swifty Posted September 2, 2001 Share Posted September 2, 2001 To be successful is something which drives many people. True, not all of the time- one gets caught up in the art itself, the love of it for itself and so on, but often lingering behind the motivation is the desire to be successful. Everyone wants to be good at what they do, i think that almost goes without saying, but would it be true to say that they also want to be recognised as being good at what they do? Is that the motivation for wanting to be a success? Then again, just being recognised as being successful is not enough if you don't feel content with what you are doing yourself. Is it just an ego trip? What is this drive? Is it pure illusion?It interests me what your opinions on Success are? Swifty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jso6mailcity.com Posted September 2, 2001 Share Posted September 2, 2001 What is it you want to achieve? if you achieve what you want, then your successful. Is it fame? fortune? or notoriety? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hippie Posted September 2, 2001 Share Posted September 2, 2001 Success is when you make more money than most of yer friends. [img]http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gif[/img] In two days, it won't matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S_Gould Posted September 2, 2001 Share Posted September 2, 2001 >>Success is when you make more money than most of yer friends. << Sorry Hippie, but that's got to be about the shallowest definition of success I've ever heard. To me, success is achieving more than you thought you were capable of. Only you can define success for yourself, but I think of success in terms of personal growth, not material things or social status. Scott This message has been edited by S_Gould on 09-01-2001 at 07:42 PM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonafide Posted September 2, 2001 Share Posted September 2, 2001 [quote]Originally posted by S_Gould: [b]>>Success is when you make more money than most of yer friends. << Sorry Hippie, but that's got to be about the shallowest definition of success I've ever heard. To me, success is achieving more than you thought you were capable of. Only you can define success for yourself, but I think of success in terms of personal growth, not material things or social status. Scott This message has been edited by S_Gould on 09-01-2001 at 07:42 PM [/b][/quote] Hey Scott, I can pretty much guarantee that Hippie was making a joke here [img]http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gif[/img] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHAN Posted September 2, 2001 Share Posted September 2, 2001 What does it mean....."success"? You use words with which I am unfamiliar. Sincerely yours, Unfrozen Caveman Engineer So Many Drummers. So Little Time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tedster Posted September 2, 2001 Share Posted September 2, 2001 Success means never having to say you're sorry??? "Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 2, 2001 Share Posted September 2, 2001 success is defined by your own goals and values some learn in the schools some learn in the streets don't try to confine someone else with your own views everyone has their own wants and needs THIS is a lyric that I wrote when I was 17 years old. I'm now 33, haven't thought about it in awhile. (still no COMMERCIAL success) life is good karl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AudioMaverick Posted September 2, 2001 Share Posted September 2, 2001 Darwin defined success of a species as their ability to perpetuate themselves and continue the species through another generation. Defining the baseline of the premise is key. To some degree, I want others to notice my achievements. But, for the most part, MY idea of "success" is to set a goal or aspiration for myself... then achieving it. As I progress in anything I do, I always have some result, however arbitrary, that I aim for. If I don't make it, I was not successful. I guess I have to caveat that with having to decide whether it is feasible to stop or continue towards being successful at whatever it is. Lastly, who are you trying to please -- yourself, or someone else? "It's all about the... um-m-m, uh-h-h..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pro Jules Posted September 2, 2001 Share Posted September 2, 2001 Iggy Pop wrote a song about it on his FAULTLESS masterpiece Album (produced by David Bowie) "Lust For Life" the song - "here comes sucess", my favorite line - "Here comes my chinese rug". I use that as the benchmark! (I aint got none yet, rugs that is...) [img]http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif[/img] Jules Jules Producer Julian Standen London, UK, Come hang here! http://www.gearslutz.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobro Posted September 2, 2001 Share Posted September 2, 2001 Taking a stroll yesterday, I realized that if I had a yellow leisure suit, my life would be perfect. Then some guy came into the tobacconists while I was checking out the magzines, pulled a gun, and said, in heavily accented English, "give me your passports!" [img]http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/confused.gif[/img] I thought, hey, I'm back in California, but apparently the gun is a fake and the vendors have been through the routine before, they just said, "yeah, yeah" and the guy went away. Success for me is a yellow leisure suit and a good dental policy; everything else is pretty much covered already, and most problematic situations turn out to be unimportant in retrospect. -CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Master Zap Posted September 2, 2001 Share Posted September 2, 2001 Theres this guy who is walking and comes up to a ladder. Near the ladder sits a woman that says "Kiss