How old?

[icysk8r]

How old do you think I will have to be for my music to be taken seriously.  I write my own music now, and I think it is turning out pretty good, and obviously the songs will change over the next year or so as I record them, but you never hear of a 15 year old prog-metal band.  The only 15 year olds I know that can be successful are disney or nickelodeon stars, and my music is a lot more serious than that crap.  I guess what I am asking is how old will it be for my music to be taken seriously by people, and not just "he is so talented and young" and more "wow, that's great music, i dig this band".

[Sigz]

I guess what I am asking is how old will it be for my music to be taken seriously by people, and not just "he is so talented and young" and more "wow, that's great music, i dig this band".

What's wrong with either of those statements?

[brakkum]

I guess what I am asking is how old will it be for my music to be taken seriously by people, and not just "he is so talented and young" and more "wow, that's great music, i dig this band".

What's wrong with either of those statements?

this.

as long as you enjoy what you do, it doesn't matter what others think. I'm going to be making a living plying music, I don't expect people to take me seriously all the time, I'm just a musician.

[Icebear]

How old do you think I will have to be for my music to be taken seriously.  I write my own music now, and I think it is turning out pretty good, and obviously the songs will change over the next year or so as I record them, but you never hear of a 15 year old prog-metal band.  The only 15 year olds I know that can be successful are disney or nickelodeon stars, and my music is a lot more serious than that crap.  I guess what I am asking is how old will it be for my music to be taken seriously by people, and not just "he is so talented and young" and more "wow, that's great music, i dig this band".

I'd say that if you're serious about your music, and if you keep doing what comes naturally, eventually people are bound to appreciate what you do and take it seriously. There's not a certain age when that happens, but as long as YOU like the music you make, someone else out there will pick up on it.

[rumborak]

Well, to be honest, IMHO the major reason one mostly hears the sentence "he is so young and talented" is because it a euphemism for "the music isn't that good yet, but he is young, so here's hope he'll get really good at it". I can't think of a single reason why people would shun otherwise good music, just because the artist is young.

rumborak

[icysk8r]

I get what you are all saying, but someone may think "He is so young, none of these songs are real emotion anyway.  He hasn't been on earth long enough to have his heart broken or have real problems."
I do appreciate my music for the most part, and am perfecting it, I just feel that people may not take it seriously because I am so young.

[Nic35]

To be taken seriously, you need to be in a band. Then, we'll see..

[Portrucci]

as long as you enjoy what you do, it doesn't matter what others think. I'm going to be making a living playing music, I don't expect people to take me seriously all the time, I'm just a musician.

This

[cthrubuoy]

Don't tell people your age?

[rumborak]

From reading your posts, it seems you're frustrated people don't like your music. To be brutally honest, that is always due to the music, almost nothing else.

rumborak

[sneakyblueberry]

Protest the Hero started when they were twelve years old in '99 and released Kezia in '05.

Just a fun fact.

[setrataeso]

Yeah, look at Scale the Summit. They aren't 15, closer to 18-19, but they are very talented. I think everyone who saw them play appreciates their music.
If you are talking about being commercially famous or successful, then I would say that progressive music is not the right direction, as most people will ignore it because of its inaccessibility. However, if you love the music you are making now, then accept the idea that making music you enjoy and being only reasonably appreciated is better than being famous and making lame music.

[rumborak]

Actually, if anything, people are more willing to listen to a young artist, a) because you get more leeway with errors or shortcomings and b) people loooove prodigies.

rumborak

[icysk8r]

From reading your posts, it seems you're frustrated people don't like your music. To be brutally honest, that is always due to the music, almost nothing else.

rumborak

Nah, everyone I show my music to so far loves it, but it just isn't satisfying for me, I don't know why.  It isn't an ungrateful thing, it is just that I feel like people are just saying that because I am young. 

Yeah, look at Scale the Summit. They aren't 15, closer to 18-19, but they are very talented. I think everyone who saw them play appreciates their music.
If you are talking about being commercially famous or successful, then I would say that progressive music is not the right direction, as most people will ignore it because of its inaccessibility. However, if you love the music you are making now, then accept the idea that making music you enjoy and being only reasonably appreciated is better than being famous and making lame music.

I want to make it to about Dream Theaters success or higher [Not now, obviously, but eventually].  This is the music I love making, and I wouldn't change that to make money.

[brakkum]

From reading your posts, it seems you're frustrated people don't like your music. To be brutally honest, that is always due to the music, almost nothing else.

rumborak

Nah, everyone I show my music to so far loves it, but it just isn't satisfying for me, I don't know why.  It isn't an ungrateful thing, it is just that I feel like people are just saying that because I am young. 

dude, you realize everyone says that...

[rumborak]

From reading your posts, it seems you're frustrated people don't like your music. To be brutally honest, that is always due to the music, almost nothing else.

rumborak

Nah, everyone I show my music to so far loves it, but it just isn't satisfying for me, I don't know why.

