Oh no, I can’t imagine the state your nerves must’ve been in until you could finally share all that hard work with a professional. I’m glad it made it to the right ears. If you ever post it, let me know, I’d love to hear it.
Also, thanks so much for such an empathetic response. I guess it’s just how a creative career works once you put your work out there :) it’s something to get used to.
True. I used to come up with concepts for my stories and share them, but it’s hard for most people to see the idea clearly if it’s not fully mapped out. In the beginning, that really messed with my work. I’m looking forward to your sneak peek!!
I definitely will! We have already shot so much footage for the music video of this song - now we must finish it :) I’m actually gonna soon post a sneak peek still from one of the 200 videos we made :D
Riri, this hit a little too close to home. Your dad didn’t get your song - mine was rejected by my 16-year-old son with the sort of dead-eyed shrug usually reserved for lukewarm leftovers. In fairness, I may have leaned too hard into the experimental side of Lee Ranaldo’s back catalogue.
But what you’ve captured so beautifully here is that maddening limbo between what a song feels like when it arrives fully formed - and the blank stares it sometimes earns. As Jeff Tweedy says, “No work of art is ever finished; it can only be abandoned in an interesting place.” Yours isn’t abandoned. It’s just ahead of its time.
I’m sorry to hear about your experience. Then again, at 16 everyone is super opinionated about what’s good and what’s not. If you check out Pt.1 of this essay there’s a whole block where I write about my teenage self who was dismissive of my dad’s interest in prog rock.
Of course, it’s a different thing when it’s your song at stake - it can be incredibly frustrating. But it’s important that you find a way to finalize / release it so it can find its way to people who will actually appreciate it :)
Ughhhh I know that feeling too well! You're so excited at your brilliance and you just have to show it to someone. But they're layman's ear cannot hear the magic! Someday, maybe I will learn how to really produce music, but for now I'm just seeking out the people who sort of "get" what I'm going for. It's so hard for me to describe, though. And I have certainly had some gigantic misses working with people who had their own ideas to impose!
Omg, I can’t even begin to describe the amount of frustration I went through in my life as a person with (then) zero production experience, trying to get my songs to sound like I see them and not like someone else does. I find your use of the word “impose” very fitting here.
It’s a great gift to find someone who’s determined to embody your vision in production!
That said, I’d love to hear your demos if you’re looking for someone to show them to 👽
Ummm I'd be honored! And that would also give me impetus to clean up these demos so that someone could even stand to listen to them 😜 (which I've been meaning to do for a while)
This is fucking awesome - you have me SO motivated to make some music. I'm VERY new to actually making/composing though I've played piano (well) for basically my entire life. A friend and I have a discordant ~cyber grind~ project in the works and I'm so excited to get into it. I didn't know music nerds were on here writing like this about music so you have opened my eyes !!!!! So excited to read more from u !!!!! 💟
Oh it makes me so happy to see I’ve motivated you so much! Playing piano well is a great asset if you want to get into making music - in the modern world it’s not even a requirement so you’re technically miles ahead of half of the people who’ve already allowed themselves to pursue music :)
I’m also just discovering music Substack: there are a lot of people doing music reviews and quite a few songwriters.
Please do share your first steps in composing, I’d be delighted to hear 👽
Really amazing that you kept pushing even after negative feedback bc you believed in what you created!! That is the kind of artistic confidence I’m trying to build! So glad it all worked out :)
To be fair, the song is still in the middle of production so it’s probably too soon to say. But reviving it in my mind has been really crucial to prepare myself for shooting the music video that we did in mid-March :)
Thanks so much for your kind words! I wish you all the artistic confidence in the world 💜
Any experience is valuable, no matter good or bad. That’s how we learn to live. After all this particular case is another brick in the wall of your maturity, isn’t it!
Oh I’m super happy I could awaken your curiosity 👽 it’s still in the starting stages of production so I’d rather wait till it’s done to avoid the kind of reaction I described in the essay :D but I’m super excited to show it to you when it’s ready!
You described the songwriting process very poetically) I just want to say, there will always be some people who won't like something, so you just have to do what you love and the result will be a must
I’m sure we’re gonna find our people out there :) cause if you love your creation so much you can’t be the only person in the world who does. I don’t think it’s statistically possible 🙃
I always itch to show my songs to people, but this song is still in the beginning of the production process so I’d rather wait till it’s done precisely because of the pitfall I described in the essay :D
Oh no, I can’t imagine the state your nerves must’ve been in until you could finally share all that hard work with a professional. I’m glad it made it to the right ears. If you ever post it, let me know, I’d love to hear it.
Also, thanks so much for such an empathetic response. I guess it’s just how a creative career works once you put your work out there :) it’s something to get used to.
True. I used to come up with concepts for my stories and share them, but it’s hard for most people to see the idea clearly if it’s not fully mapped out. In the beginning, that really messed with my work. I’m looking forward to your sneak peek!!
