If a Musician Plays in a Forest and No One is Around to Hear, are they a Musician?

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If a Musician Plays in a Forest and No One is Around to Hear, are they a Musician?
In this video I want to talk about a concept that is very dear to me.
The idea of belonging to a community, being accepted as a peer.
Feeling part of something bigger, adding value to it as an artist, has been the goal of my entire life, so I'd like to share some thoughts about it and the never ending struggle of being an artist.
Enjoy!
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[@OoraMusic]

This channel is supported by my Patreons, become a member here : www.patreon.com/ooramusic

[@matatias]

Yes, you're becoming a philosopher, like you were afraid in another video. Please continue.

[@OoraMusic]

my dad will be finally proud 😂

[@marcelsmoorenburg]

I find it very valuable and helpful. You are developing in different ways @OoraMusic

[@playthesoundmusic]

I think we are artists even if no one experiences our art. If we do it for ourselves first, then we get closer to a truthful expression of that art. But it only amplifies the art when people celebrate it with you!

[@OoraMusic]

i agree with your thoughts

[@playthesoundmusic]

@@OoraMusic thanks. You brought up a great topic.

[@ioannisinnaoi]

This.

[@Noise-Maker]

Inspiration from other artists can be a double edged sword. When I feel discouraged I unplug from music. The extended absence triggers my mind to start creating. I start hearing beats and other melodic stuff.

[@OoraMusic]

it happens to me too!

[@Eleni_Be]

this !

[@lazlybateman8819]

Thank you for that knowledge, it's helps a lot, I'm also struggling in this area, for example "friends don't even listen". Your words give me new hope, thank you really. I think you could make more videos like that (the previous ones also great!) because the mental health and the mindset really important in our artist life and you are the only one in youtube who raise a voice on this :)

[@OoraMusic]

thanks for your kind words!

[@thenightwater]

Another great video! Thank you for the great advice and encouragement.

[@OoraMusic]

You are so welcome!

[@emptyvesselnz]

much love for these kinds of videos Federico 🧡

[@OoraMusic]

thanks!

[@mikek7685]

This is brilliant. Thank you for sharing.

[@OoraMusic]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@hexwavemusic]

This is a great talk, thanks for sharing it. It's true, friends don't always support you in the ways you would expect! I have certain friends or family that listen to and support everything I do, and others that never listen to anything even if they are interested in electronic music. It used to bum me out, but then I realized some people just don't realize how much it would mean to you and don't view it that way, and just be happy for the support from the people that do take the time. And in the end, I love making music and I love what I make, and so even in a bubble I am content with it!

[@allkeyspro6606]

Thanks for these very important thoughts! You are inspiring!

[@OoraMusic]

Thanks for watching!

[@johnfath]

Really loving this long form, contemplative content. Awesome!

[@OoraMusic]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@ErinIsBlueBlue]

Excellent video. Your way of thinking is very interisting. Love this format.

[@OoraMusic]

Thank you very much!

[@Stranger_at_the_Crossroads]

Really like this new branch of content!

[@OoraMusic]

Thanks Alex, I am enjoying doing that!

[@jon_gee]

Great words. I’d love to see your show! You are going to be awesome.🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@OoraMusic]

I hope so too!

[@Seanrayamusic]

Love your perspective! Been following you since you had 1k followers and am really liking your philosophical videos as of late. I can relate on so many levels. Constant identity crisis. Also, looking forward to seeing those Iridium videos ;)

[@OoraMusic]

Coming soon :)

[@KristofferLislegaard]

Best music, tech, artist KZbin video I have seen in a long time! Keep 'em coming! The honesty and deepness is grately appreciated!

[@OoraMusic]

thanks you are too kind!

[@lackofram3807]

You are an artist. I love your music... I listen to your tracks all the time... and when I walk through the forest.

[@OoraMusic]

Thanks my friend!

[@user-or3ce4gt2r]

You are a genius! Enjoyed the entire content again 🎼

[@OoraMusic]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@pmumble76]

Wonderful video, thanks. I struggle with many of these things myself. Sometimes it almost feels like there is no point in trying to be heard, there are so many bedroom producers now. A tiny fish in a big sea. But all of our music is uniquely ours, so we should continue to create.

[@OoraMusic]

I completely hear you

[@sklandarok]

nice thoughts thank u for sharing

[@OoraMusic]

Thanks for watching!

[@AnalogKitchen]

❤ Nice one!

[@OoraMusic]

Thanks 🔥

[@chambre466]

very valuable what you do, especially the music

[@OoraMusic]

thanks!