me - or climb the ladder to success". He looks at the ladder. It just goes up into a little cloud that is hovering above. He looks at the woman. She is rather plain and he really doesnt have much intention of kissing her so he climbs up the ladder. He gets into the cloud, and there is a nice looking woman in a bikini, lying on a cloud-bed. She says "come, hug me, cuddle me, or climb the ladder to success". He continues climbing the ladder to the next cloud. There is another woman, topless, well endowed, and she says "come, make love to me, or climb the ladder to success". He hesitates for a while. She is mighty fine looking. But he climbs on. On the next cloud is a completely naked woman. She is the most gorgeous one he ever saw. Her body is perfect. Her skin tone is amazing. She smiles at him, and says "Come to me, I will fulfill your every desire, your every wish, every fetish, come, make love to me now... or climb the ladder to success". He hesitates even more this time. I mean this is a fantastic woman. But things have been looking up so far. So finally he figures that "what the heck", and climbs up. And he gets up to the final cloud. The ladder ends. There, on a cloud bed sits a fat, balding, hairy middle-aged man, naked. The man looks at him, and says: "Hi. I'm Cess". /Z Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobro Posted September 2, 2001 Share Posted September 2, 2001 That a bucking frilliant joke, Zap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steadyb Posted September 2, 2001 Share Posted September 2, 2001 For me, making a living doing something you enjoy very much. Once your married and have kids, you don't always have the option of continuing to do [i]nothing but[/i] pursue your ultimate goal 100% of the time. So if you can do something that you enjoy so much that you look forward to it each day, and responsibly take care of your wife and kids, and teach your children how to be good people, you're there. We all have to earn money to exist in modern society (unfortunately this is especially true in the USA, where such an emphasis is put on "things" i.e. SUV's, etc.) What's important in life (for me) is your family and your family's health. After that, everything else is just icing on the cake. We have more than enough food, shelter, and "things" than anyone should ask for. I'm very grateful for my life. My wife and 2 sons are well, as am I, and since I'd give up everything I could ever possibly have to get that back if it was ever lost, I feel very lucky every day. And successful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zele Posted September 3, 2001 Share Posted September 3, 2001 From early youth--"family motto: We have enough money to last us the rest of our lives, as long as we don't buy something" >> -and continuing into my retirement >>>>> I have always set my goals as LOW as possible!!!--So I have always achieved way beyond all my expectations , never falling short of any set criteria , and successfully (?) retiring younger than 50--- Success++++++ "When you only, only own, your own time" cjogo C Jo Go Crystal Studios http://fp2k.redshift.com/cjogo/recording_studio.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 3, 2001 Share Posted September 3, 2001 not sure if there are any baseball fans here but Mike Mussina just missed a perfect game by one out top of the 9th, 2 strikes, 2 outs (in boston of all places) yankees still won the game success is relative This message has been edited by kBw on 09-02-2001 at 11:29 PM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the stranger Posted September 3, 2001 Share Posted September 3, 2001 Today is success. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philbo_Tangent Posted September 3, 2001 Share Posted September 3, 2001 Success is enjoying what you are doing right now. If you are doing your dream, you are succeeding. As soon as you stop doing your dream, you are failing. All else is distraction. Or as James Taylor said,"The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time." Philbo Tangent Music Phil Tangent Studios http://artists.iuma.com/IUMA/Bands/Tangent2/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swifty Posted September 3, 2001 Author Share Posted September 3, 2001 [quote] [b] fet Senior Member Posts: 142 Registered: Jan 2001 posted 02-15-2001 06:03 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For your consideration, a philosophical question: How much of my (our) motivation for creating and recording original music is ambition for glory and big bucks, and how much is sheer love of music? In other words, would we (I) create and record original music if I knew, FOR SURE, that no one much would hear it, care about it, pay for it, or notice me as a fine fellow? Or in other words: If the top musicians worldwide achieved the same fame/glory/money as the top carpet installers worldwide, would there be as many people trying to create music? My own belief is that there are too many musicians... I can't even find somebody to remodel my bathroom, but my singer-songwriter requirements are definitely being met in a big way... IP: Logged Tedster Senior Member Posts: 2788 Registered: Sep 2000 posted 02-15-2001 07:37 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hmmm...interesting qvestion, ja? Lessee...I think the thought of fame, fortune, and glory are powerful motivators at the outset. When I was 16 I was gonna be the next Jimmy Page. Then at 25 I was gonna be in the hottest band in the area. Now, at 43, I'm happy to find a gig ...but seriously... Like I said, at the outset, fame, fortune, glory, and women. Actually probably fame, women, fortune, women, glory, women, and women. Then, one lands a woman, and one realizes that one has fallen hopelessly in love with the art side of it. It was there all along, really, one just doesn't think of focusing on that