Should artists still put EFFORT into their work?
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- čas přidán 30. 05. 2024
- Sharing some thoughts. Honestly I wasn't sure whether to post this because I realize it's pretty negative and I do want this channel to stay a positive place. But these feelings have become too hard for me to ignore, and I decided to share them anyway. I know I'm just kinda venting and not really offering any solutions, and you may not even agree that there's any "issue" in the first place. But I think starting a discussion on what we CAN do to better support art would be beneficial.
I also wanna add that my motivation for talking about this is not just the impact on my own work - I consider myself very lucky to have the following and support that I do. Rather, it's years of seeing many extremely talented artists get discouraged and lose hope in the current industry, my feelings on the current situation as a whole and my worries about the future of art.
0:00 Intro
0:17 Short-form video explosion
1:42 The impact on art & music
2:59 Art takes TIME to get into
3:58 The social media cycle
5:03 CZcams as an art platform
5:44 Creators' mental health
6:13 Quality VS. Quantity
6:49 The creative process isn't linear
7:40 What I mean by "effort"
8:00 Is it even sustainable anymore?
8:41 A question for you
9:15 It's not ALL bad, but...
Links:
My music: glasys.bandcamp.com/
All music in this video is from my first "Off Screen" album.
Patreon: / glasys
Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/5qeuK... - Hudba
I 100% agree with what you're saying here. When we publish online, we're incentivised to maximise attention and watch time. This pushes us into making the creative equivalent of junk food.
And when we *do* make something with substance, something more meaningful and considered, it tends to be (relatively) ignored. View and watch time numbers suggest that audiences en masse prefer more shallow material. But I find it soul-crushing to only make that stuff. All the power to the musicians who focus on pure entertainment, but I just can't make that stuff and continue to like myself. I'm also not personally interested in listening to or watching that kind of content; I need something more meaningful. I don't watch short-form content because it largely all style and no substance, yet it's kind of expected that we make it and I can't really get that excited about it. I haven't quite found a format that works for piano visualiser content.
I would like to perform music more meaningful to me on my personal channel, however the channel I'm posting from is much more successful while requiring less time per video. However it's not really the place for my more meaningful work. I'm too busy working on this channel to post on my personal one, however I would still like to post some meaningful things to my personal channel at some point.
I think the feeling of what you've described in this video is 100% exemplified by your New World Unlocked video not getting the views it deserves. That video is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen, from someone with incredible musical skill and dedication, yet that labour of love is not rewarded like something short you could just smash out in a couple of hours. I've been there so many times: Pour your heart and soul into a massive project you put as much effort and time and care into as possible, only to see it be largely ignored. It's so crushing and disappointing. And you think "why should I bother with this, when I can do something stupid in an hour and it'll do ten times as well".
So I think it's necessary to adjust the goal of your projects to be like: Some of them will be made primarily for your audience at large, and some of them will actually be made just for you, and you create it with a personal goal to satisfy. For those projects, it's not about popularity, it's about achieving something artistic.
It's hard to do ONLY audience-pleasing stuff because it's not as artistically fulfilling, however if you focus on only artistically-fulfilling work, how do you pay the bills? I think it's possible to achieve a balance. I've focused on the audience-pleasing aspect almost completely for the last 5 years, and it does leave me truly wishing to make some more personal projects. I have two unpublished piano compositions I plan to film using my acoustic grand piano. I poured my soul and essence into those ones, and when I publish them, it will be on my personal channel as they're very much an expression of my deepest self.
Anyway, I empathise completely with the sentiment of your video here. I just love seeing a diamond in the rough like your channel. You're truly next level, your music and artistry is really inspiring to me and I wish people like you were more widely recognised. -Andrew
Andrew, I can't thank you enough for taking the time to share your insight and experience here. I know this subject affects many of us (if not all) and even though I was hesitant to post this video, I'm glad I did because I believe that sharing our feelings and experiences can be healing and enlightening.
Thanks for putting into words things that I didn't quite know how to, you nailed it. Let's both aspire to find that balance you describe and keep experimenting and searching till we get there.
I just found your personal channel and subbed - I'm looking forward to hearing your new compositions! I don't watch many Sheet Music Boss vids because piano tutorials aren't really my thing but I know you're an incredible pianist, composer and arranger so I'm definitely looking forward to your personal projects!
And thanks so much for the generous compliments about New World Unlocked, you are so kind - truly means a ton. 🙏
EDIT: Just wanna add - the fact that you guys have been uploading DAILY for years is absolutely mind-boggling. Your dedication is truly amazing and inspiring. I think I'd burn out in a week if I tried that lol. Congrats on 3M subs!
@@GLASYS I think it's a really relatable feeling for creative people publishing on CZcams and elsewhere. Particularly anyone in an artistic field, including musicians, 2D and 3D animators, and any others whose work necessitates a lot of time and craft. It's different to, for example, gaming channels where the generation process is much faster. Making a great creative product requires a lot of time to refine projects, and we just bring out the full potential of something AND do it quickly. It requires compromise if we're going to do it quickly (using a visualiser instead of filming, in my case).
I will have to see if I can film those personal piano pieces at some point soon, I'd love to share them and I'd love to know what you think.
Regarding the daily videos, it definitely is a fair bit of work! Making MIDI and using a good visualiser makes it possible to put out a video each day. Honestly, before starting this channel, Sam and I weren't really ones to watch the "piano tutorial" content either! It wasn't our thing but we realised that other people would enjoy the format, so we thought we would be capable of doing it and aiming for quality.
Even though a visualiser is a bit of a compromise compared to filming myself playing, I still get to craft the audio to be exactly what I want, and I enjoy the process. I consider myself incredibly fortunate that it's possible at all to do this as my main job, as it's generally incredibly hard to monetise creativity.
And thank you for the kind words! Wishing the best for you as you deserve way more recognition!
If you really want to connect with people, play more live! The energy that comes from that is priceless. But talent and content in general has become increasingly less valuable to society as most people only need so much great art, music, film etc to make them fulfilled. We are reaching a point where so much great content exists that our synapses are flooded and each individual artistic moment has less and less value. But despite that I think it's so important to keep reaching and trying to express ourselves, even if we aren't being rewarded like we think we should be for it. We need to continue to celebrate long form and create it despite the toxic media cycle we live in currently.
I agree! Playing live can be a catch 22 though - if an artist is not getting exposure and connecting with listeners online, then they won't sell tickets. It's a difficult situation. Plus, not every musician wants (or can) perform live. But yeah, nothing beats the energy of a live show.
Spot on. Forget the algorithms, just keep fine tuning your musical ideas the old fashioned way... Love your work BTW!
Doing art for a living is and has always been hard. Still hope that as many people as possible do art for themselves and their friends if no one else
I would say, you’re doing a fine job creating quality content whether the videos are short or long. It’s obvious how much thought, care and effort is put in to your videos. Also, you connect by responding to comments and engaging with your audience. You’re doing fine, sir!
Every piece you've published isn't only very detailed compositionally and very clearly shows your personal voice -- but also shows the months and years of careful practice you've got behind you, Gil.
I think you've walked the line between longer-form, more serious pieces and shorter, lighter pieces incredibly successfully and hope you can keep that balance in whatever way that's possible for you.
Meanwhile, we hear you (fortunately for us)!!!
Elise Mae (Modulation of the Day)
To add to my other comments: I'd wager to say that you inspired quite a few people to pursue art themselves.
Thanks Max, that means a lot!
You're spot on, Glasys. I think modern culture has made people not know what's good for them , across many areas of life - whether we're talking about food, relationships, long term goals etc. As you said art is not longer the goal in music, it's just a mean to another end - usually a commercial one. I for one decided to play and compose the music I like regardless of what others think of it. 50 years from now, I'd regret it if I did otherwise. Add to that my style basically died ~100 years ago.. So I leave others to their own devices while still finding ways to provide value within the music related business.
Finally I hear someone else sharing my exact inner thoughts haha. I watched this entire video on my personal account, and had to go to my artist account to comment my thoughts (didn't realize I wasn't subscribed on this account, so you now have another subscriber haha).
I personally feel conflicted as well, because my goal is to build an authentic audience, full of people who enjoy my songs. At the same time though, I've come to realize that it takes years to reach that point. I've been producing music for about 8 years, and started releasing what I considered decent music about four or five years ago.