[@Cantrip1957]

Thankyou for this insightful trilogy. Several points here chime with me. One especially is the networking or building an audience. I’ll definitely reflect on some of these points. I’m not sure the Spotify metric is one Id use but it does provide an interesting metric. Value is important and many with high plays don’t offer- to me at least- the value I want. In these videos you give of yourself. That is another hallmark of a ‘true’ artist. Having said that uniqueness ( overrated?) in this day and age is nigh impossible to find. Maybe it is something about an ‘honest’ ( not self serving-a gift?) offering that sets a ‘true’ artist apart. I don’t know. Im confusing myself. Value and giving to your audience, building rapport between artist and audience is the context for artistic success. Anyway, thanks again, refreshing, honest, thoughtful and thought provoking. Ive subbed. More process and theoretical discourse please. Lovely to hear your story.

[@pierreprinzbach4870]

Another very inspiring video thanks (keep them coming ;))! I definitely fall into the category of musicians that create for the sake of creating. For me, it's a way of expressing myself. I believe that it is very important to put yourself in the center of the creating process and be honest with yourself and your taste(s) (Of course, it's easy for me to say that, because I have a day job to pay the bills). I think if you play music and you enjoy the process, you ARE a musician (albeit probably not the "best" one... which is fine. No one is the "best"). Be good to others and enjoy the craft!

[@OoraMusic]

thanks for sharing your thoughts!

[@pyrykuivanen8575]

Very interesting topic, thanks! Ive been thinking this a lot. If one decides to seeks acceptance and/or build a community receiving critical feedback is very important for development. But receiving partly has to be also critical from whom to get feedback and what they are saydying. I had friend listening my 80s style ebm/industrial techno said "I like it but i would propose make it more pop, like the Prodigy". In my mind I instantly thought if I would mae the Cure style music and somebody proposing me to sound more like Sepultura 😅 Then I could also think that he obviously dont know this genre so maybe he just dont know how to put the critism in right words.

[@OoraMusic]

very relatable!

[@giacomopop]

Hello! I love you videos. Can I ask a question about your setup? How do you get op1 field and oxi one clocked? As far as I search about this topic online I always read that the cannot be synced. Ciao!

[@wolfchildes]

My view. Art is all about process. Product may follow. If i create from authenticity i am in creative flow from within. Approval from others may be nice but it’s an external that i do not seek through people pleasing . I’m not playing flute in the forest but nor am i seeking for approval from anyone apart from myself. If i am developing musically within constant process i am an artist even if everyone rejects the work. Process not product. The goal is self development through process.

[@OoraMusic]

I really like what you said and I think that I discussed before about how important the process is for me. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[@ERYKJACKNIFE]

I have a group of friends that always tell me I should get into music because it comes so easily to me. I always argue that, people have to like you, to Vouche for you. If you have that. Your art doesn’t even have to be good.

[@OoraMusic]

this might be trues long as you are happy with yourself.

[@cardboardmusic]

Well the forest is there, it heard him, so yes.

[@OoraMusic]

:)

[@jacobst.ongecasavant9327]

I used to play my guitar in the woods a lot with the birds when I was a kid... They seemed to like it 🤣🙏

[@Gruftgrabbler]

Oh I miss my guitar for that. Have not touched it for a few years now but when I am back in my home country with my guitar nearby I really want to start playing it again (and run it of cause through the modular :P :P)

[@OoraMusic]

sounds lovely

[@TechnoNates]

What debut on Saturday?

[@OoraMusic]

My first solo gig in Berlin!

[@matatias]

Also, about being artists: it's not a big deal, and that's the way it should be. Once I was called an artist, along with my colleagues (in an engraving atelier). Cool, I'm an artist, I guess. I'm here making art, so I'm an artist. Everyone can be. I don't think of this as something with a demeaning sense, but as something liberating. There's no right way of being an artist, so we shouldn't pursue that. We can pursue money, success, praise, or making something great for us, but that's another business.

[@florissoulbase]

Being accepted ... This would mean you are allowed to be yourself, not being liked. These things are something completely different. Preferably not just allowed, but also motivated to be yourself. You can only be authentic and really good if you are the best version of yourself. If your peers don't like your music, it says nothing about your art, but you are playing for the wrong audience. Please read the new book of Rick Rubin ... really inspiring on these subjects.

[@commodoor6549]

I'd take exception to that argument. Sound is what is perceived. It doesn't become sound at the moment it's perceived. A priori, sound must by necessity exist prior to its perception. Otherwise, you'd have to argue that sound does not exist for everyone equally. And it's like saying that the universe didn't exist until we were able to see it through telescopes. It's like saying the sun does not exist if you live your life in a cave away from sunlight. And what's more, it's like saying that if a person is deaf, sound does not exist. And likewise, I have not met most of the 8 billion people living on earth, so they also do not exist.

[@ZenMountain]

One thing is to be an artist and another very different thing is wanting to be famous or needing acceptance from others. That has nothing to do with art, it's your ego.

[@OoraMusic]

It is a good point and maybe the struggle is to decouple ego from what you do. But, I feel that ego is an integral part of what you create. So not really sure what to think yet.

