The Music of Noise

What's the difference between making music and just making noise?

Music is an organized sound that has rhythm, harmony, and direction. 

According to Webster, Noise is “a sound that lacks an agreeable quality or is noticeably unpleasant or loud.”

Imagine the noise coming from a toddler with a plastic toy drum. Those drums can be surprisingly loud and unpleasant. As the kid explores the world of sound, he doesn't seem to mind if his instrument sounds unpleasant. He’s just curious to see how much noise he can generate.   

Here is what I want to tell you… It's still important to just make noise as an adult. Generating any sound -pleasant or unpleasant-  is an energetic, emotional, and physical release. 

Naturally, we want our music to be pleasant and agreeable so that people will listen. 

But, if we can find a way to get comfortable making noise, we may find a deeper connection to music.  

Noise is like the chaotic and ever expansive Yin 

And music is like the organized and focused Yang 

We can't have music without noise and we cant have noise without music.

If you listen closely to the seemingly random noises in a coffee shop, you’ll start to notice the rhythm that moves through all time and space. 

Now what if you make a some noise right now? Can you fully embrace how pleasant or unpleasant it may be? Can you listen to it with a curious mind? 

To be great musicians, we need to master the art of organizing noise.

Doing Something just because I like to

Hello, is anybody out there? 

If not, that's okay. I'm only writing this because I enjoy the process of self reflection through words. I created this website so I can have a platform that was really mine. It seems like everytime I get on any social media to make a post, I get distracted from my original plan because there are so many entertaining distractions nowadays. When I indulge in a scrolling session, I often notice that out of the 62 reels I just watched, none of them inspired me or added value to my life. 

I like sharing bits of my life experience and I realized that I can do that in whatever fashion I choose. I don't have to be all over social media for people to know or learn about me. People say “You gotta go where everyone else is to reach them.” Yes that makes sense and I think social media can be a great marketing tool, but it feels like a post is just another billboard on the side of the highway. People are going at least 75 MPH so they're only gonna see it for 3 seconds, then they're on to the next one.

Back to the point. I'm doing this because I want to and I know it's good for me. Even though it's not guaranteed that people will see the words I’ve written. 

My creative process is for me and if other people enjoy what I have to say, well that's an added bonus. 

How often do you allow your creativity to be dictated by what you think people want?  

If we can stay committed to the things we love, then our love will illuminate the world and inspire others. Your unique experiences and wisdom will make for a wonderful recipe that many people will enjoy. 

Self Discovery through Self Discipline

I used to write a page everyday to practice discipline and consistency. I’d write about what was going on in life and in my head.

I played it like a game. All my pages were numbered and had titles. And if I missed a day, I had to start over.

 Most recently, I did this for 23 days without breaking the streak. And when my consistency failed, it was hard to get the ball rolling again. 

Once I was back down to #1, it was hard to get to #2. I had lost my momentum. 

So why am I writing about this now? Why make a big deal out of this little game I was playing? 

 “If you miss one day, fine. Just don't miss the second.” 

Once I broke the commitment, I was quick to move on and forget all about it.  My attitude was dismissive towards this once inspirational practice.

I have noticed this aloof attitude whenever I have broken other promises or commitments I have made to myself. 

This is where the big questions arise.

Why is it so easy to break the promises only I know about? The promises made to myself.

How come its easier to keep commitments to everyone but myself?

It’s a self respect thing. Letting myself down is somehow easier than letting other people down.

If I broke a promise to a friend, I'd feel like crap. If I broke a promise to myself, I could play it off like the promise never existed in the first place. 

Does this make sense? Have you noticed this in your own life? 

It's a matter of accountability and self respect. Both things I am trying to learn more about. 

How can I stay consistently committed to the things that are just for me and my self development? No one is going to make me stick to my commitments and frankly, that's a good thing. If the discipline comes from within, I can do and be anything.

This is teaching me that if I really want to grow and evolve, I can't rely on others to tell me how I should do it.

Message to myself:

Sam, wake me up if I'm sleepwalking through life. Help me notice when I'm distracted and avoiding responsibility. Keep me in check because you're the only one that knows how. I will keep the promises and commitments I make to myself. Even the ones that seem silly or insignificant. I take myself seriously because my desires are important and I deserve to see them materialized.

Yours Truly,

- Sam