I've had friends tell me I should create more content, or release a song every day or week, but I feel that by putting more time into my songs, and putting more time into perfecting my craft, I can become a better artist.
Sometimes we have to decide what is important to us, and to me, it's important that I build an audience who enjoys listening to my music as much as I do. The whole reason why I started publishing my music was because I wanted an easier way to personally enjoy my music, and I realized if I like my music, there's gotta be someone else in the world who likes my music too. I've stuck with it for 8 whole years, and I've published 181 songs to almost every streaming service at this point.
I think this concept can be summarized in the plot of many video games and anime that have been around for years, especially "One Piece". The common theme that these share is the idea of reaching a treasure at the end, whether that's wealth, fame, or power. However, once you reach the end, you realize the most important treasure was the journey and friends you made along the way. That's how I view my music.
Thanks for taking the time to watch and share your thoughts! Definitely agree that it's all about the journey, not the destination. :)
I agree with you. Our brains are being fed, and shaped by impulses that we can't control, with instant gratification. In a world where we can tap into that maelstrom of content, I imagine it's very difficult to stand out. It's also very difficult to find an artist you connect with and truly appreciate.
I worry that this beautiful connection technology is becoming more and more like a pandora's box. I have no answers. I just want you to know I'm glad I found your work and you've made a positive impact. How you measure success is up to you. Thank you for everything and I'm looking forward to the next art you share.
You have no idea how much I appreciate you always sticking around and supporting my work. It's very rare these days, I see people come and go on this channel all the time but you've been here for many years. Thanks for everything 🙏
100% agree. I'm guilty of enjoying the short videos but really enjoy taking in the longer commitments when time permits. There's no replacing massive human artistic effort. I also have been a long term critical listener and viewer, going back to my HiFi sales days. I love putting on a vinyl or movie and turning off the world to immerse myself in the experience. Preferably with some good take out lol.
As a creator I find myself enjoying a few forms of creative outlets. While I used to spend hours, days, weeks, etc. honing music, games, videos, etc. I have less time these days. Most of my performances now are live with very little practice. I boil on the concepts a lot and rely on my experience and skill to deliver. I've grown to appreciate the spontaneity of this approach and the lack of time preparing invested.
I don't spend a lot of time or effort on my social media content. I feel that's a specific skill set most of us could be better at and benefit from. But I choose to invest elsewhere. Although, it seems like an unavoidable investment if you wish to prosper in your endeavors in any larger capacity, i.e. quitting one's day job
I've made that same decision on the tradeoffs--get stuff out there that is intrinsically unique/creative/spontaneous and skimp on the packaging. As a viewer (and former audiophile), I'd much rather watch a magical moment of performers captured in the moment on someone's phone than a slickly-edited / polished video of something unoriginal trying to click-bait their way to views.
Hey Jim! Always great to see you man. You shouldn't feel guilty about watching short videos, that stuff is addictive as hell! There's definitely a magic to live improvisation too, I come from a jazz background so you know how I feel about that. :)
Keep doing your thing! Are you still working on your game?
@@ADudeAndHisBox I hear you, that's especially true with captured live performances and improvisations. In those cases, most of the work goes into developing and practicing those skills and preparing for the performance, not necessarily the video itself. I love spontaneity and live improvisation as well, don't get me wrong. But even then I prefer a full performance to a 30 second reel. :)
@@GLASYS Always great hearing from you and watching your creations. I'm still slowly chipping away on the game. Took a bit of a backseat to the family life lately though. Hoping to give it some big love in 2023!
Btw, saw you helped with the Trigon! Looks so cool. Hoping to see some content from you if you end up with one in the arsenal. And RIP Dave, really crushed by his loss. Glad we could have one more great synth of his brought to life. I'm sure there are some more of his ideas cooking in the vault too though.
Boooooom
One of you greatest video ever... together with the background music....this is such an important issue to discuss... specially when it come from the artist...
You know me for many years since high school together...im an artist... making my music...making a living through it.. putting it out there....and i agree with every word you just said...for me those "problem" are also the exact reasons why we should continue with what we do❤️❤️❤️ Keep up with your amazing art and with puting this issue on the table...
It is us .. the artists who should say it...and let us be the change that we want to see in the world🎶🎵🙏🎉
Wow, thanks for the video man, very interesting perspectives! It definitely hit close to home, as a creator I've been feeling the same way for a while. My work is the best its ever been by far and it feels like its not even worth the effort of sharing it. But honestly this doesn’t slow me down creatively. Its just when I get to the end of a project and I know I'm going to have to put in a lot of work to maybe get a few people to look at the first 15 seconds.... it can be kind of tough!
I do think that working on something until you are satisfied is still the rout for having a healthy long lasting career but I can definitely understand how mass production of art can be a quick hack to get the algorithms attention.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experience Jeremie! I know exactly how you feel. All I can say is that I hope you keep creating and are able to achieve your goals - hopefully these social media trends/habits will shift to something healthier over time.
I watched this video @ 1.25 speed. Shame on me ^_^
I am hardly working on my music because chances are, it won't sustain me. I do believe in my talent and I have friends who tell me that they absolutely love my work and feel strongly for me for not "making it out there" over the years. But that's as far as it goes. They are from my generation and they're musicians... I am afraid that my music has a niche audience even though I'm actually sacrificing much of my creativity to make things more simple and easy to understand. I don't believe that my tracks complete even though I worked on a good number of them.
I fall into a self-sabotaging trap where I share my "progress" and, for more than one reason, I find myself abandoning my piece. I realised that the longer I go on for without sharing it, the more I work on a particular piece. However, the pressures that you spoke of that an artist faces compel me to share prematurely.
I met professionals who have told me more than once to get my ideas out as quickly as possible. When I observe their process of creation, i hardly find them experimenting composition-wise. While I do see the value of their advice, I would rather obsess on the smallest details and risk losing the flow but learn much in the process. Hopefully it will not take me 16 years to release my stuff. I'm getting older and losing my hearing is right around the corner. I am now studying in another field in the hopes that it will sustain me while I develop as an artist.
That kind of advice is EVERYWHERE these days - "publish every day! Be consistent! The algorithm!" etc. which is one of the reasons I wanted to bring it up. While I do believe that being TOO much of a perfectionist can lead you to never finishing things (I've struggled with that too), rushing your work is never a good idea either, and it can also lead to stagnation in your development as an artist.
Regarding what you said about sharing WIPs - I think this can play mental tricks on you and make you feel like you're already "done", because it's already out there - and the feedback (or lack of feedback) might demotivate you from actually finishing it. In your case, maybe not sharing progress but at the same time setting a deadline (so you DO ultimately release your art) would be a good idea. wishing you the best my friend, never stop creating 🙏
@@GLASYS thank you very much for taking the time to read the comment and replying. Indeed I've gotten enough feedback for WIPs. I can go on without it.
I am very much set on releasing and I am getting closer. I'm discovering this "oblique" method while working; keeping a balance while still pushing boundaries. I would not have been able to acquire it without having sought something closer to perfection in the past.
Thank you so much for sharing your vision and your thoughts today. I found them to be very supportive
@@GLASYS your work is brilliant
Many good points and observations. There is something very cool about art that only a few experience and art that only exist in the moment. I'm not saying artist should only have a small crowd, not at all. But I love the idea of art that is in the moment and very fleeting. Keep up your good work 🙏
Tik tok, reels or shorts are just another thing to sell ads, nothing to do with quality works. There's a lot of burn out for creators and a lot of frustration and insatisfaction for users. Please keep on making quality music no matter the time it takes. Your covers are great and you albums amazing.
Thanks so much Numa, that means a lot!
I really like your art, and I don't think if you making short form or any other kind of art will change that. For me as an enjoyer of your art, I believe it would be best that you make the decision thats best for you, and I'll keep supporting!
You’re incredibly kind, thanks for the support and encouragement! 🙏❤️
I saw your Omnisphere performance and have been hooked ever since. Awe inspiring performance, performer. I really enjoyed this video, thanks again.
