.-Georges Braque
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#152996 - 11/24/07 05:57 PM
Re: The Measure of Success
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Dan7
Planeteer
Registered: 12/16/04
Posts: 7816
Loc: NJ/NYC by way of Texas, Mexico...
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Success for me is definatly not about having things lol... success too me is on a more spiritual level I guess, what you feel inside, also being good at what you want to be good at at the level in which you want to be good... I havent found that yet and I know the minute I give up trying is the minute I begin to die inside... I pretty much know I'll never actually feel like ive "arrived" no matter what...my screwed up personality is void of ever feeling satisfied or comfortable to just be and "things" dont fill any sort of spiritual void sooooo I guess thats pretty much what drives a freak like me.
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#152998 - 11/24/07 09:46 PM
Re: The Measure of Success
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vvvm
Planeteer
Registered: 07/29/05
Posts: 19598
Loc: Clark & Washington
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My latest meazure o' suckcess wuz my kidz' report cardz.
reelly.
Altho' my son bein' sick wif the poox the other day an' wantin' to stay wif me ravver than go to him mutha'z wuz also kinda cool.
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#152999 - 11/24/07 09:53 PM
Re: The Measure of Success
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Mooseboy
CEO of Planetary Returns
Loquacious Planeteer
Registered: 04/24/99
Posts: 39719
Loc: rian
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the one guy seems to be about getting by with the least amount of effort possible just to pick up the spare change. 
_________________________
" …the ass knows when it's home" —ulank
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