music and storytelling

[Atheory]

sorry - you are correct - it is a bit strong

I don't really think mindless is bad, In fact I've enjoyed, played, and made some pretty mindless music in my time, it's always had it's time and it's place. And it's not that I don't like the stuff I've described as mindless, It has it's time and place and can be pretty amazing when done right.

Please, I'm not intending to be 'correct'. I think, as it usually the case with music, there is no right or wrong only opinions. Music is such a subjective thing that it really is in the eye of the beholder. Arguing over what constitutes good or bad music is a totally pointless exercise and something which I never intended to do.

I think in regard to your 'mindless' music, I think these moments are actually very 'truthful' and organic from an artistic perspective. You can certainly never accuse yourself of sounding contrived if you produced material from instinct. Maybe the production quality isn't so aesthetically pleasing but the raw ideas are 'innocent' and inevitably there is a lot of 'you' put into the resulting music through the spontaneity.

Maybe there isn't a 'story' there as such, at least in the literal sense of the word but I don't think it makes that music any less valid or credible. It's more honest that's for sure and this was really a point I was trying to get at.

yeah nice post mate. i do kinda feel embarresed for people when they talk about their music making process, like they think they are some kind of sonic marco polo, and not some nobody indulging in self agrandising nonesense. you know, like hippies.

[manzatour]

of course music tells stories, what else should it tell?

[steevio]

i really dont get it guys.
how can we make sweeping statements like all music is telling a story ?
surely some is and some isnt, surely it depends on the intent of the musician.

[manzatour]

music is a form of expression -> it tells something -> let's call it "story"

[steevio]

if a musicians intent is to say simply juxtapose two tones, what then ?
avant-garde ? atonal music ? etc etc.
if you apply story telling in such a generalised way, there is little point to this discussion.
music is music, story-telling is story telling, and sometimes (quite often) the two things are combined.

[Crimson Chamber Music]

I totally agree with Steevio:

Basically when you sit down and make music and achieve a flow experience where everything just comes together, then you are in the zone then you are yourself, one with "the universe / whatever" and thus all these ephemeric factors that constitute your experience will enter the track you are making - this is the emerging of a meta-narrative.

I think the process described above can be avoided by uninspired music 8-)

[AK]

music is a form of expression -> it tells something -> let's call it "story"

But you are changing the literal meaning of the word 'story' to fit. Therefore, the word 'story' is not a true description or encapsulation of what constitutes music.

A form of expression yes, I agree but I don't agree it has to tell a story. I think most people would accept that in a nutshell definition, music is an art form where sound is the medium.

Whichever way you choose to express that to the listener is a personalised interpretation of that art form, be that in an abstract way, via lyrics or to try to tell a story etc. That's just one of the ways in which you can express through music.

[manzatour]

music is a form of expression -> it tells something -> let's call it "story"

But you are changing the literal meaning of the word 'story' to fit. Therefore, the word 'story' is not a true description or encapsulation of what constitutes music.

A form of expression yes, I agree but I don't agree it has to tell a story. I think most people would accept that in a nutshell definition, music is an art form where sound is the medium.

Whichever way you choose to express that to the listener is a personalised interpretation of that art form, be that in an abstract way, via lyrics or to try to tell a story etc. That's just one of the ways in which you can express through music.

yes, i intend "story" in a non literaly sense...
if music is a form of expression
form of expression = language
language is used to communicate
communication tells something
something = story
you could also call this feeling, impression, idea
but i like the (maybe naive) term story for this...