Hey Jake, thanks my friend! Hard to believe that was 4 years ago, feels like yesterday. Appreciate you sticking around for so long 🙏
I found this channel in a time when it felt like the algorithms were still a little slower paced and a little less aggressive. It's been a few years since then. The internet has changed and i changed how i use it.
But I made it a point to always come back to a few channels i have been subscribed to (often manually, the notifications just don't work sometimes) your channel is among the chosen few that I do make the effort to check back on regularly.
I am a longtime fan and by now id say that you are someone who has left a lasting impact on my use of CZcams. So for what it's worth i feel there is a connection there. And I'm sure some people here would say the same.
Also i don't have much disposable income but I'd be happy to give you a few bucks on Patreon for your content
I appreciate you Max, just the fact that you still come back after a few years is all I could ask for. Please don't feel any pressure to donate on Patreon, that's really not what this is about. I appreciate genuine, human connections which make it all worth it. 🙏
How beautiful is the background music in this video! You are conveying your emotions as you talk! I just want to listen this video over and over! Bravissimo!
Hey thanks so much, I'm glad you enjoyed the music. 🙏
You raise some really good points here. It really comes down to how you define your audience. If you're making art in order to be successful or well-liked by the general public, then yeah churn out as much raw material as you possibly can in as little time as possible. That will (and continues to) make sure more eyes have a chance to view your work. The other side is to make the art for yourself. This is where you will toil and agonize over every inch of a project until it meets your exacting demands. It can be something you are truly proud of as an artist. Both sides have their pros/cons, and finding stability likely means you have to work somewhere in the middle of that spectrum between pleasing others and yourself.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I'm definitely somewhere in the middle, I only create things I'm passionate about but at the same time still want to make a living from my art. It's definitely very hard to find that balance, and I don't think I've found it yet. :)
Remember Tik Tok was originally called Musicly and was mainly little snippets of dancing videos for kids to goof around to.I am completely frustrated with the whole picture. I have a 15 year old and her perspective is totally foreign to me,as I'm not on tik tok, except we keep an open conversation about it all & I make sure she knows how to enjoy real music in detail.Thankfully she is wise & critical in what she listens too & it's not the current mediocre crap. I am really concerned about where this is leading.Fortunately, there are still some humans who seek out real art and always will so keep up the good work! I hope we evolve into something better very soon as this has reached burn out stage.These kids hear 10 seconds of a song & never hear the actual song in full,🤔...some of it also samples from the past when quality music was being produced so they do get a little exposure. It's a shame.The majority of people/ kids aren't learning any lasting skills, just vegetating & it's causing major mental health problems. So much garbage with unbelievable violence, porn etc....they are desensitized so young & it's a crisis.Serious health epidemic,kids don't know how to cope.Please continue to express yourself as best you can.We admire you so very much! All my best on navigating our new reality. ✨️🙂
Thank for bringing a really interesting point. Love ya Glasys !
I was just thinking of you for seeing the name Glacius and thought how awesome your artist name is. I am looking forward to seeing this video, the title is quite interesting
Well said!
Btw, I watched and listened to this whole video. I enjoy your original art very much.
Thank you! I appreciate that 🙏
Make something meaningful, special. There a are a lot of songs in the internet, but there a few with top quality to be remembered appreciated and listened to after a long time. As someone who enjoys quality art a lot (and it is hard to find), I am always happy to find special pieces that stay with me. I found you with your Metroid Music and come back to it after years.
Thanks so much for the years of support! I generally agree with you, but at the same time there is tons of amazing art and music out there that doesn't get any exposure. So I wouldn't say that there's little quality out there - I'm constantly discovering incredible artists. Most of it simply gets drowned out by the noise, or doesn't fit current trending formulas so we're unaware of its existence.
@@GLASYS I looked it up and I found you about 3 Years ago approximately. My first video of you was the Mother Brain Video from Metroid. I just created my first CZcams-account and subscribed, stayed and enjoyed your works a lot. You know your music is great because I come back often. It feels like a long time but I am sure that I will watch in 10 years too!
I have watched CZcams-Videos for over 12 years but I found you only in 2019/2020.
Have a great day please!
There's one thing we have to set straight: Music has become a niche thing. Most people only get into musical experiences when they're coupled with something else (like a soundtrack, or a celebrity who happens to be a musician like most pop artists out there). The general public is not interested in a musical experience any more.
On the other hand, every niche is an opportunity. Those niches are HUNGRY for quality, and (judging by the little content i saw on your channel, just found it) you definitely deliver. Furthermore, the best content has staying power. Sometimes effort isn't everything to make something great (maybe just a really good idea suffices), but you can't just do certain things without it, and when you find something great, you don't forget about it like you forget most of the things you scroll through every day on tiktok.
Thanks for the kind words!
totally agree with most stuff you said here. thanks for sharing dude :)
Perfect. Thanks for sharing
Depends on what your goals are. I think if you can find a way to make shorts that are: unique, profitable (views or build a fan base), and fun to make. You should do that for the clear benefits of keeping up with trends.
But I became a fan from your original music and stuff from video games. I think if you spend all the time needed on full feature stuff but still regularly published shorts, you may get the best of both worlds?
Thanks for the comment Dustin! That's what I've been trying to do, though I still spend a lot of time on my shorts so I can't post tons of them. I have come to realize though that most people who watch shorts/tiktoks have no interest in watching the longer videos. I appreciate those who do!
Very good talk, Bach spent many years producing a piece of work every 6 days and performing it at church on the 7th day. This probably was a painful process for him but maybe it also pushed him to the ultimate greatness he achieved?
That's a great observation, the whole video. I agree, the attention span from people has decreased with all these apps. It's harder to get people to watch a full length video about something they like just because they are used to a short format. It's unfair for the ones who put the effort to do a complete video (5 min) vs the ones who only made a 15 secs vid.
But it's like you said, people trying no to miss out, or trying to fill a check list like: I love dogs, I'll watch some dog's shorts, checked. I love art, I'll watch some painting/drawing shorts, checked. Oh, classical music, I'll watch some Chopin's best songs short, checked.
Something like that... But I think we most not left behind the hard work and invest time to create great things, even if they do not get the same amount of attention. Otherwise there will never be greatness in the beautiful arts as once there was.
Don't know. But bro, I can tell you that if you keep making this kind of videos you for sure will be building connection with your audience. Cheers 🙋🏽♂️
Thanks for the thoughtful comment my friend! 🙏
When I choose to follow someone, whether it be on CZcams or Instagram, it is always simply because I enjoy what they make. I've never once thought about how frequently they post. Many of my favorite artists/video producers post once a week, or once a month, or even just a couple times a year. I can only take so much of one thing. If an artist on Instagram posts too often, I find I end up caring less about their work, or at least I spend less time with it since I'm seeing posts potentially every day. Some space between posts keeps it, I don't know, fresh? Ahoy posts videos like twice a year and every time he does it feels like an event and I'm reminded how good he is and I end up going back and rewatching his previous videos. Lack of frequency has never turned me off to anyone who was making good stuff. I understand the advice to post every day from the viewpoint of always having something new for non-followers to stumble across, but I do agree that one runs the risk of making poorer work when trying to accomplish that.
I totally agree with you. I too prefer to follow creators who focus on quality over quantity, and usually lose interest in those who flood the feed with posts as they quickly become predictable, low-effort and samey.
Artists should try their best. It's fulfilling and betters our world. A.I. won't train itself either.
Wow... "well put" is an understatement. One can only agree with you 100%.... sad truth, but thanks for some true words! I'm in the ballpark of those who publish something once in a while and put lots of effort in it, my music has intros longer than 5 sec so bye bye Tik Tok, I'm on a different planet. Shall I put effort in my work? Yes. The hell with it.
I admire you for sticking with it, no matter what! I know how discouraging it can be. Keep up the great work 🙏
@@GLASYS Thank you ❤️ likewise
Well done and I totally agree with sheet music boss comments also, but then I wouldn’t expect anything else from Andrew but honesty and sincerity, also his popularity online and throughout the world has not changed him and he’s very personable and down to earth. In any case having higher numbers of views and followers obviously does not make anyone superior but I’m just saying regardless.
