Musicians here....

[crunchermcnut]

haha. no.

[doubleblumpkin]

I was just thinking about this the other week. I didn't know if I listened to my own band too much or if I'm just more aware of it now that I have last.fm and iTunes telling me how many times I play it. I mostly listen to my own music when we are in the writing/recording process because it's how we write music, we make rough ideas, listen to them over and over and add pieces bit by bit. I haven't listened to my own stuff in a few months now, but we're writing again so I've been listening to recorded practices.

[GoreyGibbler]

only if I need to tab some riffs for people. or to find shit I repeat way too much and get rid of it

[hooked on sonics]

i prolifically make it specifically so I can listen to it, no one else has ever heard a single note. My projects tend to be centered on a certain theme or instrument combination so they're all pretty different. it's really nice being able to listen to myself evolve over the years, even if i'm going nowhere really, really fast.

However, like others said, old band stuff doesn't get listened to much after the fact.

[jeff]

I spend an inordinate amount of time writing, performing, recording, mixing so that I can create EXACTLY the music I want to listen to. It's really stupid, because pretty much no one else has ever heard it. I just throw on the latest 4 songs I've worked on while at the gym, then listen to something else. I don't burn CD's for people, mostly because no one asks. I assume everyone will hate the tunes, even though they're pretty accessible. I don't self-promote or shop to labels. Kind of silly when you regard the effort I put into it.

[necrothrash]

Yeah, every time I jerk off in the mirror

[Geeheeb]

I primarily write and play music for myself. So yeah, I love the shit I write and listen to it all the time. I don't expect anyone else to dig it, but its cool when they do.

[BUNGVOX]

i love listening to myself. i rock.

[altars of radness]

My old band is doing a reunion show after 5+ years so I've listened to some of that recently.

Malefaction?

I only listen to something if I've put a lot of work into it and I think it's done. Then I can listen to it without criticizing it or wanting to change anything. But I rarely go back and listen to shit unless I'm sending it to someone and want to make sure I still like it enough to share.

[dreweq]

i'm so burnt on it after all the recording/mixing/mastering that i just want to divorce myself from it and move on to something new. i love playing the shit at practice but rarely listen to the recordings.

[TheLonelyRock]

Once a record is released, I tend to listen to it only occasionally. Obviously during the recording, mixing, mastering, test presses, etc, I am listening to it nonstop, but by the time it's actually out, I'm already thinking about what I'm doing next and beginning to concentrate on that.

At heart, however, I really have very little interest in recording, releasing records, listening to myself, etc etc. Playing live is what I'm interested in. I write songs to be played live, and recording really takes second priority to me. While obviously I put a lot of thought and effort into the presentation and aesthetics of a record when I make it, ultimately for me it's just a reason to tour, a way to build a fan base that'll come see us live, a historical document of our music and vibes, etc. I would be totally fine being in a band that never records but is always playing live (in fact I play drums in such a band right now and am very happy with this arrangement, over 3 years we only have rehearsal and live recordings), while I would be very frustrated being in a band that recorded but didn't play live. I wouldn't ever think to release a record unless I was planning on touring with it.

I think it's a strange mindset to have though, seeing as I collect records pretty hectically, release records routinely for both my own bands and friends' bands, I have an obvious affinity for records yet don't place much value in my own.

[Ugly_Jackson]

I prefer getting sloppy drunk and playing along with old songs I've done before taking about 20 minuets to realize it was recorded a half step down

[John Jr.]

I spend an inordinate amount of time writing, performing, recording, mixing so that I can create EXACTLY the music I want to listen to. It's really stupid, because pretty much no one else has ever heard it. I just throw on the latest 4 songs I've worked on while at the gym, then listen to something else. I don't burn CD's for people, mostly because no one asks. I assume everyone will hate the tunes, even though they're pretty accessible. I don't self-promote or shop to labels. Kind of silly when you regard the effort I put into it.

nah man, i dont think there is anything silly about that at all. beholden only to yourself for quality is something i can quite respect.

[Morpheus]

I spend an inordinate amount of time writing, performing, recording, mixing so that I can create EXACTLY the music I want to listen to. It's really stupid, because pretty much no one else has ever heard it.

That was me 2 years ago. Nowadays, I don't record anything, I only write songs on my guitar because I have to. The journey is better than the destination.

Making electronic music in logic (and using external synths) is far more fulfilling these days - even though no one likes the music I make - the enjoyment I get out of it is better than the finished product. I have hundreds of saved Mp3's of roughly mixed tunes that will never see the light of day. Even though some of them are pretty good, I know other people will hear faults that I didn't pick up on, and the good parts that I love will go over their heads.