I hate to say it, but friends and family simply don't count when it comes to judging your music.
The only way to know whether people like your music is the following:

1.) Join a band
2.) Get a gig at which your friends and your family will show up, because they're being nice.
3.) Get another gig, at which one family member and your best two friends still show up.
4.) Rinse and repeat for 6 times
10.) If people you've never seen before show up at your gigs and ask you at the end of the gig whether you have a CD they could buy, then you know you write music that people like.

An alternative is to put your music up on the web, and wait the first few weeks for your friends and family to have stopped doing the "courtesy listen". If the listen counter still rises after that, people like your music.

rumborak

[setrataeso]

I'm going to add to Rumby's list, although this could be considered a bit more unorthodox, yet effective.

Get involved in your local music scene. Go see bands, talk to them, get contacts. You may stumble upon a lucky break, and someone may want to learn more about your music or give you his card or something. A lot of early success can come from word of mouth. I agree that getting gigs is paramount to getting noticed, and so I advise that when your band comes together in the future, go out and just keep your band at the forefront of your focus.

Also, if you end up recording a cd of sone sort, many smaller music stores are always happy to support local artists, and will gladly sell copies of your album.

[icysk8r]

Well I am currently working on a cd, but I am perfecting the songs.  I already took 7 tracks completely off of the cd because I didn't like them, that's how perfect I want this album to be.  And I don't know many gigs for 15 year olds [I will be 15 by the time the album is out] will get other than like, church festivals.  Not like I can play in a bar.

[brakkum]

Well I am currently working on a cd, but I am perfecting the songs.  I already took 7 tracks completely off of the cd because I didn't like them, that's how perfect I want this album to be.  And I don't know many gigs for 15 year olds [I will be 15 by the time the album is out] will get other than like, church festivals.  Not like I can play in a bar.

where do you live? get involved in concerts at your school or at local coffeehouses, thats how we did it at my school and it got my name out there among the musicians, ands its a great way to possibly make some dough.

[ZBomber]

Link to the music?

[icysk8r]

www.reverbnation.com/traumen
Those are very rough copies, that will be a lot better.  They are a few months old, and I have improved a lot since then.  And I need a new singer, my dad's voice isn't right for my music I don't think.  He is a great singer, just not what I want, plus I want someone my age.

[rumborak]

BTW, regarding your artist name: It's either "Träumen" ("to dream"), or "Traum" ("the dream"). There is no "Traumen" in German.

Regarding the actual music: Given what this thread is about, I think I'll be brutally honest. I don't think the music is in any shape to be put onto a CD. The songs need a lot of work, and not just from the recording side, also from the songwriting side. And that has nothing to do with your age, it's the music.

rumborak

[BlobVanDam]

Plus umlauts make any band name awesome. It's a scientifically proven fact.

[TheVoxyn]

BTW, regarding your artist name: It's either "Träumen" ("to dream"), or "Traum" ("the dream"). There is no "Traumen" in German.


rumborak

I thought about posting that, but wasn't 100% sure I was correct about the umlaut.

[ZBomber]

BTW, regarding your artist name: It's either "Träumen" ("to dream"), or "Traum" ("the dream"). There is no "Traumen" in German.

Regarding the actual music: Given what this thread is about, I think I'll be brutally honest. I don't think the music is in any shape to be put onto a CD. The songs need a lot of work, and not just from the recording side, also from the songwriting side. And that has nothing to do with your age, it's the music.

rumborak

Pretty much this.

[brakkum]

I'll side with those above, and just say that almost no one writes real good, solid tunes at your age. it is EXTREMELY rare. I know when I was that age I couldn't write for shit. now at 20 I have already vastly improved in my performance and writing skills. as long as you keep up with it it will all get better, and you will know it.

[millahh]

FYI, I know some amazing composers, and they all pretty much say that it took them a few years to find their "voice (usually in their early-mid 20s).  There's alot of maturation to the compositional process, that just takes time (whether you're starting at 14 or 40).

[icysk8r]

Which is why I said these are rough copies that I am working on improving.

Also, do you have any tips for me?  Or any reasons why you feel that way so I can think about it?  I want to make sure I head in the right direction.

[icysk8r]

and I wanted Traumen, I know it is supposed to have the dots, but I didn't want to put them.

[ZachyDou]

i think your going in the right direction for sure. Some of the stuff like the piano in the first song (Glass Window) around the 20-30 second mark felt kinda choppy and out of time imo? also the mixing might need some work you couldnt really hear every instrument.
that being said, at least you've got something done, and all in all its a pretty solid start. i can relate, my band just finished recording and now we're mixing... i dont expect it to be incredible or anything but im just happy we got something done. Just keep going.

[icysk8r]

i think your going in the right direction for sure. Some of the stuff like the piano in the first song (Glass Window) around the 20-30 second mark felt kinda choppy and out of time imo? also the mixing might need some work you couldnt really hear every instrument.
that being said, at least you've got something done, and all in all its a pretty solid start. i can relate, my band just finished recording and now we're mixing... i dont expect it to be incredible or anything but im just happy we got something done. Just keep going.

yeah it was definitely out of time.  When I recorded that song it was when I was first starting to use a metronome to record, and I didn't quantize.  If I quantized it, it would be a lot better, as I did with other songs that are recorded but not released.  Hopefully I will get a lot better over the next year or so.

