How much does philosophy/do your beliefs effect your music/practice ?

[m1469]

I am just curious what you think 

[pianistimo]

this is an interesting question.  turning it around - i would say that i have been motivated most by spiritual music because it has an intention to it that i agree with.  maybe that's how i understand 'intentional' music.  your question in the other thread made me think a lot and research some on the topic.  listening seems to be important to intentional music whereas you can be subliminally manipulated by some music and not know where it's taking you.  especially if you practice it over and over.

have you ever felt depressed after practicing some music?  i never have felt depressed after church.  that, to me, is a huge difference.  the feeling of being lifted up and refreshed.  i feel that my philosophy of music is that i want my music to make people happy (or feel the different emotions) and feel that there is hope.  i picked #1 - inseparable.

   

[g_s_223]

Someone with a scientific training may quite easily think there is a scientific way to learn the piano, e.g. by a programme of exercises. It's not so simple as that...

[ted]

There is a big difference between my own music and other music in this respect. I suppose the influence is involuntary as far as my own music is concerned. What is in my mind is bound to come out; it has to. However, with other people’s music I take care to completely ignore all personal aspects of the composer and performer and absorb the music as purely abstract sound. Indeed, I frequently impose on music, images and mystical concepts which are no doubt quite foreign, even anathema, to its creator. To me this metamorphosis is part of the power and magic of music. 

I therefore answered the poll with both "inseparable" and "not at all". Silly but true.

[rc]

My beliefs/philosophies affect pretty much everything I do.

[danyal]

I believe in music.

Music= Emotion, Emotion=Spiritual, Music=Spiritual. My music is everything I do, everything I am, I am also dedicated to God, just as much as my music, impossible for it to be more, or less as I treat them with the same unfailing respect and love, almost as if they are not entirely separate... maybe they're not...

[Tash]

they're very directly related- it's funny, because my whole 'outlook on life', ideas etc. and my attitudes that i incorporate into how i practice and stuff i have visually represented through my artwork, which is good, because that allows me to actually 'see' how my attitude is affecting what i do- eg. the lazy factor- when i can't be bothered painting something properly, so the edges are rough, the proportions aren't quite right- and it totally parallels in my playing! also through this visual output i can see how i put my beliefs on the role of art, music, emotion, artist/musician and audience in society- amazing how blatantly obvious it is to me, maybe not to other i dunno...
it kind of scares me how much everything anyone does is such a direct representation of themselves- like you don't necessarily realise it at first, and maybe it's not important for the audience- i believe the meaning for the artist is irrelevant for the audience as they should be able to interpret that themselves- like you know how some things have direct, obvious meanings that the artist/composer has put it eg. a comment on terrorism- that's different- but the more subtle things, the interpretation, colour, technique, it's so personal- it really scares me! (i'm not huge on openly expressing myself, which is a bit of a contradiction considering the two areas i'm focussed in are pretty much all about that)

it's interesting...

[arensky]

If I was a soldier, there would be no time to think or philosophize about soldiering or war during combat. I would be shot by the other side while I was philosophizing. Best to do that away from the battlefield; it's like that for me with performing and practicing; I DO, and thinking about the process while I'm doing it is confusing; I prefer to do that away from the piano; it's one of the reasons I like it here! I can read about and discuss this stuff. 

A more pleasant analogy would be making love; there is a time for doing, and a time for thinking! If you think and question while you're doing, you loose your groove, and get caught in a downward spiral...

Sure the way we are and what we feel about things affect our playing, but I don't think they should be present in our conciousness while we're doing it; our attention needs to be focused on the matter at hand....

[dolcejen]

i feel that my philosophy of music is that i want my music to make people happy (or feel the different emotions) and feel that there is hope.  i picked #1 - inseparable.

My thinking follows the same course. Pianistimo, I love how you always bring your beliefs, your faith into every important discussion. I also appreciate your bright hopeful outlook.

Music can be an awesome reflection of God's nature and how he displays it in His creation. I try to find and play music that would reflect order, creativity, hope, compassion, love, beauty, majesty, strength and power, gentleness, grace - all of these things and more are found in God's nature and can be beautifully captured in music. Music is a powerful way to communicate and when I play I want it to communicate the attributes of the One I love and serve, Jesus Christ. I want to communicate truth and what gives life a purpose.