Ricardo Vargas Southfield Blog

Music and Seasons on the Ricardo “Rick” Vargas Southfield Blog

Today on the Ricardo “Rick” Vargas Southfield, Michigan blog, I write about different genres of music and the seasons of the year.

You may remember a previous blog post about music and stories here: https://ricardo-vargas-southfield.com/index.php/2020/08/02/music-is-a-story-on-the-ricardo-rick-vargas-southfield-blog/

Depending on the time and season of the year, music that people want to listen to will vary. In the summertime, one wants to hear light, fresh, upbeat music. In the fall, a nice dance song or a pop song will do. In the wintertime, when everyone is hunkering down for the cold, snowy days, a slow song is what people might prefer. And finally, in the springtime, a nice upbeat instrumental to showcase the growth of new leaves, plants, and flowers could be what people want to hear.

Creating the right type of music people want to hear depending on the time of the year takes some thought and practice. When music is created, think about when the music will be released and played so you can better think out how the music should send to grab the right audience and the right amount of people.

This can become tricky if the client wants upbeat pop music and it is snowy and cold on the outside, so one might even need to think outside of the box when it comes to the time of the year, which again, takes time and practice.

What if the client wants a slow, moody track and it is at the beginning of summer? Take yourself out of the warm sun and go into a room that is dark with no windows – this can help put you in the frame of mind you need to be in to write the right music.

Thank you for visiting the Ricardo “Rick” Vargas Southfield Michigan blog.

You can find out more about me at www.scenariostationmusic.com, www.rick-vargas.com, and at www.ricardovargasmichigan.com

Creating Music on the Ricardo “Rick” Vargas Southfield Blog

Creating Bad Music

You might ask yourself “why would I want to know about how to create bad music?”, and you may have also read the blog post about creating good music here: https://ricardo-vargas-southfield.com/index.php/2020/06/14/creating-good-music/

Creating bad music is the opposite of creating good music. A lot of popular musicians have created bad music just like a lot of actors and actresses have created bad movies. It can happen. You might not mean for it to be bad, but you could be in a rush, in a rut, or just not thinking through a project. You need to get an end results out quickly, and unfortunately, the end result ends up being bad.

How do you fix it?

How do you fix bad music? Luckily, we live in a technologically savvy world where it is easy enough to modify a track and fix it to sound better. It could be as easy as fixing the audio, changing a beat, or lowering the bass. But what if the overall sound is just not good? Maybe you had to meet the client’s needs but it is not necessarily a track you would write for yourself. Sometimes you just have to bite your tongue and bear it. It might not be pleasing to your ears, but someone out there will like it and will be pleased with the sound.

No one wants to make bad music

No one sets out to make bad music. It can just happen. Sometimes you just need to own it. There have been many times where we have gone back to a track months later and tweaked it with a better sound, a better voice, and a better beat. Tastes change and what we like to listen to can change too.

Thank you for visiting the Rick (Ricardo) Vargas Southfield Michigan blog.

You can find out more about me at www.scenariostationmusic.com, www.rick-vargas-southfield.com, and at www.ricardovargasmichigan.com

Music and Nature on the Ricardo “Rick” Vargas Southfield Blog

Today, on the Ricardo (Rick) Vargas Southfield blog, I am writing about music and nature.

Nature and Music

Nature can influence the music that is made, which might be surprising to you. You may ask “how in the world can nature influence music?”. Not only can nature influence music, but so can current events in the world. I have recently written about creating good music and you may find more inspiration there too: https://ricardo-vargas-southfield.com/index.php/2020/08/02/music-is-a-story-on-the-ricardo-rick-vargas-southfield-blog/

I have been told by many people that when they are stuck with finding some sort of inspiration, taking a walk and taking in the beauty of nature is so inspiring. You could be sitting on a bench, watching the world go by and taking in the sounds of the birds chirping, and the leaves rustling, and suddenly, a lyric pops into your head or a melody comes to you. Perhaps it is that you have a clear mind and are completely present, or that nature has literally inspired you.

Need inspiration?

Imagine this – you are sitting next to a flowing waterfall, the sun is shining and there is a light breeze. You close your eyes for just a moment to let inspiration come over you and you are simply listening to the sounds and feeling the sunshine and breeze on your face. And just like that – inspiration comes.