I think all the points you state are very valid and I couldn’t agree more with everything you’ve said. I’d best not get carried away as I’ll make myself look bad on here due to my strong views on popularity and level of talent and skill etc… but I will say that many of todays most skilled and talented artists are largely ignored, concert pianists are not even a thing anymore for example, why would you go out and spend months learning a highly advanced classical piece of music no one is interested in when you can just play 2 or 3 bars of interstellar in a train station and get 20 million views on CZcams… and even more depressing is that most people watching think interstellar is just as impressive and difficult as any concert piece. The amount of effort artists put in to create something of such a high level of quality is wasted when the amount of effort they actually need to put in is so minimal in todays world its laughable.
Oversaturation is also a major issue with CZcams and other social media, too many people doing the exact same thing every day all day long, it’s almost impossible for anyone to get noticed, there’s lots more I could say but I won’t as again I’m not sure I’ll look very good on here.
Thanks for the video and your thoughts.
Also let’s appreciate the irony that I only found this video by clicking on a CZcams short by you lol…
I appreciate you sharing your thoughts, thanks! Completely agree
thanks for making this video
I been having an issue with not being able to own the digital music I purchase. Everything is going for a different delivery for media such as streaming for example and I'm not a big fan of it. I feel it's quick to reach out to people but also disposable. And this whole video short thing I agree I beleived is designed to make us not productive as well as mess with our attention spans.
That's definitely an issue - everything is becoming subscription based and I'm not a fan either. We don't get to own the software / digital goods we paid for anymore.
It makes creating content stressful if your work isn't where you think it COULD be but the algorithm says it's time...
The artists I like most are very meticulous and creative and perhaps don't have as much content out there that I'd like there to be. This leaves me wanting more and being excited when something of theirs comes out. I spend a lot of time creating music and perfecting (as much as possible) what I want to achieve. I do consider myself perhaps "old fashioned" in this way and I do also listen to eagerly awaited album releases on my good speakers, turned up loud with closed eyes as an experience. Sometimes I'll even have a new CD for a while till I even listen to it as I want to experience it for the first time in a special way. I can tell if an artist's work has just been churned out mindlessly and in most cases it feels watered down. Of course some artists are so talented that they can churn out tons of material, but that's rare. Of course its hard when trying to be visible to new people when the market place is flooded with churned out material, but the great stuff is talked about and will find it's way if lucky. Dunno if all that makes sense but my main point is that artists, where possible, should create masterpieces and not water down the medium with "meh"
Definitely makes sense and I agree 100%. I love that feeling of experiencing an artist's new work after months of anticipation. You don't get that feeling by watching "TikTok studio jam #257"
I have come to the realization that I am an exception to the rule, as I do not use social media or Tiktok. I see these platforms for what they are: a cog in the attention economy. I recently read a great book called Digital Minimalism, which I highly recommend. I believe that true value comes from within and can be achieved through personal growth and enlightenment through meaningful actions and experiences. The content you are creating is excellent.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Kris! I’ll check out the book, sounds interesting
I've always wondered about this issue as well. I like creating stuff but haven't taken to anything specific, both writing and music reside my soul. However, I've always only wished to create art as a hobby, and never as a full-time profession, entirely because of this issue, this confusion which really brings up the question, should or can true art be a way of earning? I don't know, after seeing so many carefully crafted pieces be ignored and witnessing exactly all that you've mentioned and sheet music boss (I didn't read the other comments, maybe they've mentioned too) if true art should even be a way of earning. And with true art I mean to refer to the works people spend a lot of time in creating, which isn't meant for popularity but meant to be art - express something genuine. A few days ago I came across a person who had created a really significant amount of contemporary harpsichord dark neoclassical music, and gave up at the end with a farewell composition, the current scenario of media is rather very discouraging for original creative artists. Yet as SheetMusicBoss mentions, I too believe that perhaps there's a balance that can be achieved in creating both content for a living as well as art for the sake of it.
I think in every creative sector, there's a small remaining population of artists who create only true art, but struggle to make a living out of it. However, I think if we support each other through, maybe we'll make it through and someday gain more recognition for all the hardwork and effort artists put into their work, I hope so.
Hey Gil I need to say at the outset that I'm probably part of the problem in that I don't sit down and listen to music in the same way that I used to. I listen to music in the car or when I'm doing chores, I don't sit down and 'listen' to music how I used to, in the sense that I don't listen to music as a standalone activity. It's always alongside other tasks that I am doing and it's something that I am very conscious of as a change in habit. It's something that I ashamed of because I make music and art personally, but the way I consume media is very hypocritical in relation to how I view and 'appreciate' art.
I just want to say, for what it is worth, that I love everything that you do. I am a Patreon of yours but I feel like that doesn't do justice to how much I appreciate your art and the expression of your talent and I know that the current climate for an artist is a massive blackhole of noise from social media but amongst it all, what you are doing means something. Your expression resonates and it affects people. That sounds corny and silly but I just want to let you know that, because I completely understand the sentiment of the video.
So I know that you're grappling with the existential predicament of an artist in 2022 and this message in the scheme of things probably means nothing, I just want to let you know that your music slaps and that you have enriched my life and that I hope your are able to find a balance as an artist in the chaos we find ourselves in.
Your message means a hell of a lot man! You’ve been incredibly supportive for years and honestly, if it were not for people like you I probably would have quit youtube a long time ago. Thanks so much for all your kindness, encouragement and Patreon support! 🙏
My feelings in this video are not only based on my own personal experience, I consider myself one of the lucky ones most of the time. I’ve been seeing this devaluation of art in every facet of our lives and it’s effect on every single artist and it just makes me sad. But one thing I know for sure is that I’ll never stop creating. It’s the reason I get out of bed in the morning. :)
i'm just out here trying to make the best that i can, on what limitations i've got if any. i don't have much an audience i can care about that cares as much to what i do. or at least, that's how my vibe seems lately. if i pull people in with what i do and they like it, i'll def try my hardest to stop being an introvert. life has damaged me enough before the massive shift the last few years, so, i'm just trying to find my own way. even if it's a struggle as an artist, the process ignoring having fans or an audience is a bit of a healing lesson, on top of the ongoing self-teaching of patience (i've got way too much of that these days).
guess, at the end, whatever the course of things is for art, valued or not, going with the universal flow and hoping one day it gives me a shot to live a dream just once before i hang it up and shift gears. but the current trend of things definitely is over-stimuli and "consume as much as you can" even if you don't revisit it again (personal vision based on observation). would be good to find the appropriate reset or amendments to what we have now, as it is not sustainable for much longer.
Hey Brandon, I feel you my friend. All I can really say is that I hope you don't give up on your dreams and keep creating. There's nothing wrong with being an introvert, I am one too. That's actually one of my points in this video - I don't believe artists should have to be "extroverted social media personalities" to get their work seen. The power of art should stand on its own.
@@GLASYS that's one of the things i'm shedding lately after so many years starting out and getting involved here in Portland with doing music: not having to be extroverted to expand the reach. so to speak. but at the least, i got to see a lot of great songs come from the underground here over the last 25 years, and some amazing bands, if not individual musicians. got to work with a few too. never give up on a dream when you have all the time in the world for it. where there is a dream, there is a way to will it into existence.
One more thing I want to add, do creative things for yourself before anyone else. The validation you seek is in the doing and being in the moment. Not from others stuck in the scroll. Take care of yourselves!❤️
Honestly it hurts a bit that it’s like this. But maybe the issue is more the comparison to other. You want the number to rise, but not everyone’s cup of tea. We live in a world where we have a instant tally of who likes what and what content the majority likes. If you wanna see that growth, wanna see that you’re enjoyed by the majority, you’ll have to conform. Either by mimicking or taking inspiration. But that’s not what I want from you. You’re song “New world Unlocked” really spoke to me. Reminded me so much about what I love about music. But when I played it for my friends outside this niche, they couldn’t understand, I don’t blame
them. But I played for a friend within the niche and they fell in love like myself. None of this would have happened if I didn’t see a MIDI short of yours, I loved the skill and creativity in the short but it’s nothing to me in comparison to your longer content. I feel I’m apart of your target audience, I instantly wanna to connect with you over “New World Unlock” to see if you shared similar life experiences like mine. But I’m also aware that it’s not going to hit a large audience. Not even a large audience in the Video Game Music crowd because it’s not a cover. So you do have two paths, popularity or passion. The honest Truth is your passion probably isn’t going to come close to the reach you’ll have if you follow the trends. You’re talented enough to really hit those numbers if you want. But I love your passion. It’s what has me coming back. Why not both? Just don’t get disappointed when that thing you took months making doesn’t hit numbers near the stuff you spent a day on. And remember that there are people just like me in that 1000 or 10,000 people that are in love with what you spent all that time on. I’m always available to chat if you’d like, not saying I’m right just bouncing the ball back, no response is needed, I hope this helps.