[bosk1]

Plus umlauts make any band name awesome. It's a scientifically proven fact.

Pretty much this.  

As far as the main point of the thread, in a way rumborak is dead on.  In another, he's completely off base.  Look at how much crap Mike Portnoy individually and Dream Theater as a band still take from both professional critics and from casual listeners.  You will always get people who write you and your music off for a lot of different reasons.  Age is just the most convenient when you are young.  But if you write music, people will write it off for lots of different reasons, some valid, some not, until the day you die.  You can't let that get to you or become an obstacle.  The best advice I can give is to try to let it motivate you to keep improving.  I'm sure you know the obvious things, such as expose yourself to as many different musical styles and as many different musicians as possible so that you learn a lot of different things.  

It is obvious to me from a lot of your posts that you kind of have an inferiority complex.  And that's okay.  But be aware of that and just understand that that is your personality.  I would guess you will probably often feel throughout your life that you aren't good enough.  Some respond to that by giving up.  Others let it motivate them to become better.  If you want to succeed, try to do the latter.  And try not to worry that people may write you off.  Try to find out why they don't like something about your music.  Try to understand the criticism as best you can.  If you feel it is valid, use it.  If not, disregard it.  But just don't give up on yourself because someone says you are too young, too old, too...whatever.  

[icysk8r]

Plus umlauts make any band name awesome. It's a scientifically proven fact.

Pretty much this.  

As far as the main point of the thread, in a way rumborak is dead on.  In another, he's completely off base.  Look at how much crap Mike Portnoy individually and Dream Theater as a band still take from both professional critics and from casual listeners.  You will always get people who write you and your music off for a lot of different reasons.  Age is just the most convenient when you are young.  But if you write music, people will write it off for lots of different reasons, some valid, some not, until the day you die.  You can't let that get to you or become an obstacle.  The best advice I can give is to try to let it motivate you to keep improving.  I'm sure you know the obvious things, such as expose yourself to as many different musical styles and as many different musicians as possible so that you learn a lot of different things.  

It is obvious to me from a lot of your posts that you kind of have an inferiority complex.  And that's okay.  But be aware of that and just understand that that is your personality.  I would guess you will probably often feel throughout your life that you aren't good enough.  Some respond to that by giving up.  Others let it motivate them to become better.  If you want to succeed, try to do the latter.  And try not to worry that people may write you off.  Try to find out why they don't like something about your music.  Try to understand the criticism as best you can.  If you feel it is valid, use it.  If not, disregard it.  But just don't give up on yourself because someone says you are too young, too old, too...whatever.  

Thank you.  You don't know how much this post means to me, it really does mean a lot.  I do kind of feel smaller than people a lot of times, and I don't take criticism very well, and I know that.  I usually get pissed off when people say something about my music, or I will say "You write something better!" or something, but I know I shouldn't do that, because they are trying to help.  Which is why I asked Rumborak for his reasons, just so I know what I can do to change some things.

But seriously, your post means a lot to me, and I can see me looking back at this post for the rest of my life as an example of what to do and how to think [I know that seems over the top and cheesy, but it is the truth]

[millahh]

Icy, I've done a fair amount of music composition (including four semesters in college), and can offer a bit more general advice, mostly building on what both Bosk1 and Rumby have said:

-Get together with a couple of other musicians, and try pure improvisation.  Don't fall back on cliches or your old bag of tricks.

-Step out of your comfort zone...force yourself to write in a style that's foreign to you.  Experiment with writing melodies using serialism.  Write a tango.  Write a short chorale.  Write a simple, pretty song.  Write a country song.

-Listen to any sort of music you can...not to copy it or necessarily even be influenced by it, but to expand your consciousness and your music sense.

-At this stage of the game, don't worry about being perfect, or writing your defining magnum opus...this is your opportunity to grow, explore, and stumble on your own unique voice & view...don't let perfectionism stifle it.

-Put it all out there, even if you think what you're doing may seems stupid, simple, or odd.

-Trust the process.

-be motivated, but try to relax.

-Listen to criticism, but don't listen to criticism.

Hope that helps.

[Gwii]

Not like I can play in a bar.

I've been playing in bars since I was 12 or 13.

I hate to say it, but friends and family simply don't count when it comes to judging your music.
The only way to know whether people like your music is the following:

1.) Join a band
2.) Get a gig at which your friends and your family will show up, because they're being nice.
3.) Get another gig, at which one family member and your best two friends still show up.
4.) Rinse and repeat for 6 times
10.) If people you've never seen before show up at your gigs and ask you at the end of the gig whether you have a CD they could buy, then you know you write music that people like.

I agree with this.  There is a huge difference between being in a high school age band and having friends come to see you and being in a band that actually has fans attend your shows.  When I was in high school, it was easy to sell tickets to our shows to friends.  It's a lot harder now (I'm not currently in a band right now though).