how to find your voice as an artist

This has come to me at just the right time in my life, my need to be wholly unique has really restricted my compositional output and has made me doubt the master’s degree I’m currently pursuing. Thank you :)

I find creativity a misguided effort, authenticity is much more appealing. Sometimes that means outnof the box thinking, others it means attention to detail, still others it may mean abstraction. I would also add that while other people can do whatever you think "better" ultimately they are busy being themselves. The best you out there is you. That said this was a refreshing listen and healthy thing to hear as I try writing a piece I need to be able to perform this Saturday heh

For me that "doesn't all your music sound the same" is the pain point that I had to get over. I know what I like - a lot of drones, some ostinatos, minor scales/chords, and if I could, more mid-eastern influence. But I always think "I might need to change this up." "I should be trying something else so it's not all just this." and so on. Sounding like someone else would be a compliment to me. I remember sharing a game track I was working on with a friend and she said it reminded her of a scene from FF7 - I was like what really?? So, sure, say I sound like Niyaz or such - I'd be ecstatic. I'd just feel like "it all shouldn't sound almost the same" but that answer "I write what I want" - weight lifted.

Grear video! Another thing that further discredits this whole "find your own voice" notion is that inevitably, whether you like it or not, the music we listen to is going to be the core influence in our own pieces, and to come up with something entirely original is virtually impossible, especially with the amount of music put out there. Personally, I enjoy taking inspiration from other composers, and using that as a stepping stone for whatever I want to do subsequently.

I volunteered for religious charitable service and was unable to access my normal music for two years. The music that I listened to before was all old school stuff or art rock - The Cure, Tears for Fears, Rush, Porcupine Tree, Pink Floyd. When I got back, my dad and brothers introduced me to the then-new albums Pure Heroine by Lorde and 1984 by Taylor Swift. And I got hooked on “pop” music. Then in college I noticed that Mozart would have the left hand in a piano piece arpeggiate the chords and the right hand play single-note melodies. That’s very similar harmonically to the strum-guitar-and-sing style of music that I also very much enjoyed. After those experiences I realized that all music is just music, and the point is to find stuff that sounds cool and make stuff that sounds cool. Which is why nowadays I make ambient music and blues and orchestral and shoegaze….

Ryan, hello from Kansas City, Missouri. Great Video. When ever the subject of Originality/Style comes up, I'm reminded of the advice from Jazz Trumpet, Flugelhorn player and Music Educator Clark Terry. He said that Originality can happen in time but, first you must Imitate. Then you must Emulate. Then, you can Innovate. In other words, sounding like your Influences for a period of time is part of the process. Your own Voice will/may come, but, ordinarily you can't force it. Thanks.

This is great timing. I’ve been working on music and sending the tracks to friends. They like them! They say it sounds like something else, and it’s exciting to me that they can hear my influences. But then in the back of my mind I start to worry if my music is not original enough… I set out to write more of what I like to listen to and I think watching this right now just encourages me that that is ok. I like certain “flavors” of music, and that is what I create.

Great, useful food for thought. Following your musical intuition is your voice I think. And thereby having the guts to follow your intuition.

The analogy to the child learning words is excellent.

Thank you for this, Ryan! This needs to be lesson 1 in every beginning composing course!

Thanks for this, Ryan. This message is something that all creators should hear and take in.

Thanks for making this video! 🎶

This is a great video Ryan. Thanks for sharing.

Great advice!! Music composition is a self awareness journey. Others may have also visited the same places but is your unique experience

That was a really good video ,a video I needed to watch,TY

Dude this was so good. You have no idea how much I needed it. I must admit your channel is way above my head, I never had any music lessons, but still I learn a lot when I watch your videos. I just love music it makes my life better so I make music. Thank you for everything.

Very inspirational, Ryan! Thanks.

Awesome. This is just what I needed right now. Thank you.

just last week my teacher asked me to find my own voice, I was shocked and began to wonder... who really decides what my pieces should sound like and what my style is? The teacher or me? Thanks for your point of view Ryan. I needed to hear everything you said in this video. (Saludos desde México)

Thank you Ryan, this is exactly what I needed to hear today! And thanks for developing such an interesting and relevant channel! :)