Medicalifornication

Here was my plan for life for many years.

Do well in school. Go to college. Go to med school. Do emergency med. Make a lot of money. Do what I wanted on the side...

Over the past few months, Smoking cannabis has caused an epiphany for me.

Do I really want to go to a stable job, and do the same thing every day? Sure I would be helping people but how happy would I be?

When most people say "Im moving to LA and being a rockstar" Its either a joke, or its their childhood dream at age 10.

But as cliche as it sounds I couldent think of anything that would make me happyer than going out, exploring the world, having no two days that are similar. And making music.

Ive meditated often on the fact Once im dead, its over. I had acknowledged that fact before, but I had yet to react to it. I realized I had to branch out, evolve, create, Instead of being insular, degrading, and degenerative. I dont know in what form, but I know my life will be dictated by music and drugs. I can only pray it works out.

Now my chance, in retrospect for success is minimal. But failure dosent daunt me. I would be much more happy with my position in life as a starving musician then a man in a cage.

Does anybody else feel they should be living for something more?

Because for me, Music is a sedative. And you put out what you put in.

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"Destruction leads to a very rough road but it also breeds creation"

Csharp

yeah i do.and it's pretty much the same thing as you.

i really want to be a "professional" musician.but i can assure you that i never wanted to move to L.A or be called a "rock star" lmao...i actually hate that word so much.my musical background is rock though.

the only thing i can think of that is really holding me back is my lack of money(which will soon be taken care of,cause i recently got a job)and how difficult it is to find other band members for the exact genre i want to play.
i'm the only one out of all my friends and most people i know that wants to start a strictly prog rock/metal band.no one around here is totally into it as much as i am.but i know that's not going to stop me from making music all by myself though.as impossible as it might seem to do at times,i know it's what i'm going to do,no matter what.

as long as you keep gigging,and spreading the word.and as long as you keep your head up,and believe,you can do it,you can be successful.just be willing to do it no matter how long it takes.

cj117

Hey progressive is a tough genre to play. It requires a lot of musical skill!
Success is whatever you define it as. Money does not equal success.
For me, happiness does. So find what makes you happy, and do it!

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Csharp

indeed it is,but i like it cause it's a challenge to me.the other bands i've been in were just like regular alt. rock,and metalcore and it just wasn't a bit difficult to me at all.i just love all the complex,12 minute long prog songs that don't sound the same through out the whole song.the music that does just sound the same most of the time just tends to bore me after a while.

Medicalifornication

Yea I hate the word rockstar as well. And Its not a very popular genre, at least not one where there are large numbers of people that could be the potential for a band mate.

And as long as I can have some sort of housing, food, and bud. I dont need the money.

I look at a lot of the mainstream crap there is out there, I see how it uses 3 chords the entire song, and how bad the lyrics are. And I wonder. If Im allready capeable of creating music far superior to this, in 10 years will I be successful?

I look at a lot of bands out there that are barely known (Minus the Bear is a great example) And their music is FANTASTIC! But the general public still listens to the crap.

I dont understand why.

And Cj where did you hear that quote? Id assume its from 'nam? I used to hear my friend say the same thing.

Csharp

as long as you keep your mind away from the gutter(meaning those 3 min. long,3 chord songs )you could definatly be successful.

as for the people that listen to only mainstream crap like that,i think it's just cause it's what they are used to.they are just so used to listening to all the same crap on the radio,that they automatically turn down the non mainstream stuff cause they are afraid to listen to something new,and the really ignorant people just consider it "crap" cause it's more than what they are familiar with,even though in reality,they are the ones listening to crap.
but screw it! if they don't like it then fine,more good music for the rest of us!!!

Desperado

Hum.. to leave the "easy" planned out life for a life more...Lively..

I am thinking about this allot now too dude.. Do i want to go to school, do whatever the fuck gets me money, and then settle.... Settle I hate that word.. But the good thing about the life I described is...it is easy, or easier..

