Would you rather...

[soulwire]

For the rest of your life only compose the most generic, safe songs and continue to have smash hits or would your rather write some of the most innovative, ahead-of-it's-time music in which only a small handful of people would ever realize the musical ingenuity?Rephrasing in case people are misinterpreting the question: on one side, you aren't writing to your full capacity (which again is up to you how you want to interpret this) but it connects with the masses and on the other you are writing what you would consider your master work but it isn't well received by most.

[hummingbird]

Quote:For the rest of your life only compose the most generic, safe songs and but continue to have smash hits or would your rather write some of the most innovative, ahead-of-it's-time music in which only a small handful of people would ever realize the musical ingenuity?I vote for a bit of both

[soulwire]

Quote:I vote for a bit of both Hey that's cheating! haha. Did you ever play that game Zobmondo? It's like that, gotta choose one or the other. I'd personally rather write music that was ahead of it's time and keep my dayjob, but I totally hear ya on wanting both.

[gitarrero]

well... if the music is truly ahead of its time, than the time for this music WILL come.unfortunately a lot of people who tell that they're "ahead of the time" and "those dumb a&r guy is just unable to hear our genius" do never suceed because... well, I think the audience hear things a little bit diffrent then they do...

[onoffon]

Quote:Would you rather write some of the most innovative, ahead-of-it's-time music in which only a small handful of people would ever realize the musical ingenuity?We have a winner... I'm afraid we've already set our own precedent here.I wish the music industry would stop dummying down the public and start putting serious promotional dollars into honestly creative, innovative artists. I think the public would appreciate more creativity if it was delivered with the same media saturation.But, people hate me for my opinions on this subject...

[horacejesse]

Quote:But, people hate me for my opinions on this subject... I hate you passionately. It's your opinions that did it.

[onoffon]

Quote:I hate you passionately. It's your opinions that did it.It's better to stir passion, whether love or hate, than complacency...

[og]

I don't hate you, I agree with you. (I don't hate much. I'm basically lazy, and hate requires a lot of energy. Except beets, I hate beets). I may have mentioned that St. Louis is lucky enough to have a community radio station (KDHX.org streams online) so I get to hear the newest, best, and least likely to be heard on the "real" radio of country, alt country, folk, new rock--everything I can stand and some I can't. It just amazes me the crap that passes for hits, and people keep buying. My eldest daughter is a music major (education and performance) and her (not so) guilty pleasure is Britney Spears "because of the beat" (she's also a dancer). But, but... "I know it's bad, Daddy, but the beat makes me want to dance." And beets make me want to throw up. "And I keep on mailing faithfully, though Mr Laskow's never heard of me....."

[matto]

Interesting question, although it's a strange oversimplification IMHO. What I mean is...I don't think the people who write what you may consider "the most generic, safe songs" feel that that's what they're doing. And I don't think the vast majority who think they write "the most innovative, ahead-of-it's-time music" are actually doing that. Most just think they're ahead of their time... Music is largely subjective and a matter of taste. One person's generic piece of cr@p may move another to tears. And one person's idea of an innovative and groundbreaking piece may, to another, come across as a pretentious exercise in selfindulgence.Btw...it's interesting that you say "continue to have smash hits"...have you had some already? matto

[jbeck]

IMHO if a composer/writer labels themselves as just writing generic, safe songs or just being the most innovative wizard ahead of their time they are pretty much putting themself in a box, which wouldn't be very creative.Would it not be better to put their music out there and let the audience make of it what they will..I think it's hard for creative people to take constructive criticism, even though "marketable creativity" requires perfecting the craft.. I think I would prefer to be innovative in my music whether or not people think it's generic/safe or ahead of it's time..