Art Now: Do Something With What You Have

“So what kind of computer do I need to make electronic music?”

“So what kind of investment do I need to make in gear in order to perform live?”

I get asked questions like this all the time. Partly because I’ve been doing this for some time now, (and by this, I mean, create, release and perform electronic music) and partly because I usually have something to say about the creative process and the tools needed.

More often than not, my reply is this: use what you have.

While it’s good to ask around and find out what others use, don’t get so hung up about gear and brands and tools and materials that you forget that dynamic energy that wans to burst out of you because you have something you need to say through your art.

The point I always try to stress to those starting out in any creative endeavor, whether in visual art or music, sculpture or writing, is that you already do possess tools right under your nose that you can utilize in order to create your art.

I can give you a list of what hardware I use right now, and I can do a search on the internet and find out what other music producers have in their ginormous studios, and it will do me no good to try to ape their set ups, only to realize that I could’ve made beats using some software that was already built into Windows or Linux or Mac.

You have a computer and an internet connection. A beginner’s solution lies in freeware.
You have some hardware already and are wondering how to make it all work. The only way to figure out your own needs is to practise doing sets in your bedroom and figure out what you hope to accomplish with the music you dish out.

What kind of investment do you need? That question comes AFTER you figure out what you intend to do with your gear and where you intend to go with your art. Literally and figuratively.

Because really, there should be NO physical impediment that stops you from making your art. If it really needs to be expressed, it will find an outlet. Use what’s in front of you. Use what you already have. Investing in better gear comes later when you’ve established a direction and a vision.