aspect until the more urgent pursuit of peer respect is met. John Fahey was once quoted as saying, "I learned how to play guitar after watching all of these cowboys serenading their ladies in the park. I never did get any ladies, but, on the other hand, I learned a lot about playing the guitar". I saw a documentary once where they were interviewing flight school candidates for the RAF. These jolly good chaps were going on at the interview about how they wanted to be fighter pilots for the glory and swashbuckling side of being a pilot. None of them got the chance. The guy who got the chance said nothing of glory, he said, rather: "I've always loved airplanes, loved flight, I've wanted to fly ever since I can remember". That's what the interviewer was looking for. The same applies to music. If we're only in it for the "glory", then it's time to seek another career. If we're in it for the love of the music, because from the day you were 12 you had pictures of Les Pauls taped on your bedroom wall until that blissful day you could finally afford one, then you'll accomplish the feat of attaining your own personal musical Nirvana. IP: Logged Jim Aikin Senior Member Posts: 164 Registered: Oct 2000 posted 02-15-2001 08:17 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I'm not sure this is an either/or question. If you love music, you'll naturally want to share what you love with others, either onstage or via recordings. At a certain point, being able to earn some money from your efforts will start to seem very helpful as a step up to the next level. As you go along, you may eventually find that having a career/business plan, complete with revenue projections and a working knowledge of contract law, is the best way to nurture your original love of music. On the other hand, putting your music (painting/writing/acting/whatever) out in the world and having it ignored is a giant bring-down. That's my experience, anyhow. I **hate** rejection. Calling this emotion a desire for glory and big bucks doesn't really do it justice, it seems to me. --Jim Aikin IP: Logged Ken/Eleven Shadows Senior Member Posts: 289 Registered: Dec 2000 posted 02-15-2001 09:31 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At a guess, I'd say that almost all of my motivation is simply to create the best music that I can. It's certainly not for money or adulation. I create a sort of music that I create as Eleven Shadows is a bit odd, very atmospheric, and slightly off-kilter (especially the dither project). If I were trying to achieve fame and money, this would be an incredibly foolish way of doing it!!!! I've earned money from releasing CDs through record labels, but this has almost felt like an accident. In playing out with my band Nectar, the motivation shifts somewhat to creating music with friends, but is still not geared towards fame or money. My friend asked if I wanted to jam and improvise based on cool bass grooves reminiscent of Portishead and "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts". Cool! Play fun music with my friend? Pretty hard to turn down. Brought in a couple of other friends, and it turned into a group! I get to hang out with friends and create music. Also, I wanted to become a little more proficient on guitar, and so as an extra challenge, decided to play primarily guitar in this band. One cool thing that has come from the band and gigging was that during the first gig, my now-girlfriend showed up at our first gig and we hung out afterwards. This eventually led to where we are now. Now, this wasn't the intent of my playing with the band, but it's a darn fine bonus! Speaking of our band, I'm about to dash off to rehearsal.... ------------------ Ken/Eleven Shadows/d i t h er/nectar ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ music*travel photos*tibet*lots of stuff "Sangsara" "Irian Jaya" & d i t h er CDs available! http://www.elevenshadows.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ IP: Logged wfturner@csonline.net unregistered posted 02-16-2001 08:18 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks to a series of (medically related circumstances) which I won't get into a long spill over, I've found myself able to spend an almost unlimited amount of time creating music once again in my life. The situation is such that I presently really have no ambition for my present projects to acomplish anything other than explore the territory I want to artistically. In my case having the chance to do this is very satisfying and somewhat theriputical. With that said, no matter how blessed I may feel artistically at this time in life, there's some kind of underlying ambition and motivation. Ambition, though you can put many faces on it in it's simplest form is one of the caytalists in our simple biological urges to survive (eat and live as comfortably and easily as possible) and reproduce. No matter what you may think your goals are artistcally, regardless of how you try to shine and polish them with honor, by the very nature of life, there has to be a blemish of ambition involved. I think I stated this in another thread related to this topic awhile back. You can't seperate the two. If artistA happens to be 1 of xxxxxxx number of people to be able to survive on pure artistic integrity, then it was comparable to winning the lottery, one hell of a draw of the cards, but certainly not something that you can even support a conversation on ambition vs artistic integrety. In the other xxxxxxx-1 chances of fate, you'll have to find a marriage of ambition and art. Simple realities. ------------------ William F. Turner Guitarist, Composer This message has been edited by wfturner@csonline.net on 02-16-2001 at 08:29 AM IP: Logged miroslav Senior Member Posts: 867 Registered: May 2000 posted 02-16-2001 08:54 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We touched on