Originality/Finding your "voice"?

[Gyoon]

There is another thread on this forum with the title "Finding Your Voice", but I don't think my particular questions were asked.

Is finding your voice something that you worked on consciously, or did you just come to who you are as an artist serendipitously?

Did you ever make an attempt to try to do things just because you never heard anybody else do them, or do you just accept anything that comes out in your improvisations, regardless of how derivitave they might sound?

I have never thought about originality, about finding my own voice until recently. I am 30 and have been at this since I was 13. I'm just starting to grasp all the little things that were taught to me by my teachers and am starting to ask myself how I can apply these things to "find" myself, if that isn't too corny,.

Glenn

[Sorax]

Record yourself soloing and listen to it.

[DocBop]

Write out a solo is a good tool too. Set some parameters and write a solo out. The writing slows you down and you start "seeing" cool connecting tones and other ideas that playing in real time might slip by.

Then I think it was Herbie Hancock who said. Copy every one you can, then forget it all and play.

[janekbass]

Glenn,

aside from my technical maintanence routines, my entire practice schedule revolves around looking for things that I've never heard, played, seen, or heard anyone else do. No matter how simple or complex they may be, or how silly, I'm constantly searching for new things to do in music.

one of the first questions I ask myself when I wake up in the morning is what can I find today that is different. How can I push myself a little bit more and stay motivated while I'm doing it.

So through being in constant search mode, I am starting to find my own voice, and to find out what I like and what suits me.

It's a very personal thing, and it only comes to fruition from spending lots of time with your instrument, and working on note selection, sound, time, and phrasing amongst other things.

Easy,

Janek