Hey Timothy, thanks so much for the heartwarming and thoughtful comment man. This is exactly what I mean by a genuine human connection, which feels so rare these days. Feedback like this motivates me to keep creating. Getting "big numbers" was never my goal, in fact over this last year I've had over 100 million views yet things feel emptier than ever. Thanks so much for your support of my music 🙏
@@GLASYS I know that me saying “big numbers” can sound demeaning, like I’m attempting to accuse you of fawning over digits. But understand I’m generalizing and over simplifying the issue to make a point that might not be directly related but insightful none-the-less. Good luck on your journey! I look forward to your conclusion and future projects.
This hit me in the feels.
I've always felt you were one of the most criminally underappreciated creators on youtube. I don't know what the solution to this conundrum is. All I know is it would be terribly sad if people gave up making art because of these challenges. Almost all of my favourite videos of yours are ones with comparatively few views. I must have watched your "From Scratch" series through 3 times now. Keep up the good work and don't lose hope; the things you make never fail to brighten my day.
Hey Josh, thanks for the kind words and encouragement! It means a lot to me that you rewatch videos, that's so rare these days. I truly appreciate it. I'll never give up on art no matter how challenging things are, it's my entire life. :)
Instagram gear culture is cool for finding new guitar pedals or modules and finding a community of like-minded people, but the stuff that really sticks with me is always going to be an album or an EP. I can't remember a single melody from a reel I saw, but I could name countless songs from those same artists and how important they are to me. It sucks that as a creator you are being forced to choose between the throwaway content vs your "real" art (for lack of a better word).
I try to throw as much money at artists as I can thru Bandcamp and Patreon, but even that doesn't seem sustainable with how little Spotify pays per play and things like venues taking increasingly large cuts from merch sales. I am all ears for a better solution! I just wanted to throw out one more vote for "please keep making the best art you can" because nothing is ever going to have the same impact as a well executed album imo.
it took me 30 years to get to the point I am at now in my skill and the pressure to publish is real, and it's been that way for over a decade now, and I don't want to butcher my productions, or rip off other people's work. So I have a million unfinished projects sitting around waiting...
I feel you my friend. I think having deadlines can help with this - give yourself enough time to flesh out and polish your productions, but also have a deadline where you publish it no matter what. Being too much of a perfectionist can be a problem too.
AI Art is amazing and I find that rather than feeling derivative, it actually shows me things I've never seen before - things nobody has ever seen before. It is a tool for production and inspiration. I think if you use it for commercial production you should tone down reliance on specific artist prompts, but I am not an absolutist about that. I think there's some wiggle room depending on how good or unique the result ends up being.
I use artist names like Ismael Inceoglu in my prompts, but the resulting images don't look like his work. They look like something totally new, with a hint of his color and styling but also that's blended with many other styles.
It's just a way to see new things. It inspires me every day.
AI art is definitely fascinating on a technical level but I believe it's being developed in an extremely unethical way. The fact that billions of images were scraped from the net to train the AIs without ANY permission is just wrong IMO (even if it's technically "legal", which is still being debated). I can't deny that the technology is cool but the way it's been done and the negative effect it's having on artists who's work was used without permission is not something I can stand behind, and the fact that these AI companies are projected to make millions (if not billions) from this makes it much worst.
Nothing against you or anyone who uses it, I myself was very curious and I experimented with Stable Diffusion for a bit. But since hearing artists' perspectives and realizing the damage that this is causing them I've decided not to use it until they are properly compensated for their contributions, or more ethical laws are put in place.
@@GLASYS Understandable. I'm more of an "ideas are free, all art is derivative" anarchist in that sense but I do care about artists being properly compensated. I think Greg Rutkowski and Ismael Inceoglu should be seeing some residuals from this.
Id rather we keep the existing models and have a payback plan for those whose names get used the most. Something like that might be fair.
Hi Gil, it makes me really sad when you say ''Is it really worth it any more?'' because I joined your patreon for your fantastic passion that you put into what you like doing. The tiktok videos definitely weren't for me, I just can't get into things that are so quick paced, in a way. As you said, the nuance is completely lost and the feeling of involvement etc is also gone. I definitely want and look forward to the longer more specific videos of things that you, yourself, truly love doing. Especially things like your actual music videos that you created yourself, I still listen to those from time to time. For me it's obvious, I want the content from before back but I also absolutely understood that going with the tiktok wave was a good idea or experience, as long as you don't burn yourself out.
I'll probably always keep supporting what you do because I know what you stand for, and this video also solidified this again even more. I haven't commented much lately but I am definitely still here.
- Noël
I saw your other comment first but I wanted to respond to this as well! Thanks so much Noël, it truly means so much to me that you're still here after all these years and have been so kind and supportive for so long.
I think my focus will shift to longer videos again soon - I have a bunch coming out in the next few weeks as I wrap up my chiptune album. I know the short vids are not for everyone, honestly I've enjoyed making those too because the MIDI art is really challenging and rewarding when it comes together, but it's fulfilling more in a "beating a difficult level in a video game" kinda way than an "expressing my deepest emotions with my music" kinda way. I rarely watch shorts myself though, so I know exactly how you feel.
I don't think shorts , like Tik Tok are taking over , or changing anything really .. it's just a new alternative.
All the other stuff is still there , plus one more.
My daughter , has taken to collecting vinyl records...
Really , vinyl ... !!!
Well yes , its still there , and becoming popular , although her record player now has Bluetooth.
Your work for example will last a lot longer than what you think , as not everyone has found it yet .
Next week , new people will see midi art and say , wow! .. how come I never saw this before.
The stress of not posting often , is all yours, who says you have to post often ?
Some people are quite happy to wait, and looking forward to the new post , with anticipation even ..
What will it be ? I hope its this ..or that ..
It sounds like your putting rules up.. in your life/work.. but I don't know where these rules are coming from.
They don't really exist , people will take you as they find you.
I know you work , and have commented on your videos before.
I think..
Just chill .. do what you really want to do .. the way you want to do it..
I think you'll find the world will wait for you .
Honestly, people want to see what you got... and they want to see you at your best .. they want to see the unbelievably good stuff .
The other day , a tik tok artist , said that she wasn't perfect , and said watch this , on youtube .. it was 10 minutes of repeated fails .. to get the 30 second tik tok right .. and there was clearly more.
You may perceive things as being faster than what they are .
My 2 cents ..
Thanks for your kind words! The pressure to post a lot isn't something I made up, it comes from these platforms themselves. The algorithms reward those who post often and "punish" those who are "inconsistent". I definitely try to ignore that, but it's very real.
@@GLASYS
Maybe I put it badly , it could be real , just ignore it , do what you to do ..things will fit in with you ..
If they don't..so what .. you're doing what you want to do .
iv been trying to "make that first solo album" for over 20 years now -- and now that things are even more crowded and faster and harder it seems even less likely. as a creative i noticed that the worst thing to do is imagine the audience before you finish. it will haunt you. the real trick is for art to answer the question "what do i crave to put into existence for myself" and then consider any and all reaction from others as bonus
Hey Chris, I completely understand how you feel. I hope you end up making it anyway - I know I'll be listening for sure.
Personally, I love certain steps in the creative process but not all - especially not the last ones. Committing to that final mix, that final master, the album art, the final video edit etc. is something I find very stressful and not much fun. I doubt I'd actually finish anything if I just did it all for myself. Wanting your work to be seen/heard is only natural. :)
i heard before of one experiment on two groups of people. they was suppose to do photos for one year. first group made it for a count. second for the effort, limited to one best photo. first group had more good photos at the end because they was able to more improvising and learning in process. I mean it's a double edged sword
Definitely, and sometimes focusing on quantity can help you improve your skills - especially if it's improvisational art. But for the most part, I find that my work improves when I give it time to breathe.
