How To Make Music.

Don't assume my titles to posts "Do what it says on the tin" however there obviously can never be a straight-forward answer to such a statement. Then again, I have the habit of posing myself impossible questions and getting frustrated so thinking of ideas toward filming helps. In some ways I can imagine that music would be a strong persistent hobby of mine yet my main focus is on filming. I've just been into it longer.

Inspiration.
Through every musician, they have a door to what made them progress, and that door is another musician who's work inspires oneself in such a way to just blatantly copy their style in a way to make them feel cool or some may have just had their ears opened up to what capability they have to creating a sound. Personally, I feel the music that captured the essence of my creativity would be that of James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem and Joseph Mount of Metronomy. Their music shines to me on a level that I can connect with my sporadic and emotive personality. Mercurial qualities are something I value to the extent of making something that makes another say "wow" or "that is cool".

Getting Ideas.
My initial method of thinking of a tune is to not try at all and not be afraid of what your idea sounds like. Slight repetition to a small tune you thought of on the bus with a quirky base line to carry it can go a long way. It all depends on how much you milk the creative cow. My principal of not trying is to collect sounds throughout the day subconsciously which easy. You don't do anything basically, and to then think of what could sound cool, think of a note, a beat, and develop it into a simple tune. People at first can never ever understand how many layers and instruments were used in a recording because the composer simply does the same thing. Experiments.

Other People.
Now, this all depends on whether you're a person who wants to make music you like which is quite a charming and personal thing to do, or to 'satisfy the customers'. Best method, make it for yourself because that way you create tunes you yourself are audibly comfortable with and plus if you discover others who like it then you have effectively discovered the ideal customer.

When I came up with a tune I named Uneasy Listening which consisted of a simple beat, keyboard and electric guitar, I liked it at first but realised that I could perfect it or re-master it. This process is simply to tidy things up in a track to make it seem more structured and more enjoyable to present to others. My main concept of making a song is to use a wide variety of instruments that can sort of define your genre as it were, or just because you find a song amusing or funky. Simplicity in a song can be a good way to make something catchy but also disastrously annoying.

I will take my leave now but shall leave you with a song by Joseph Mount's Metronomy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co-zVHbmxkw

Over and Out.
Ollie McMillan.

Update on Boredom

After 201 months of living on Earth, I think the human condition's charm has worn off by now.

Over and Out.
Ollie McMillan.

The Fear of your own Capacity. Except the ability to avoid digression.

One thought struck me the other evening, and once again before I wrote this hence why I am doing so now. I am terrified of how much I can achieve. I lessened the sense of using the word 'capacity' partly because I felt the word gave me the thought of others thinking I mean "Capable of anything, even murder" And that's not what I'm trying to put across. Then again, if the Art coursework I am procrastinating from was a person, well, handcuff me now.. 

Obviously I would need a reason for this thought to occur. I was sitting in the lounge around 3:00 - 3:15am, scattering English worksheets and finally completed a coursework draft, and I felt a sense of strong accomplishment. Almost that cocky feeling some get when they write something and already seem to be pleased with it without reading it through. 

I then relayed all the things I have done recently:

Realizing I knew how to play 4 instruments.

Making a film.

The prospect of starting a band.
 

Duke of Edinborough award.

Drawing exceptional art exam work. (I mean this in the least pretentious sense, then again, fuck it. I wrote this. It's not like anyone can edit it.)

Producing good grades in subjects.

Stable family and friend relationships.

Maybe I just have the inability to realize everyone can accomplish this with a certain mindset, but that is not what I'm trying to explain. I'm not proud of these achievements, I'm terrified.

We process information in our brains like a computer. Computers break. Do we break? Do we think too hard or do too much of what we're good at that it can kill us? Not to assume I will come home after college one day and my head will literally melt like a cheap nasty plastic, but what is the effect of a prolonged life-style where you focus on everything you are good at and nothing else?

My personal outcome in my eyes would be a man alone in a studio apartment graying slightly on the sides of his head, and the faint whisper of whiskey lingering around his mouth. Not an alcoholic, just to loosen up. Alone. This is what some people do to themselves on a daily basis, they cut ties with people in their lives because their mindset has changed through their successful lifestyle in to thinking value is power and not company.

I digress. I do that a lot with writing. I suppose it proves one thing that I know for a fact I could write one type of book. A diary. What else has pages with your emotions spilled over the paper like a mug of coffee split over your artwork. Yes, that is aimed at you Mother. Back to the title, I think one reason I am slightly unnerved by the sense of overwhelming accomplishment is the very personality dysfunction that you would least associate with someone expecting success. That would be the fear of failing.

Failing is nature's way of telling you that tomorrow may be a better day for you to have a go. Or maybe you should just stop and move on to other things. Depending on how optimistic you are. Or annoying.

All I can hope for now is that this mentality of my scale of how much I can achieve will just subside into the maturity I have yet to fully grow in to. Although I like to consider myself a mature writer, just less constrictive of what I put on the page compared to some people because I simply care less. Oh well, a good way to end this piece is probably a quote from a very nice film with George Clooney in it.

Over and Out.
Ollie McMillan.

"Anybody who ever built an empire, or changed the world, sat where you are now. And it's because they sat there that they were able to do it."

Me, a laptop, and some spare time on my hands.

Many people struggle to find a beginning to anything, but the best way for me is to say who I am and what I like.
 My name is Ollie (As you probably noticed by the title.)
 I like people, and anything along the lines of entertainment. (Film, Music, Photography, Art etc)

This site to me is probably one way I can truly just talk about anything that I like, whether it be an interest, topic or just how I'm feeling but the freedom to just type, willingly in any mood is liberating for me. To start off to tell you a little about myself, I live in the south of England, in the company of my family of 5 who are a sprightly bunch and I attend a Sixth form college at my local school in the company of my beloved friends who are just to die for! Studying is something I have the ability to do but can sometimes lack the inclination for however some of my friends do which something I slightly envy but also admire too. You really do notice sometimes the significance of other people's company when you feel just terrible sometimes. It's surprisingly uplifting to know they're there for moral support at times as well. I think a lot of people forget this sometimes, including myself, when you wind yourself up in your own problems and shut yourself off because you think its what you should do when really, it's bad. Now just to wind me first post to an abrupt closure because of fatigue, I'd like to happily introduce myself to those who know me already or those who stumbled across me by accident. 


Over and Out,
Ollie McMillan.