Uninspired by Music

Firstly, sorry for the general negative tone of this post, but feeling uninspired by music is a feeling that I suspect many of us have related to at some point.

Actually the reason I created an account on this site was to post this topic so that I might get some insights from others about their own experiences, what they did to rekindle their inspiration, and any bands/artists I may look into.

You see, for a good solid 20 years almost I have been a diehard King Crimson fan, seeing the band live three times and listening to damn near all the recordings out there. While digging into this and all things Robert Fripp I also explored all the usual prog suspects, and a few more obscure ones. But for me King Crimson just raises the bar to a level of music performance that is just out of this world. Artists that, again for me, come closer to that standard might include Miles Davis or (some) Tangerine Dream or even guys like Brian Eno and Aphex Twin. If you haven't guessed it I like music that's more challenging, avant garde and so on.

The problem for me now is, KC have stopped touring, and having listened to so much of their material and basically all the prog rock classics a hundred times over, I ask myself, where does music go from here? Some might say turn to a whole other genre and dig into that, but while I find most music good I find very little of it interesting, or inspiring!

Bill Bruford once said that the reason he quit being a professional musician was that he "couldn't hear where the music was going." Maybe I too cannot hear where the music is going.

This is my experience and my opinion only,

Thanks

Michael

I can get to some extent how you could come to such a conclusion. But how much research have you actually done to find something inspiring in more recent music? There is lots and lots and lots of stuff around, and much of it isn't so obvious and easy to find.

Edited by Lewian - August 14 2024 at 05:29

If you're looking for some suggestions...

Wippy Bonstack
Bubblemath
Mike Keneally
The Aristocrats

Contrary what a lot of people say about "playing a song (or an album) to death," my experience is quite the opposite. I always find the music inspirational. Granted, maybe I don't listen to Thick as a Brick, Close to the Edge, Voyage of the Acolyte, etc, as often as I used to, but I always enjoy the music, and find inspiration while listening.

Hrychu wrote: The most inspiring thing about music is the experience of creating it yourself! So get up off your ass, and give it a shot. Learn to play an instrument? Teach yourself to compose? Write Midi/Arrangements? Make chiptune on a tracker? There are so many possibilities!

moshkito wrote: Hrychu wrote: The most inspiring thing about music is the experience of creating it yourself! So get up off your ass, and give it a shot. Learn to play an instrument? Teach yourself to compose? Write Midi/Arrangements? Make chiptune on a tracker? There are so many possibilities! Hi, Thanks ... I don't know that folks can see that creating it on their own is more valuable than expecting someone else to do it for them!

Why are you confused? Expressing oneself through creativity or realizing a musical vision has always been a fulfillment for humans. I mean, why do you think music is still being made aside from the commercial profits?

There are 12 notes in a musical scale which can be combined into thousands of unique sequences... and 100's of instruments from which to choose a combination from. It doesn't just have to be a standard orchestra ensemble, or typical rock band (lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, saxes, drums & percussion or whatever).

Absolutely - all you need is some inspiration.

I have been bored and burned out by certain artists but never by music in general. Expand your horizons, Grasshopper! Search for the influences of your favorite artists. If you like the avant guard, try Schoenberg or Bartok. Cage. Stravinsky. The Residents for ultimate weirdness. Go outside the western canon and embrace different approaches to rhythm, melody, and scale. Try Japanese Shakuhachi (bamboo flute) but don't go for the New Agey stuff. Find authentic Zen players. Tuvan or Mongolian throat singing is something that has to be experienced to be believed. I know all this is moving outside the Progosphere, but it seems that is where you need to go right now. Once you have gone out, come back in and you will experience the music in a new way. There are many ways to approach music. 

Floydoid wrote: There are 12 notes in a musical scale which can be combined into thousands of unique sequences... and 100's of instruments from which to choose a combination from. It doesn't just have to be a standard orchestra ensemble, or typical rock band (lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, saxes, drums & percussion or whatever).