Excellent point - if you are constantly self-editing / censoring your because it doesn't rise to your view of "masterpiece" or ideal, you end up discarding some very good material.
@@ADudeAndHisBox that can definitely be a problem too - if you're too much of a perfectionist you might never actually finish anything, or be too critical of your own work. One needs to find balance.
Off topic, I really liked the midna's lament background music at one spot
On topic, I totally feel this. I feel on my other main channel for uploads that I just won't grow as fast because my style of content just takes time that doesn't play well until the fast-paced algo.
I also liked the background a lot.
I think it’ll keep getting worse and worse until a new shift will inevitably occur. I believe that because most people went from forming bands to recording alone to eventually spiraling into this current dangerous & meaningless void… a reversal of that will also happen, to compensate and allow humans to maintain both the joy of creating and the fighting spirit necessary to strive for recognition and keep going. Other than that, personally I (as you know very well) gave up long ago because I can’t stand this current reality. I do see lots of actual artists doing well for themselves but it’s only with bands that I’m able to imagine how they are keeping it together somehow. With solo artists, it is completely beyond my comprehension. I still strive to create ONLY meaningful art to the best of my ability, or not create at all, because it’s the only way I can do this. Sad thing is in today’s reality even when a song is actually done I don’t even release it because no one wants to listen to such content from an unknown individual, just like you said. I hope the shift WILL happen, so perhaps later generations will get to experience what it’s like to consume music as magic that takes over you, rather than “dope sounds” to scroll with. Sorry, I’m a middle-aged ranting guy at this point & I’m owning it fully. I like the fact that you uploaded this video and shared your thoughts with your audience! Cheers buddy :)
Sorry for all the typos, commenting from the phone is not easy for us middle-aged dudes.
Man thanks for commenting here! You're always one of the first artists who comes to my mind when I think about how shallow things have become. Your music is so incredible and full of depth, rewarding to those who actually take the time to listen. It pains me that you don't create as music these days, I hope things will change. Much love brother!
you're right on the money. But, I hope that one day there will be a shift away from the fast paced shallow social media entertainment.
I agree with you 100%
I would hope that you would keep honing your art and craft and being satisfied with the end result. Tic Toc and algorithms aside, what’s the point in putting something out there that you aren’t 100% (or close to) satisfied that you gave your all and said, “here it is.. hope you like it. If not, I’m sorry, but I’m happy with it”. Personally, I was drawn to your music through your association with Todd Rundgren.. Being a “Todd” person for 40 years, I’m drawn toward music in its long form and the journey that a good composition can take you on(and to). I’m rambling at this point, but would hope that you keep honing your musical skills and put forth your best effort to reach someone and affect them in a meaningful way. Music will do that. Good music will do more than that. As an older person, I can say that your commitment to your art is no less than Mingus, Monk, Or any other serious musician applied to their art. I really enjoy your musical journey and look forward to what you have to say in the future, both conversationally and, more important, musically. Cheers.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts John! Appreciate it 🙏
❤❤❤❤
I realy love your video just reber that when there is a problem it wont get solved if we dont solve it and we wont be able to if our feling of sadenes and all of that thake control of us. We need to conveet the sadnes into somting pawefu, because eniting else dosent help your ojective
(No proofreading, just my thoughts, sorry for possible repetition I am very tired while writing)
With the amount of information available, it can be hard to find high quality which is a bit sad.
Do the content that you wish to do. I like quality more than a lot of videos. Do not stress yourself and do want makes you happy. Do your own stuff. If you need more advice, it is good to ask other people.
Yes, I think Artists should do what makes them happy and perfect the work. I know that I listen to music I like a lot (Uematsu, Final Fantasy) even after years. I remember them and they continue to inspire. I also would like to hear your opinion on the Final Fantasy Soundtrack.
High Quality seems to be remembered better. And for the people that take time to value and enjoy art it is just so much better If the song is meaningful perfect.
Maybe you should just try to do Art in a way that is satisfying to you. It may be a better way to not have reaching a lot of people in mind (because it interferes in a negative way) but instead do the best you can do.
You could also (for fun) try to compose a song the way One-Winged Angel was created. (Just an Idea)
Feel free to ask anything, more often. I wish you the best and I will continue to support you and enjoy what you create regardless which way you take.
I also recommend to you God-Shattering Star and Lullaby of a Princess.
If you are interested and listen to those songs, please tell me what you think about it!
Thank you for taking time to read this!
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts! I love FF music, I've only played FFX but I've listened to a few of the soundtracks. Appreciate your thoughtful words.
@@GLASYS Sorry for bothering you but you I will make a playlist for you in the future with great music that you probably dont know, hoping that you enjoy it a lot. I tell you when I have it! Do you have recommendations for me?
@@generalbitter6660 you don't have to do that but I appreciate it! As for recommendations, I've been playing this other JRPG series called Kiseki ("Trails" in English) and the music is fantastic. If you like FF music and think you'll enjoy it too.
@@GLASYS Thank You!
You WILL be forgot, unfortunately.
I learned about you here on YT and although I follow on FB and IG, what you do is better on YT than anywherr else.
I simply don't like tiktok urgency of life so I'm not part of this world for personal reasons.
I work as a papercrafter so to speak, so my work is handmade. People seem to wish it would be made as in the industry: faster. Forget the quality, think on quantity.
This ia not me and I'm sure you are not like this either. So keep being Glasys, not what someone else might think who Glasys actually is, or should be.
We'll all be forgotten at some point in time, I'm honestly not concerned with that. I just want my brief existence on this planet to feel meaningful, and I wish the same for everyone else. :)
I love hand made work and paper crafting, would love to see your work! I completely understand how you feel about some people expecting it to be done quickly, many do not understand the process or don't care about it - they just want results.
Thanks so much for being here, I'm very grateful for the support !🙏
I've been working on my very own video game for more than 3 years now. Of course, I'm not alone, I work with a handfull of people. But I'm really a perfectionnist and I try to do something I'm really proud of. And I can only hope that people will resonnate with my work. But man... 3 years is a long time... And as we are reaching the end of the developpement, I'm getting more and more anxious about the realese... What if people don't like it? And even worse : what if people don't care, or don't hear about it at all?!
I kind of feel that this issue might not be as big with video games than it is with music composing, but still, it keeps me awake at night these days... I hope some people will resonnate with my work. I don't want to feel like 3 years of my life vanished (of course, it would not have vanished... I'm proud of my work and that has value in its own right... But you know how the mind sometimes wanders...)
So yeah... I've made my choice and I'm sticking with it. Working on your vision takes time and patience. And I wouldn't change anything (yet ^^'). But it comes with its fair share of anxiety xD
Regarding the AI subject, I like to think about Marcel Duchamp. At an art contest, he just took a urinal and he decided it was art by exposing it at the art contest. It wasn't art because it was pretty. It was art because it gave the urinal a new meaning. So I like to think this is the thing that gives value to our human's work over the AI's work. The AI does stuff because it was trained to know what we recognise as pretty (or at least "interresting"). But as humans, we do stuff with purpose (at least, that's what I like to tell myself ^^')
I understand how you feel, I know video games take forever to develop and I genuinely hope it's a huge success for you guys! There's such a huge market for games that I believe you will find an enthusiastic audience if you make something truly unique and fun to play. Even if it isn't a hit at first, the right promotion for a video game can make all the difference. Wishing you guys the best, keep up the great work 🙏
I'm a 'filthy-casual' hobby artist. Roughly translating to I draw what I want, when I want, for whoever I want. It isn't my job, and I don't accept money for my work. Once long ago I stumbled into a small art community. I made a bunch of meaningful connections there that stuck with me. Those connections have informed a lot of how I perceive the rapid fire content that's popular today.
Should you still put as much effort as possible into your work or publish as much as possible?
I prefer both to be out there in the world. Everyone creates through a slightly different process. For some artists rapidly producing a vast array of ideas fits well with their creative style. I definitely agree that to survive as a small full time profession in the current landscape they are required to push as much content as possible. For maximum growth they probably have to also cater to things that don't really interest them as well.
Personally I will continue to pour as much of myself as possible into my art, because it comes from a place of inspired passion I don't frequently have. It has meaning to me, fulfilling something I can't fully describe. It's great when other people like my work too, but that's not my goal.