Yeah, you have to either find someone who has a vision for how the end product is gonna look or just avoid showing it whenever you can :)
I posted the still on notes yesterday night! 💜
I definitely will! We have already shot so much footage for the music video of this song - now we must finish it :) I’m actually gonna soon post a sneak peek still from one of the 200 videos we made :D
Riri, this hit a little too close to home. Your dad didn’t get your song - mine was rejected by my 16-year-old son with the sort of dead-eyed shrug usually reserved for lukewarm leftovers. In fairness, I may have leaned too hard into the experimental side of Lee Ranaldo’s back catalogue.
But what you’ve captured so beautifully here is that maddening limbo between what a song feels like when it arrives fully formed - and the blank stares it sometimes earns. As Jeff Tweedy says, “No work of art is ever finished; it can only be abandoned in an interesting place.” Yours isn’t abandoned. It’s just ahead of its time.
I’m sorry to hear about your experience. Then again, at 16 everyone is super opinionated about what’s good and what’s not. If you check out Pt.1 of this essay there’s a whole block where I write about my teenage self who was dismissive of my dad’s interest in prog rock.
Of course, it’s a different thing when it’s your song at stake - it can be incredibly frustrating. But it’s important that you find a way to finalize / release it so it can find its way to people who will actually appreciate it :)
I hope we get to hear your song soon!
Ughhhh I know that feeling too well! You're so excited at your brilliance and you just have to show it to someone. But they're layman's ear cannot hear the magic! Someday, maybe I will learn how to really produce music, but for now I'm just seeking out the people who sort of "get" what I'm going for. It's so hard for me to describe, though. And I have certainly had some gigantic misses working with people who had their own ideas to impose!
Omg, I can’t even begin to describe the amount of frustration I went through in my life as a person with (then) zero production experience, trying to get my songs to sound like I see them and not like someone else does. I find your use of the word “impose” very fitting here.
It’s a great gift to find someone who’s determined to embody your vision in production!
That said, I’d love to hear your demos if you’re looking for someone to show them to 👽
Ummm I'd be honored! And that would also give me impetus to clean up these demos so that someone could even stand to listen to them 😜 (which I've been meaning to do for a while)
Oh trust me, I’ve heard all sorts of stuff being in the local scene :) don’t be too hard on yourself!
**THEIR
This is fucking awesome - you have me SO motivated to make some music. I'm VERY new to actually making/composing though I've played piano (well) for basically my entire life. A friend and I have a discordant ~cyber grind~ project in the works and I'm so excited to get into it. I didn't know music nerds were on here writing like this about music so you have opened my eyes !!!!! So excited to read more from u !!!!! 💟
Oh it makes me so happy to see I’ve motivated you so much! Playing piano well is a great asset if you want to get into making music - in the modern world it’s not even a requirement so you’re technically miles ahead of half of the people who’ve already allowed themselves to pursue music :)
I’m also just discovering music Substack: there are a lot of people doing music reviews and quite a few songwriters.
Please do share your first steps in composing, I’d be delighted to hear 👽
Eeeeee !!!!! I got some background in music theory too so that could be useful for sure.
Yessssss i shall share once I get into things, excited to hear ur thoughts 🥰
I’ll be waiting 💜✨
Really amazing that you kept pushing even after negative feedback bc you believed in what you created!! That is the kind of artistic confidence I’m trying to build! So glad it all worked out :)
To be fair, the song is still in the middle of production so it’s probably too soon to say. But reviving it in my mind has been really crucial to prepare myself for shooting the music video that we did in mid-March :)
Thanks so much for your kind words! I wish you all the artistic confidence in the world 💜
Any experience is valuable, no matter good or bad. That’s how we learn to live. After all this particular case is another brick in the wall of your maturity, isn’t it!
I see what you did there! I live for music puns :D yeah, I think you’ll love it in the end!
I want to hear the song!
Oh I’m super happy I could awaken your curiosity 👽 it’s still in the starting stages of production so I’d rather wait till it’s done to avoid the kind of reaction I described in the essay :D but I’m super excited to show it to you when it’s ready!
Not even a snippet! The theory nerd in me wants to dive into the harmony of that mysterious bridge 🧐
I promise to do a deep dive once it’s released :) this is my secret strategy - to push the suspense off the charts!
Vaguely annoying that it’s working haha 😂
Haha I’m sorry, I’m sorry! 😅
Fabulous writing!
Thank you so much! This is very encouraging to hear 👽
You described the songwriting process very poetically) I just want to say, there will always be some people who won't like something, so you just have to do what you love and the result will be a must
Yeah I think it’s part of the job to become emotionally impervious to criticism :D
I’m sure we’re gonna find our people out there :) cause if you love your creation so much you can’t be the only person in the world who does. I don’t think it’s statistically possible 🙃
I always itch to show my songs to people, but this song is still in the beginning of the production process so I’d rather wait till it’s done precisely because of the pitfall I described in the essay :D