Now, Is that life? Your listening to people tell you what life is, shouldn't you discover that for yourself? Gaileo said "you cannot teach a man anything, you can only help him learn it for himself" Have we truly learned what life is? (money, settling) or have we been lied to? if so why? (but that is another discussion)

I do not know for sure, but what I am discovering, or thinking, is that living the Money following path is easy, and straight forward; you will always know what is coming, very few surprises... Now the question is, do we want that or is life truly meant to be that...dull?

The path of the strarving musician is a hard one, a long one, and a challenging one. All those things seem "bad" but do they really? If you do that, when you finish, if you have given it your all (and that is the key), won't you be much more satisfied and proud of yourself as opposed to if you stayed in the city, and "settled"?

I want to travel the world, writing. I'd bring a guitar but I am not Considering myself a musician over a writer. What Would I write about? Anything, maybe get a job for a magizine and write articles about what I see.. It is more stable than nothing.. But I am seeing that you need to take a little part of this "settling" dogma to keep yourself alive in this world...

Do not let the weed influence to do things without thinking, I know that from experence. Maybe take a break an think thigns out? Thats what I did and It made my mind allot clearer, I would never give up weed though

Humm. I love Progessive rock. there is SHIT alll these days and i find myself listening to old music.. I want somethign new,. and good. I hope you become a Progessive rocker Csharp.

And Medical, I thin kwe are in the same boat, I think allot of us are. We are confused about the future, and want to make the choice that gives us the most happiness. How can we know that? I dont know... Wait for a bit, think things out for a little bit. Dont jump anywhere yet, let us keep this thread going. I think it will help us all.

__________________
"Do you know what its like to feel that nothing is quite real-- including youself?"
"It sometimes happens when one's just on the point of discovering that everything, including oneself, is much more real than one ever imagined; You must switch to Neutral before High.

Maximus

Music is a fluid industry, any genre can take the spotlight at any time (look at swing, popular in the 1940's and late 1990's, who'd a thunk it?). Anyways, I am also a musician. But I cannot limit myself to any one genre. I play whatever I have fun creating. Sure I have a full time job, apartment and bills to pay (all not related to music), but I will always have music to create and to listen to when I come home at night. If you are a serious musician, just don't forget how much you enjoy making it. It's not all about fame and money, it's about your creation that will truly make you happy. So if you want to leave your plan and pursue music, be prepared to get off-jobs to get by. For me personally I would rather work my ass off and enjoy making music then get paid serious money and lose interest in what once made me happy, making music. If your creation hits the ears and induces people to pay for it, it will make money no matter what genre.

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Csharp

i actually can't either.while i plan on staying progressive no matter what,i'm definatly not going to leave out other genres either.i'm going to incorperate alot of them together.

that being said,i want to show you guys a local band from where i live.my local music scene is kinda blah to me..mainly hard/metalcore bands.and maybe a few regular rock bands.but that stuff gets old if you ask me.
so a few months ago my friend showed me this local jazz/prog fusion band,and let me tell you,these guys a fucking amazing musicians!! he met them at a local community college,and i guess one of these guys has a complete recording studio in his basement at his parent's place,and his dad is from russia so he lets them smoke weed down there while practicing/and recording!! talk about fucking lucky! anyway,these guys are sick.i can't believe i live in the same area as them..check them out:

Dirty Paris on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads

their myspace is a bit laggy,but it's totally worth it.i like their song "thing of the past" the best.

yoman3

It's not about whether you have a stable job or not. Having a stable job doesn't mean automatic "suck" in life. It's having fun in that job, should you choose to follow that path.

One of my biggest fears is being 40 years old and stuck in some dead end, cubicle office job with no hope of ever getting a promotion and no hope of ever quiting to get a better, more fun job.

I would absoluetely hate myself. Going to work 9-5, same thing every day, going hope, eating, watching tv, sleeping, repeat.

THAT would suck.


However, I probably wouldn't mind being a doctor. If I were smart enough I probably would go for it, because it sounds interesting enough.

What I want to do is be a professional critic. Or a writer. Or a journalist. Or a teacher.

I enjoy those things. I wouldn't mind doing those things.