How has this impacted my work and is it difficult to make meaningful connections?
I still post some of my work(under a different alias) to large sites, and it hasn't really affected how I make art. I will say that I've made no meaningful connections there, I don't match the algorithms demands and my volume isn't high enough to break past. Posting there feels kind of like throwing my work into the void of space, works as a nice archive for my work though. It's like night and day when I compare it to the more niche and small art groups I've joined where I get an array of responses and feedback.
It's not all sunshine and rainbows for me, never is for anyone I suppose. Just one example being since it isn't my job there are many times I'm inspired and want to draw and am unable to do so because of my other responsibilities(usually at 2AM on a weekday). When I finally have enough free time to sit down the spark and drive are gone.
On AI generated content: I can only hope for the professionals that we hit a tipping point with it and have some kind of paradigm shift with what we truly value. I don't think human artists will ever go away completely though. There will always be a demand for them, however small that demand may end up becoming. The car didn't end all horse riding, the tv didn't end all radio stations, the gun didn't end all bows and arrows, and the internet didn't end all libraries. My hope for the future is low, but I'll keep rooting for the best case while expecting the worst.
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts!
I read some meaning full comments just now and as a guitarist I feel the same way. Lots has been said on behalf of organic and live music and to those who are passionate about that are still able to fulfill that goal and or joy.
In order to not sound biased, I’ll try to put myself in the shoes of the AI supporters. AI can still be in the music category or it can be in a different category. Musicians don’t want the “interferences” of AI and neither does an artist, but not all musicians are great at designing their own album cover and not every artist is also trying to close a record deal. So you get the point..
On the other end of the spectrum, I can see how this can also lead to an unwanted product in the next decade. By that I mean everything is crap… just pure garbage., but ladies and gentlemen.. without the “continuous” input of mankind him self, AI has nothing!
Trends and styles get old quickly these days so if all that AI had to go by was what’s on the internet NOW and no more new material was made or released ever again… AI would be old and played out by the next generation.
AI is nothing more than the entire world’s conscious all in one place at any given time. Without the input of human consciousness, there is no AI…
EDIT: I commented over the title but after hearing your video this is about the algorithm machine, that hit home when you said that because I’m struggling and my rc videos are creative in their own ways but there’s so much artificial competition.
This video was too long... NEXT! Jk. I love your content, and I appreciate both types. I think being able to see quick daily videos is cool but I love seeing you perform a song that obviously took a lot of practice to be able to pull it off.... Or maybe you're just that much better than me at the keys. Anywho. Keep it up. Also I agree completely with what you're saying. Tic Toc ruined life. Oh well.
I posted a video on my Instagram account today. It has gotten almost 600 views . I’ve never played live to an audience of 600 people. But, the video(song) is less than 2:30 long. I’ve played live shows with 20 people present and 3 people into what we were playing and enjoyed that REAL experience much more. I think what I am getting at is that you can’t beat real, human experiences. Even if it’s between just 2 people.
Hey Bobbie! I completely agree, nothing beats the energy and the human connection of a live show. I especially enjoy playing intimate shows (like house shows) because the connection with the audience is so real.
Hello, small mostly fan artist here gonna rant about algorithms lol.
Instagram has some of the most arbitrary “posting times”. The second you post something, it always expects another post at the exact same time in one or two days, and if it doesn’t get that, whatever next post you make is sure to end up with way less likes than the last. I try to supplement with small doodle dump or work in progress posts, but I just don’t work fast enough for the algorithm to pay any attention to me. And, sadly, on top of that the game I mostly make fanart for is not very immediately popular, so that makes the whole problem even worse. I’ve tried drawing other more popular interests and original characters/pieces, but my average likes is still around 80 ish. It makes me feel absolutely terrible about the not fan art related colored pencil piece I’ve been working for the past year on because I’m not even sure if anyone will really see it. I want to purse art as a job, but if I can’t even keep up with the image post demands, can I even reasonably accomplish it? It’s like getting trampled in a stampede and I hate it, but it’s the only place I can show my art because I live in the middle of nowhere. (T_T )
Hey ChibiShortDeath, I totally understand how you feel! Instagram has become pretty much impossible for artists who paint or draw. The new algorithm prioritizes Reels, and non-video content barely shows up on anyone's feed anymore. I used to enjoy IG a lot more before reels showed up. There's an interesting video by Cat Graffam about IG for artists - you should watch it if you haven't. Hang in there, hopefully things will get better 🙏
yep sad world we live in currently it will get worst :(
It is only the beggining of this experiment that started in around 2005. One hole generation has to sacrifice their brain cells. After that things me become better but most probably worse. RIP art. But there will always be people who make art and try new stuff !
The funny thing is *when everything ends we will do it again.
*Arcade Fire
I agree and don’t have much to add. Just here to boost the algorithm for you 😂😉
Terrible time with Tik tock etc, I've played piano for over 15 years, not for a living but I think I've got pretty good, but extremely annoyingly my video of me playing the banjo which I've barely ever played got more views because it was a short and something more popular. That's why I never wanted to go down the music industry route, one of my all time favourite pianists was one of the most talented and skillful people ever but he barely had any views in comparison to todays music. Very dissapointing how success isn't proportional to skill or effort directly. I can't give you any advice but I will say I did find you cause of that gargoyles short, think that's been the only good thing to come of those shorts lol
Thanks so much for sharing your experience, I know how tough and frustrating it is most of the time. I appreciate you being here after seeing a short! Thanks
Hi sir, This is Praveen, I from India 🇮🇳, your so talented
Please start Piano lessons in a easy way
we want learn from you Sir,
Me and my friends, want become like you sir
Please teach us, I think so many people waiting for your lessons
I try to not use tik tok because I know I'll get addicted. I agree there is less connection on that type of video. Instead of subscribing to creators you like, you are "subscribing" to the feed and get what you get. I think the way we consume art and music now, even though there is so much more of it, doesn't make people any more "happy" than 100 years ago. Probably less. I had a period of time when I listened to music less once I started working, but have listened to more since getting spotify since it makes it much easier to listen and try out music.
I agree - TikTok actually has a "following" tab, but almost no one uses it. I like to find one or two albums I love and listen ONLY to them for a few weeks, take it all in - that's how I've always listened to music.
I think they're different audiences, that sometimes overlap. I'm only on Reddit and CZcams so I don't know anything about the others or alot about youtube even (except that the algorithm rules us all.) It's easier than ever to get out there but it's easier than ever to get lost in the shuffle. I personally just don't think, especially with our current social/economic systems, that there's enough room for every artist to make a living. It feels like it, but when every other person on the planet thinks they can make content - Every success we see is alongside 69,429, 321 failures who never get anywhere with perfectly fine content.
EVERYTHING in our current economy/culture is glorified gambling, it's tacky as shit, and I hate it.
Thanks for the comment! I agree that it would be impossible for every single artist to make a living solely from their art in our current society. But it pains me to see people who are exceptional at what they do give up and quit. Hopefully things change for the better.
i glanced at the 10 min duration and thought ehhh im probably not gonna sit thru it all but then i did. tons of valid cans of worms opened
Two sins: 1. Stifle your own growth. 2. Stifle another's growth. TOO MUCH, TOO LITTLE, TOO FAST.
causes a kind of publising, and performance paralysis
Good art will survive. Like Van Gaughs paintings. You should do art because you like doing art and not because of the recognition. But somehow theres this deep need for recognition even though it feels kind of empty and meaningless.
It's not just recognition though, it's also a desire to make a living from your craft. And while I love creating art (it's my life), actually finishing things takes a ton of time and effort and isn't always "fun" - I do it because I want to present something as good and as polished as possible. If I were just creating for myself, I don't think I'd have the motivation to actually finish anything.
Have you ever been burnt out? I have been burnt out for 5 years and I cant create anything anymore. Dont have the motivation and I always leave my tracks incomplete because I dont like them or I get bored. I dont know what to do about it.
I can definitely relate to that, I’ve been through phases of burn out. My advice would be to not feel guilty or try and force anything, just focus on other hobbies/creative endeavors for a while and the music will come back when the time is right
@@GLASYS I will try that, thanks!