a lot of this in the "Artistic Integrity" thread a month or so ago. I don't know if anything was clarified or generally agreed upon back then, and I don't even want to go back to that thread!!! For me, as a kid, getting "into" music was partly an "ambient" experience and it was also in some ways "thrust" upon me. When I was about eight years old, mom and dad (mostly mom) decided that my sister and I HAD TO take music lessons!!! Sis took piano and I took guitar, but I very quickly added the piano too. At first I hated it, but I think it was because they were lessons. During that time I was also heavily exposed to Top 40 via the juke box in my dad's luncheonette. Pretty soon I began experimenting and improvising beyond the lessons, and I started to enjoy making music. As a teenager I realized, as Tedster pointed out above, that music was a MAJOR magnet for women, friends and most social affairs. Everyone loved you if you could play and sing. That's when the visions of fame & fortune kicked in. Well, as I've gotten older my feelings about "makin' music" haven't changed at all, but my visions of fame & fortune have "modified". I would still like to "break through" and really make some BIG music bucks...but I can also be very happy just writing, playing and recording for my own pleasure. IP: Logged JP Member Posts: 0 Registered: May 2001 posted 02-16-2001 10:12 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Originally posted by fet: ... I can't even find somebody to remodel my bathroom, but my singer-songwriter requirements are definitely being met in a big way... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hey Fet, you can't learn to remodel bathrooms while smoking pot in your bedroom! In 1992, at age 48, I quit playing music (something I had done since age 11). I have a wife and three kids that I needed to support. I couldn't get the type of job that required the effort necessary to make 40 or 50K a year (with no skills/education) and play music at the level I was. Now my kids are teenagers and want me to do what will make me the happiest, they also dig the fact that their dad is/was a serious musician. Now, I don't have the energy or desire to start a club band in a new town where I don't know anyone in the business, so I am primarily a songwriter with ties to Nashville....but, guess what? Now my job is suffering...but I have songs on hold in music city...guess what I do for a day job... I teach management/organizational/multi-tasking skills...go figure Peace JP IP: Logged Lee Flier Senior Member Posts: 2051 Registered: Sep 2000 posted 02-16-2001 10:41 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Well fet, I think everybody's motivations are different. For sure, there are a LOT of people who wouldn't give a damn about music if they didn't think they'd eventually make a pile of money, have lots of people fawning all over them and all the partying they can stand. But it's all a matter of degree really. I think Jim is right that most people do want to be heard. You might be doing what you're doing for the love of music, but there's something kind of sad about music without an audience, even a small audience of friends or family. Lots of us write and play music in order to share our souls with others. A lot of musicians also acknowledge that they felt a bit attention-deprived or left out as kids and music was a way to have a social life and get a little attention. Nothing wrong with any of these things unless it (the need for attention) becomes pathological, which unfortunately a lot of times it does when you're talking about people who just wanna be rock stars. Personally, I'm making music because I love it, but I also make no bones about the fact that I do want it to be heard. If I make money in the process, I don't complain about that either, BUT money is definitely secondary to everything else. And I certainly would not change what I do or how I approach music wholesale, if I thought I could reach a larger audience or make more money. I'd rather have a smaller, loyal audience who really gets what I do than a bunch of mindless screaming fans trying to tear my clothes off. Like Richard Thompson - that guy's got it made! He's phenomenally talented but totally NOT commercial and has never followed commercial trends. But, he's never without a record deal and has a small but intensely loyal and devoted audience. He can walk around on the street without being bothered, but can do whatever he wants musically, make a decent living and have a great audience. Now that's living! --Lee IP: Logged transrational Senior Member Posts: 192 Registered: Feb 2001 posted 02-16-2001 11:50 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "My own belief is that there are too many musicians..." I believe there can never be enough musicians. The monetary success is out there and can be made a reality if you put enough energy into that goal. But in terms of competition, welcome it. The competition between peers keeps everything fresh and inspires development. And the sheer joy in the creative power of music should be encouraged for all. Not everyone will make a living making music, but those who do will want someone to play with! As for how we are motivated- depends on the person and at what time you ask. Our intentions are superficial and deep, wide and narrow, conscious and sub-conscious. But before the mind begins to think, there is a spark of creativity that is pure. This message has been edited by transrational on 02-16-2001 at 11:52 AM IP: Logged Ken/Eleven Shadows Senior Member Posts: 289 Registered: Dec 2000 posted 02-16-2001 02:01 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >>"My own belief is that there are too many musicians..." I believe there can never be enough musicians. >> So true!! However, there may be a thing as too many CDs! My efforts try to go towards creating music that is completely my music. Then, only afterwards, do I try and have as many people hear it as possible. This works for me, but I don't pass judgment on people who create music for more "commercial" purposes. 