a few ideas on music immersion

Lately I’ve been experimenting with different approaches in an effort to create an environment where I am able to readily consume content related to music and music education. Thankfully, there has been no shortage of ideas floating around and occasionally colliding in the expanse that is my noggin. I can’t think of exactly where to consolidate them, so why not here? Hopefully it gives you some ideas of your own.

Change up your listening platform

Go from Spotify to Apple to Tidal. How do their music discovery algorithms differ? Which platform feels the most natural to you? Which do you enjoy using? Does it encourage active vs passive music exploration?

Apple Music has an interesting karaoke-mode feature. Naturally, this isolates background tracks. To my surprise, I found this helpful in seeing just how simple a song can be (as well as the significance of vocal melodies).

Abandon Algorithms Altogether

Don’t use personalized playlists. Ask your friends what they’re listening to lately. Find static playlists created by radio stations and magazines.

Go Deep on An Artist or Album

Pick an album or artist for the day. Pretend no other music exists. Remember when you were a kid and you were locked into cassettes/CDs/vinyls? Explore how that feels.

Get Obsessed

Research an artist whom you find interesting. Watch their interviews, band documentaries, read their books. What draws you to them? Do you find yourself agreeing or disagreeing with them often? Why?

Get obsessed with the craft, too. Read books about songwriting, arranging, recording. I’m on a songwriting kick and cracking open these books may well be the best part of my day.

Identify Sources of Inspiration

Lately I’ve been prioritizing YouTube videos - specifically, those related to songwriting and guitar technique - over Netflix. The latter shifts me into sleep mode, whereas the former makes me feel excited to pick up my instrument. I’ve been building out a fairly extensive watch later list. I’m going to cancel my Netflix at the end of the month.

Netflix-style binging should be hard, consuming inspirational content should be easy.

Learn Your Favorites

Every song is that you enjoy serves as a template - a masterclass. Figure out the specific qualities you enjoy. Is it the whole song, specific parts? The lyrics, the chord changes? Certain melodies over certain progressions? Do you only like the percussion tracks? What if you stole that track and tried to write your own song over it? Make a list of such songs! How does the rhythm feel when singing the lyrics? Does the melody tend to hover around specific chord tones? There are so many things that can be learned from a single song.

Identify Goals and Gaps

What is it that you actually want to do? My primary goal is to make an album, but I think playing shows would be a fun side quest. What are the micro-goals and subcomponents of your larger objective? What skills are needed? What do you do well, and where can you improve?

In my case, I need to double down on songwriting and developing song ideas into fully-fledged 90+ second demos. Making music feels a lot more doable now that I know exactly where to focus my efforts.

Capture Ideas as Soon as You Have Them

I use bebop (iOS) most of the time to grab hold of interesting ideas shortly after they hatch. As a matter of fact, this article is just a small batch that I’ve revised and am trying to transform into habits. The art of noticing and capturing ideas in the moment is one of my highest RoI habits.

Shake Some Hands

Go make some friends. Visit your local record shop and talk to the staff. Chat up the person in the music studio rental next to yours. Befriend some fellow concert-goers. Talk to everyone, non-musicians alike, about your passion projects and aspirations. Introduce yourself as a musician when speaking with them. They’ll believe you, and you’ll start to believe yourself, too.

And then talk to them. Share where you’re stuck. Every time I think I have a problem specific to me and my musicality, a friend with a completely different background has made for the best sounding board and sparring partner.