People want to encounter real beauty. Sure, short-form, quickly-produced content clearly has something that people want and like, but it's never going to satisfy in a meaningful way. If there aren't artists who are willing to take the time and effort to sacrifice and really put their heart and soul into their work, then we'll never break out of the situation we find ourselves in.
I know it's cliched, but we have to be the change we want to see. There will always be an interest for these rapidly-produced, gimmicky viral trends, but at some point people are going to see just how vapid and ultimately unsatisfying that stuff is. Even though it isn't always financially feasible for everyone, there have to be artists who do put in the effort to make their work as great as it can be. The world needs "masterpieces" now more than ever. We need the real beauty that only blood, sweat, and tears can produce, and not robotic algorithm bent on generating profits.
Thanks for the thoughtful comment. I feel like we're going to see less of these kinds of artists because our society doesn't value them.
@@GLASYS You are completely correct. At some point the pendulum will swing the other way, though. How long will that be? I don't know. It may be a long time. I hope you can be one of those artists that can stay the course despite the challenges.
AI art is an interesting one - people exclusively find novelty in spending 10s to make something that an artist would have taken a lifetime to develop. Their creative idea / prompt for the AI art isn't valued. After all, if they had the skill in the first place, they could have just made/performed their idea instead of using an AI.
However there is a neat premise behind AI art that's completely overlooked. By using an AI that's been trained on "the internet" - you are essentially querying the collective online zeitgeist with your idea. I want to see more people explore how this zeitgeist is formed, what questions we ask it, etc.
AI art is very interesting on a technical level but the way it's been developed is unethical IMO. You should watch Steven Zapata's video on this if you haven't - it was really eye opening for me.
I agree with most of the statements in this video.
But I want to say that I don't like the modern tik-tok format of short videos. Short videos might work better for some genres, like comedy, where the basis of the task is to surprise the viewer suddenly. But I can't see how it can work for music, I can't think of any piece that would be considered a classic and still be 10 seconds long. In general I think it takes time to create something worthwhile, the short stuff is too quickly forgotten, even the author himself is likely to forget what he hasn't put any effort into.
I think that daily posts are too exhausting, inhibit overall development and cause satiety in the audience. Even the most beloved music gets boring if you listen to it too often.
I think it's possible to make short-form videos that are meaningful, but just like long-form videos it takes time and effort. I actually enjoy making short videos but still spend many hours to produce a 10-30 second vid. I know it's not for everyone though.
Thing is, so many creators use short-form as an excuse to make daily, low-effort posts and they often get rewarded for it - which is one of my points in this vid.
@@GLASYS I know your short videos take a lot of time to prepare, I like them too. I don't like the tik-tok format itself. It just implies that you have to do as many posts as possible or you won't get any views. I've tried running a tiktok account, even though right after uploading a video there they get more views than on CZcams, after a couple of months you don't get any more views. On CZcams, even the oldest posts are still watched.
I can imagine that I or another person wanted to listen to some artist and turn on his album. But I can't imagine someone wanting to listen to music and going to the musician's tiktok account to do so.
In a similar respect I’m seeing so many guitar, bass, drum influencers/instructors that are really clean and proficient but they all sort of sound the same. It’s all become so homogenized.
People are scared to take any kind of "risk" because of the "algorithms"
@@GLASYS Yes! there’s no danger in their playing, exactly.
Man, are you crazy? this video is like 10 minutes long! We only accept 10 seconds videos. Just kidding. I've watched all long, and in some places I wanted to give you a hug. I have nothing valuable to say because Im not a content creator nor a musician (well I play guitar and piano but I don't write music at all) but I could share my thoughts with you. .My situation is that I have very little free time, because the family, and the fact that living in a shitty country makes the life harder in general (i mean 100% inflation in a year is sad), so in my free time I usually don't do something that needs so much attention, and maybe people in these days are the same... too worried about the job, the family, the responsabilities, etc... I going to start listening your music, because as you said, I use the music as background music while working. Also, keep in mind that many of us started to follow you because of the viral videos, and then, we can acces your music that otherwise we wouldn't have known. well, have a good day my friend! and sorry for the headache I give you with my english. bye bye!
Hey Enzo, your english is great! And I appreciate you always taking the time to watch and comment! Where do you live? 100% inflation in a year is nuts, I'm sorry man... that's rough - hoping things get easier for you and your family soon!
@@GLASYS Argentina sadly. I mean, is a big country, with a lot of resources and beautiful landscapes, but a very very corrupt goverment (and people... ).
@@enzoscalone7929 I'm sorry my friend. I hope things get better soon 🙏
Would love to visit Argentina someday, BTW
It is hard to reach a wider audience and especially to make decent money off of your content online but i feel like your type of content would be best suited by heavily leaning on a Patreon model.
And remember even if seeing the numbers might sometimes be disheartening you can put it into perspective by imagining all the people you have reached with your videos in a room. How many views does your most successful video have? Imagine all those people coming to you to listen to you.
Hey Max, I've responded on your other comments but wanted to respond to this one too. To be clear, this is not about the numbers - in fact, over the last year I've had the most views ever (over 100 million on my short vids). Don't get me wrong - I'm definitely extremely grateful for that, but somehow things feel emptier than ever.
I feel like putting effort in something you love is worth it no matter what. Even if you are the only person in the world that will experience it. Posting regularly can help you become more known but putting those high effort works in between will surely inspire some people, and most importantly, make you feel fulfilled
Thank you, I agree 100% 🙏
All this makes sense. But in a way maybe not as much has changed as you think.
Your talented friends who aren’t getting noticed also probably wouldn’t have been noticed in the 90’s or in any other era. This is because: success for a musician is rare. Most musicians - 99% or more - toil in obscurity their entire career and never “make it”.
The tik tok mechanism you’re talking about really is just a new way an average layperson consumes “art”. These people wouldn’t have been interested in great art in this era or any other era. There’s always a lowest common denominator and this is just what it looks like in this day and age.
I think you might be thinking something’s “off” because you feel like you’re so close to being successful but have to play this game to really hit. But I think you would never have made it into the mainstream. 30 years ago you might have burned your own compact discs and maybe had a very minor record deal and would wind up in the eclectic section at a record store and the whole world would still be ignoring you and rocking out to smells like teen spirit.
The social game has always been at the forefront of what an artist needs to excel at for success. That hasn’t changed. The social game just looks different now but the required effort and the way success is distributed to artists looks the same.
Hey, thanks for your comment! There's a lot of truth in what you're saying. Just wanna clarify though, I'm not complaining about not being a "mainstream success" or anything like that - I've never been interested in being one either.
These changes I'm talking about are something I've seen very clearly over the last few years, I even have data on my CZcams channel to back it up. :)
Things have changed very rapidly.
Dude.. so you and I have had some conversation before. There is a huge shift in a lot of things.. unfortunately.. so. I just added a 8sec clip of something and yeah. And I def am not here for clicks. Def see your point. Just do goofy shorts and collect that ad revenue.... You dont need to use your unbelievable talent.... ;-)
I could play piano and you could slap me for not being good. 1 billion views! 😭. Feed the thirst. More ads. More spam. No real comments. No fun. Who needs joy when you feed the machine. :-)
if only there was actual ad revenue from shorts. We don't even get that :)
@@GLASYS ahhhhhh. 🤔. Feed the machine. As Bart would say. "Eat my shorts." ? Yours for that matter.. 😂. As long as it is fun for you I guess is all that should matter. Influencing rev isnt sustainable I would think in a world broke. So only can spread art and joy. The server space is free.
This might sound crazy but I'm starting to think the true answer is NO
I would say Tik Tok ABS the like reels are damaging brains in some way, because people lose their natural ability to listen to another human/art instead they wait for someone to stop talking.
Sorry to be a nob, but it started with Vine, and probably something before that.
Right, but it was never as popular / mainstream / prevalent as it is now
@@GLASYS ok, I'll accept that, just don't let any of the Vine stars hear you.
If you try to operate like a machine and try to cater to an algorithm and maximize views based on memes and whatever shit happens to be hot that month, you can't be surprised when an actual machine designed to do that generates more views... I think AI is great for art. It will show people the futility in chasing nonsense so they can get back to making interesting stuff again... hopefully....