Finding your voice

I have no talent!

Sucks

Originally Posted by Mark

I have no talent!

Sucks

HAHA LOSER. LOL.


...

;P

I should definitely give this up - if I could just crush that tiny stupid bit of me that thinks I can do this...

My chime in.

I found it very substantial to sing along with songs and a whole new genre your not used to for quite a length of time just singing with different genres. I even did rap lol.
Then when I came back my voice seemed to be much more versatile and just easier to sing without thinking as much.

Just worked for me. Not a solution for everyone. Experiment, Let go of the rules even if you sound not good at first, improvise. Don't even worry about who you sound like, the listeners will always compare you to something. Just do your best to "Not think about it" and improvise. Sound like crap, take some chances, for a while experimenting. It will subconciously pay off with new ideas of where you want to be and remember if your a perfectionist like me you will never be completely happy anyways, but the more thinking I believe the worst as far as creativity. But not true for these symphony and more advanced writers than me. I'm just your plain (try my best) kick ass garage/basement songwriter. Edgy Rock and Roll with some other genres thrown in.

So, is composing in a particular style that has already been developed automatically unoriginal? If I were to write a neo-romantic piece, would it automatically be unoriginal? Do I have to go beyond tonality to find my 'voice'? I have heard so many opinions on these issues, it can be quite confusing.

Originally Posted by JairCrawford

So, is composing in a particular style that has already been developed automatically unoriginal? If I were to write a neo-romantic piece, would it automatically be unoriginal? Do I have to go beyond tonality to find my 'voice'? I have heard so many opinions on these issues, it can be quite confusing.

Eh?

What I meant was that there is no real "voice", whatever you do is original and personal by default. At least, that's how I look at it. Surely, you can try to be "original" but in the end, that's sorta fruitless. It's fun to experiment too, but for the sake of the experiment, not just to do something "new."

Wow, thanks for all the replies! They really help.

I love this forum, you guys are so helpful!

I think the best thing you can do is find a way of writing in which you can express yourself best. As long as you can do this, since you are (I'm assuming) a unique person, your voice should then be unique as well (even if it's not completely original).

Originality for the sake of originality might be interesting at times, but I like it better when one knowingly chooses what elements to include in one's music, and while trying to find new expressive "heights", creates originality. Originality as the ends instead of the means is a lot more appealing to me than the other way around .

writing in [a way with] which you can express yourself best.

Well, what if one doesn't want to express anything with their music? What if music just.. is?

Originally Posted by jujimufu

Well, what if one doesn't want to express anything with their music? What if music just.. is?

Then they produce an album using only midi.