Reasons For Becoming A Musician?
 

Well, I didn't think there is already a thread (I've looked) but anyway, what was your reason for becoming or wanting to become a musician? Well, I've always loved music (even more so these past few years) and I decided after a few years to pick up the guitar. I've noticed while playing these past few years it can be a great way to meet new and interesting people, so I put even more time into playing.

I don't think I can rightfully call myself a musician yet because my playing is still lacking (even after lessons), but I never go a day without playing 2-3 hours. I just find it fun and not just a way to kill time. I was recently thinking about picking up the viola to help me better understand classical music and to get onto playing another instrument ya know, to mix things up a bit because playing one instrument can get a bit stale after awhile.

Well I learned piano when I was little because my parents wanted me to, but now I'm really glad I did and I really enjoy it. As I've become more interested in both playing and listening to music, I've also been learning guitar, which I'm not very good at yet.

it's been a lot of different things at different points.

my old man was a relatively successful musician back in the day, as in, it's how he made a living and supported his family. so it was always around but it was always more 'his' thing. almost like we weren't supposed to be able to 'get' it only 'adore' it through him. or so that's how my memory puts those pieces together, it's been a while now.

after my parents split i always paid attention to 'music' at least to the extent i could back in the early 80s. which usually consisted of listening to a classic rock station and the American Top 40 every sunday afternoon back when it was hosted by Casey Casem haha. in retrospect it was an attempt by my broken boy self to hold onto some perceived piece of my old man in a way.

then one fine night in grade 9 i was watching over my little cousins and doing homework when i caught this video...



that was the point when everything in my head changed. i knew it was on, and it was only a matter of time before i got a guitar. turned out to be close to 3 years before that happened on Valentine's Day 1993.

i built up technique by playing nothing but covers for the next 5 years. any tab i could get my hands on i would buy. the stack of guitar magazines at my mom's house reached above my knee and that wasn't counting the dozen or so official tab books for my favourites at the time.

it's only once i hit college for the last time in 1998 that i actually started considering myself as a musician. it's where i met the first people that cracked me out of my shell and exposed me to my own ability to play music. prior to that i really couldn't do anything but play covers, which turned out to be a great way to build up technique.

ultimately it goes back to the start and my old man though. it took me years to recognize it, and a few more to be upfront with myself about it enough to be open about it. basically the early covers period was an attempt to impress him with my technical abilities and my misguided ideas of what playing music was. the improv years were my rebellion against my own perceived notions of his more traditional approach to playing music.

now that it's all out in the open though i'm left without a real motivating factor. the best word to describe most of our jams was 'cathartic', it wasn't for anyone's benefit besides our own, but at this point the obstacle is overcome, that line is crossed and i'm not seeing any to address anymore.

so for now i no longer look for a reason to become a musician, i'm left wondering if i should continue being one.

^^Why not? If its fuc*ing with your sex life then I would say stop,stop NAO! Playing relaxes me,just do it as a hobby?

I honestly dont know what really got me into music.I was 14 when I started learning guitar,but I gave up after a few months.Recently (february of this year,now im 25) I started writing some stuff on pretty much anything that would come to mind.I thought it'd be cool to put music with those words and vuala,Im learning guitar.Plus I use to watch a lot of music videos and the guitar always fascinated me.You air guitarists know what Im talkin about.

i'm not sure who you're referring to with this comment but... what?

I wanted to be like Kurt Cobain.

Yes. Really.

How things change eh?

I just always loved the drums. I would constantly get random beats stuck in my head, so I bought a kit to see if I could play them out.

at first? recognition & respect. now? catharsis.

when i first started playing music i harbored some delusions about getting a project off the ground. nowadays between schoolwork and everything else in my messy schedule i hardly have any time to think to myself. i've been very fortunate that i've had the opportunity to pursue the education i did, but with the intense workload i really don't have much time to invest in ulterior pursuits.

that being said the most relaxing thing i could do when i get home is pick up my guitar and play as loudly as possible without disturbing the roommates. and i won't regret it when my hearing fades at the expense of retaining my sanity.

Growing up with a father who worked for a fairly well-known blues label, and later for washburn guitars, I guess I was kind of destined to play. My father never forced playing on me, nor did he even try to get me started. It was more of an organic thing, but as a conscious choice it's still sort of a no brainer that I would end up playing. Never had any lessons, I've spent about 7 years making it up as I go along. I don't consider myself a musician because I don't know the names of chords nor have I ever learned any covers. I'm about as pure noodling as you can get, which is fine by me. Playing is a daily ritual, and I'll go through both periods of stagnation and wild creativity.

I became a musician because I found comfort in being around other musicians.
It wasn't until I grew a bit older than I found comfort in the actual instruments i was playing.
After I became a percussionist, I realized I would do anything never to have to give music up.
It was a a situation I couldn't let go of.