'Course, I may not end up playing in a band with them![/b] [/quote] ---------------------------------------------------- Some extra thoughts from a thread: "ambition or art" which i thought were interesting. Hopefully the people quoted will not mind that i pasted them here. All the answers here i find very interesting too. That is the wonderful thing about interaction. One learns. I guess i think success is making yourself and the people around you happy. I just think that sometimes other i'll call them "drives" get in the way. I can't explain what they are exactly because they are not always there and i am not conscious of them, but i can equate with everything written here and am slowly (hopefully) learning as to what they are. Swifty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. Gauss Posted September 3, 2001 Share Posted September 3, 2001 [quote]Originally posted by kBw: [b]success is relative [/b][/quote] no, incest is relative.... -d. gauss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stratman_dup1 Posted September 3, 2001 Share Posted September 3, 2001 For me it's pretty simple. If your happy most of the time than your a success. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Posted September 3, 2001 Share Posted September 3, 2001 I'll say, the love of a partner, good health, food, shelter and enough free time to create or accomplish your goals. What more could you want other than making the lives of people around you better and happier? -David http://www.garageband.com/artist/MichaelangelosMuse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pro Jules Posted September 3, 2001 Share Posted September 3, 2001 I have a chum who spends all day flat on his back watching TV. He was saying to me the other day that 'he could feel good about himself because 'a sperm got through and made him' so he count's that as an achievement. He also cited being good at 'love making' as one of his triumphs to be proud of. [img]http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/eek.gif[/img] Jules Jules Producer Julian Standen London, UK, Come hang here! http://www.gearslutz.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uh Clem Posted September 3, 2001 Share Posted September 3, 2001 ...is when you don't worry about it. Steve Powell - Bull Moon Digital www.bullmoondigital.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zele Posted September 3, 2001 Share Posted September 3, 2001 "Life I love you....all is Groovy" Paul Simon '65 >>>>we froze all the clocks in our home, at different intervals we pulled the plugs -only the sun & moon register a time<<<< C Jo Go Crystal Studios http://fp2k.redshift.com/cjogo/recording_studio.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
batman forgot his cape Posted September 4, 2001 Share Posted September 4, 2001 [quote]Originally posted by swifty: [b]To be successful is something which drives many people. True, not all of the time- one gets caught up in the art itself, the love of it for itself and so on, but often lingering behind the motivation is the desire to be successful. Everyone wants to be good at what they do, i think that almost goes without saying, but would it be true to say that they also want to be recognised as being good at what they do? Is that the motivation for wanting to be a success? Then again, just being recognised as being successful is not enough if you don't feel content with what you are doing yourself. Is it just an ego trip? What is this drive? Is it pure illusion?It interests me what your opinions on Success are? Swifty[/b][/quote] Hey..Swifty.(Lazar?).. Success is just a hair style..laaar... Liam Gallagher.. "I have a chum who spends all day flat on his back watching TV. He was saying to me the other day that 'he could feel good about himself because 'a sperm got through and made him' so he count's that as an achievement. He also cited being good at 'love making' as one of his triumphs to be proud of." No kiddin', man...gimme 'is address an' I'll go round an' give 'im a good kickin'... [img]http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif[/img] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus Lozada Posted September 4, 2001 Share Posted September 4, 2001 Success... It is absolutely a definition "hard-wired" with what a GOAL is... Achieving (at least) a well defined goal, makes you a successful being. Most of all, when you get success after working hard for it. Then you really enjoy it. Not expected success (or not even planed) is just GOOD LUCK... ------------------ [b]Gus Lozada[/b] Moderador de: [url=http://www.musicplayer.com/nuestroforo]MusicPlayer.com/NuestroForo[/url] [i] "La voz en Español en Música y Tecnología"[/i] Gus [url=http://trax.iuma.com]TraX[/url] @musicplayer.com Músico, Productor, Ingeniero, Tecnólogo Senior Product Manager, América Latina y Caribe - PreSonus at Fender Musical Instruments Company Instagram: guslozada Facebook: Lozada - Música y Tecnología www.guslozada.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Leites Posted September 5, 2001 Share Posted September 5, 2001 He who dies with the most toys wins. ------------------ My Web Site - Tunes - Pictures - Guitar Projects - Native American Style Flute Projects - Hard Rock Cafe Guitar Pins My Eclectic YouTube Channel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hippie Posted September 5, 2001 Share Posted September 5, 2001 If your mom isn't all over yer lazy ass, you're probably doin' ok and at least have the *appearance* of success. In two days, it won't matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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