Music Production: Why I Never Delete My Old Music
Here’s a quick recount of the last decade or more of music production, and what I learned by throwing some of my music in the bin, and holding onto some of the rest.
My current situation
So at the time of writing, I’ve gone from producing so many different types stuff in 2018, that I’d struggle to recall what I’ve finished. Whilst it’s part of my procrastination (not always healthy) I have over 400 songs that are part-baked. It’s kind of mad going back through the odd track now and again.
What happened last time I deleted my music?
I started making music using Ableton Live as 14 year old in 2005, not with any great seriousness at the time, but with a casual commitment nonetheless. None of my friends were really doing it but I was having go. What I used to do was try and imitate the songs my favourite artists at the time were producing.
I was on dial up internet, so I wasn’t about that tutorial life. Without any formal training, I failed at sound design. So, I discarded everything I ever made.
Them songs were probably shocking anyway, but working within such extreme limitations (the absolute lack of knowledge) meant that it probably had a degree of originality. It’s a shame that I’ll never know.
2010: Apparently, the best music is heard by nobody and put in the bin
By now, I was making music in my spare time at uni. Again, I was influenced by loads of bits but again, was a miserable failure at sounding anything like the music I was latched onto at the time. Bass house, garage, drum and bass and dubstep all got a run-in, as they were big where I lived in Nottingham, UK.
I trashed it all again. I didn’t show my stuff to anyone. Probably about 50 tracks I reckon. I learned a lot, sure, but never seemed to finish anything. I was experimenting with some cool ideas and wonder what I could have taken advantage of now as a starting point in my current productions.
2013: I lost everything (dramatic)
I sort of missed the music I’d made before (back when I could remember what it sounded like). I vowed not to delete it anymore. Anyway, I was doing an essay on my laptop in the library and my laptop went up in a plume of smoke. It melted. I hadn’t backed any of it up. I lost about 60 songs, many of which were completed. Nice one bruvaaa.
Fast forward to now: some lessons I have taken away
This time, last year, I had about 100 songs in the catalogue that were all unfinished and at various stages of completion. They were all abandoned out of frustration. Perhaps at the time it was writer’s block, perhaps it was boredom.
Fast forward to 2018 and I go back to some of these projects now. Loads of my songs went unfinished before because I didn’t yet have ability to create what I could hear in my head. After really working to learn the science behind the art, I am increasingly able to make that a reality.
Importantly, I am taking old stuff and making it into things right now that finally work. That’s relieving, cathartic and pretty encouraging as a measure of progress.
What’s even better? Seeing how much better you’ve become. I’m lucky enough to have seen the upward trajectory in my music production skills from 2014–2018. I only wish I could go back a little further.