[@RobSanx]

Very interesting thoughts, and very good title. I just wanted to point out something about that idea of no one being interested in what you do. I think you'll never reach a point where you're really sure that no one likes your art, because most of the times it's just a lack knowledge, capabilities, time or budget to create a good marketing plan so the right people can know about you. Just because you've tried uploading content to several platforms, or you did this or that, doesn't mean you can judge if "the people" is interested or not. What people? Is the group of people you've already reached representive enough of the entire world? It's very difficult to know where is that line... I suppose it's more a matter of how far you are willing to go to achieve certain things, or what you want to sacrifice or not. I wish you all the best, whatever that means to you through your life stages. Much love.

[@OoraMusic]

very true, getting above the digital ocean of noise is really hard nowadays!

[@ERYKJACKNIFE]

Johannes Vermeer. 🤷‍♂️

[@RuiGon1]

Oh. I make music with earphones and nobody listen, even when I put it on youtube. Because nobody cares. But I like it, and if there is just one fellow who listen That's enough. But music is in is major concept made for the other's, not for self. I made it because I like it. If I am an artist? I believe that is just a secundary question. I just want to be. Happy preferrencialy.

[@OoraMusic]

Beautiful thoughts.

[@aeko]

Here’s a suggestion: stop worrying about labels, like “artist” and “musician”. Make beautiful music that you love. Labels like “artist” don’t make you good at anything. Your art does. If you keep making beautiful things that you love and showing them to others, people will notice and some people will want to be a part of it.

[@OoraMusic]

Well said!

[@motaki79]

“If a tree falls in a forest, can you make milk out of it?”. This reminded me of the wood milk video. sorry bro, this was so corny. 😅

[@canecreek00]

You opening statement is wrong, if nobody was around the tree falling would make a sound, you could easily prove this by recording it on a Zoom H4 recorder, if you were not there the H4 would still record the sound.

[@OoraMusic]

that was not available in 1883!!

[@canecreek00]

@@OoraMusic Agee H4 wasn’t around then but using such a device would prove there is audible sound present when a tree falls even if a human isn’t present.

[@francistomalik]

Yes because musician is also the listener

[@OoraMusic]

which is the point I end with :)

[@francistomalik]

@@OoraMusic Haha, you have to forgive me then for my short attention span it is a horrible social sickness these days

[@cyprien20006]

if a tree falls in the forest.......etc

[@nagchumpalot]

Interesting... I mean Vincent Van Gogh only sold 1 painting his entire life for like 100 bucks.. He was only appreciated well after his death. I feel like many of us are Van Gogh.. Ha ha I was DJing for many years with people hearing what I played I guess that was nice but I prefer just making music now for myself and the joy of sound design in the Studio but I´m not trying to be successful with it so it may be different for others. Do it because it makes you happy is number 1.

[@OoraMusic]

If it makes you happy, you already won.

[@iamelohym]

If you were the very last man on this planet, would you still create music? Would that change the kind of music you make or would you even still make it? Would you realize that there are other beings still listening, would the planet itself maybe even be listening. In the very end, we all are creating to be recognized by the creator himself, by creation itself and that is the true purpose of making music.

[@OoraMusic]

This is a great question. Never framed it in this way, thanks!

[@iamelohym]

@@OoraMusic Welcome, sir.

[@p.c513]

Eres fantástico, gracias por la sensibilidad que muestras en todo tú trabajo. Me gustaría compartirte el siguiente video, se trata de David Chipperfield ganador del pritzker 2023 kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYjck6yod9qgpas&ab_channel=Arquine Te lo comparto porque pienso que parte de su sensibilidad puede aportarte valor a ti también. Muchos éxitos y gracias nuevamente!

[@OoraMusic]

thanks!!

[@Algoritmarte]

Perhaps you give too much weight to words. Words describe things but are not the things (a-la Tao). Someone who plays alone in a forest is - for sure - "someone who plays alone in a forest". Also "artist" is a "label" and its meaning is highly dependant on time, context, culture and so on ... in other words it is highly Subjective. So you can describe what YOU call a musician, and according to that description you can say if you are or are not a musician according to that description :-). Others can judge (if there is a point in doing it) if you are a musician or not according to their perception. In all cases I like to listen the music you make 😀

[@OoraMusic]

well said!❤

[@unikogreeoutoforder2207]

Hello hello plants react with music, it can be felt without a ear.. when a tree fall birds hearing it.. Music should be the langage of the universe, not just human's.. if you make music so somebody hear it: "you" .. music is not théâtre

[@darrenjharris9907]

Nearly all ambient musicians are in this category 🤣

[@OoraMusic]

:D

[@daneguitarist1]

im pretty sure i disagree with just about everything you said in this video haha i dig your channel, but you shouldnt do things because other people like them, do them cause you like them if you dont release your work until you are proud of it, you might not release anything ever

[@OoraMusic]

and that is the beauty of having different ideas :)

[@Elephantitusofthenuts]

Is someone who turns knobs and hits presets a musician?

[@OoraMusic]

I dont see the problem . Does a painter create his own colors? does a pianist b build his own piano? I think is a question that doesn't matter really.