Where do you find musical happiness?

[SactoBass]

A tower of music and owner of the restless "caged animal" stage presence that was an inspiration even before I picked up the bass. My model for playing with a plectrum and singing harmony vocals. The guy could throw it down.

Biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig +1

 

[Bassbubble11]

I play in an original 3 piece. I am at my absolute musical happiness when we are writing. I love gigging an recording too but writing is where it is at for me.

 

[Kmonk]

I never really thought about it. I am happy when I'm playing a home by myself. I'm happy when I'm playing in front of a crowd and I'm happy when I'm doing music for television.

 

[Williethump]

Six months learning from Hal Leonard FastTrack Book1, and my total œuvre of riffs lasts 18 minutes. Still, I sound great in my own mind in A minor, E minor and, soon, F major in the next chapter. I sound infinity better than I did 6 months ago so I feel great. Musically. Politically I feel like like it's

TEOTWAWKI.
Peace.

 

[fhm555]

When i’m with a group of players and everyone is of one mind and it’s just right. That’s when you look down and see you are a few inches off the ground. When the music comes together and levitates the band, those are the moments i live for.

 

[Basshappi]

Writing, recording and performing music with my band.

 

[Clipped]

I don’t play out. Just do my best along with an MP3 in the living room. Happiness is when my wife, a writer, takes a snack break and does a little dance to the music while she considers her options in the fridge or cubbard. No higher praise.

 

[Groove Doctor]

Where do I find musical happiness?

TB Classifieds
eBay
Craigslist/Gumtree

 

[soulman969]

Walmart, aisle #12, but avoid the store brand.

 

[Killens84]

I’m currently helping teach my state’s “Lion’s All-State Band” this week. It’s 145 (out of almost 900 who auditioned) of the best high school band members in the state. Their musicianship is absolutely astounding, and they’re playing on a level far beyond their age. Not only is it an ensemble of 145 elite musicians, but it’s 145 young people who carry themselves with more class, character, integrity, and respect than most of the grown adults I know. I love playing bass at all my gigs, but that doesn’t come close to the level of musical happiness I experience when working with an elite group of young musicians like the ones I’m teaching this week.

 

[BassChuck]

From the audience. When you can see in their faces they're glad they came to the show. Even when the group doesn't play as well as you know they could, if it moves people it's worth everything. Nothing even comes close to connecting with music.

 

[Badwater]

ELECTRIC GUITAR BLUES.

 

[hrodbert696]

For me it's always been when I'm grooving with other musicians. I wouldn't be in a band with people who didn't bring that possibility. I rarely experience that level of musical joy when I'm working alone at home. Probably because at home, I'm putting my work in so I can be free to "play" with my band mates.

This here, for me. The magic happens that moment when everyone locks in and the groove takes on a life of its own, a whole greater than the sum of the parts. Extra bliss when there's an audience locked into it too and the whole crowd starts grooving. There's nothing like it.

 

[Atshen]

Wow. The variety of replies shows how much one can experience happiness through music, in so many different ways. And it's all valid.

 

[juancaminos]

Oh, Oh...I Know, I KNow...In AZ it's 110° during the day so I hand water my yard when I get off work which would be around 2:00am. I have 17,000 songs on my Ipod with several folder themes. So while I'm watering I'll put on my headphones and listen to 60's hits, or dance music from all era's. Or what ever I feel like. Drink a few beers and dance around the yard = pure musical happiness!

 

[Atshen]

Uhh, anybody else?

 

[zachoff]

I love music, in general, but I absolutely discovering new to me bands that are awesome. As far as playing music goes, I love the writing process and I love playing shows. Recording is fun, but seems like work relative to writing and performing.

 

[48thStreetCustom]

Me? Surely not with my crappy cover band. My drummer can't play much beyond your basic 4/4 or blues shuffle and often confuses both, my guitarist is great but never has spare strings even though he breaks at least one per gig, and when I sing I make Willie Nelson sound like Céline Dion.

I love my drummer and guitarist like brothers, but well, you get the picture. We just keep publicly embarassing ourselves in local bars for a few dollars. It's kinda fun but also frustrating.

I find musical happiness and satisfaction when I'm home alone, most often at night, recording my black metal solo project in my living room. I don't have to deal with anyone else's BS, just my own limitations. This is what's keeping me from getting (more) insane (kinda).

Now, tell me about YOUR musical yins and yangs. Cheers!

I find bliss when I improvise alone with zero agenda. I just play free and jump into the unknown. It's like meditation.

"I always play into the unknown. I don't practice things that are known to me unless I'm getting ready to do live work. Most of the time, it's abstract, like picking up a pencil and paper and drawing what's in front of me. It's improvised, always." - Eric Clapton​

I have a theory of what creativity actually is. I think it's connecting things that were never connected before. None of us invented music notes, but we can connect them together in ways that no one else has ever done before. So when I improvise alone, I disconnect the rational judgmental part of my brain and I let my fingers and mind explore and make neural connections where there never where any.

And then later, I can take those pure ideas, put on my rational hat and arrange them into something. But if you don't disconnect the judgment part of your brain in the first phase, it's super hard to be creative. For me, anyway.

 

[Atshen]

I find bliss when I improvise alone with zero agenda. I just play free and jump into the unknown. It's like meditation.

"I always play into the unknown. I don't practice things that are known to me unless I'm getting ready to do live work. Most of the time, it's abstract, like picking up a pencil and paper and drawing what's in front of me. It's improvised, always." - Eric Clapton​

I have a theory of what creativity actually is. I think it's connecting things that were never connected before. None of us invented music notes, but we can connect them together in ways that no one else has ever done before. So when I improvise alone, I disconnect the rational judgmental part of my brain and I let my fingers and mind explore and make neural connections where there never where any.

And then later, I can take those pure ideas, put on my rational hat and arrange them into something. But if you don't disconnect the judgment part of your brain in the first phase, it's super hard to be creative. For me, anyway.

That's profound, man. I love it.

 

[Luciferiad]

Every once in a great while, I find myself suddenly playing well, and singing very on-key (instead of sort of) at the same time. And that is the most awesome feeling in the world.

Basically happens like twice a year. I think it correlates to a very specific amount of alcohol consumption, proof of causation still pending.