It has also been told to me that current global events can inspire certain music to be made. Perhaps the music is more somber if we have been through a tragic event, or more upbeat if we have been through a congratulatory moment. Inspiration is all around us – it is important to open your eyes and open your ears to what is happening in the world, whether it be true nature or just what is going on in the world.

Thanks for reading. You can find out more about me here: www.scenariostationmusic.com and at www.ricardovargasmichigan.com

Music is a Story on the Ricardo “Rick” Vargas Southfield Blog

What’s in a Story?

Songs are a story. They use lyrics to emotionally bring you in. The lyrics tell you how the singer is feeling, what is on their mind. The music behind the lyrics works in the same fashion. Music itself is a story. I’ve wrote about music and life here: https://ricardo-vargas-southfield.com/index.php/2020/06/20/music-and-life/

Music can ebb and flow and it can be loud, aggressive, or soft and melodic. All of these changes in a song is on purpose, for the composer of the music to tell a story. That story could be about a particular event, an emotion, a way he or she wants the audience to feel. The listener brings the story to light with the thoughts that can come to mind while listening to the music.

No Words

There are no lyrics in music. It is up to the composer and the listener to make up the story by putting the notes together, by putting the sounds of the music together, and creating a story in their mind. What is even stranger about this is that two people can come up with different stories because the sound is in the ear of the beholder. The composer might want the listener to feel a particular emotion, and instead the user feels something completely different.

Power of Music

This is the power of music. Music is a story and it can be a storybook, a chapter book, or a fiction novel. It can be magical, it can be powerful, it can be emotional. Music is a story.

Thank you for visiting the Ricardo “Rick” Vargas Southfield blog.

You can find out more about me at www.rick-vargas-southfield.com, at www.scenariostationmusic.com, and at www.ricardovargasmichigan.com.

Genres of Music on the Ricardo “Rick” Vargas Southfield Blog

Today on the Ricardo “Rick” Vargas Southfield blog, I write about genres of music. I also write about creating good music here: https://ricardo-vargas-southfield.com/index.php/2020/06/14/creating-good-music/

When you think of all of the different genres of music that exist, the list is as long as you can make it. These days there are so many genres coming together to make a new genre that one can almost bring any two musical thoughts together and call it something new.

A musical genre is defined as a conventional category that identifies some pieces of music as belonging to a shared tradition or set of conventions, according to this page on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_genre

Okay….and?

So when I read this definition and see that it refers to pieces of music that belong to a set of conventions, my first thought it I can create, or anyone can create, their own conventions that a piece of music could belong to. Whatever you want those conventions to be, they can be. It can be rock and pop; it can be classical and country; it could be hip-hop and techno. You can create a new name for that genre. It doesn’t matter – you can make it your own.

How can I apply this to my music?

Whenever you are creating music, do not put yourself in a musical genre. I know when I make music, I float among so many different music genres I feel like I could have my own category. When you apply a certain genre to the music you create, it can hold your creativity back because you think you have to conform to one genre. If you leave it open, and just think – I am only creating music. Who knows what the end result will be? It will leave you open to so much more creativity that you know is possible.

Thank you for visiting the Ricardo “Rick” Vargas Southfield blog.

You can find out more about me at https://www.scenariostationmusic.com and at https://www.ricardovargasmichigan.com

Music and its Effect on Your Day on the Ricardo (Rick) Vargas Southfield Blog

Today I write about music and its effect on one’s mood. I’ve written about music’s effect on your life here: https://ricardo-vargas-southfield.com/index.php/2020/06/20/music-and-life/, but what about the effect it can just have on your one day? Music can have such a powerful effect on your day.

You could wake up cranky and have to drive to work. You put on that one good song to try to change your mood for the day and it just does not work – so you put on another song just to match your mood for the day. And it matches perfectly. You maintain that same mood for the entire work day. Until it is time to go home and you try that uplifting song again and it works this time!

What if we switch around that scenario? What if that uplifting song actually changed your mood for the day? That is the power of music. It can change your mood and it can match your mood. It can bring you down, and it can bring you up. It can keep you at a level playing field or it can accelerate you and give you energy. Music is in the “ear” of the beholder. Whatever you want it to, or whatever your mind wants it to do, it can fulfill.

I encourage you to try this exercise in the coming week. Get a feel for your mood and try to match it with a song. Did it work? Another day, try to change your mood with a song. How did that go?

Music has such a power that you do not even know it has. It is truly amazing.

Thank you for reading my blog post on the Ricardo (Rick) Vargas Southfield blog.

You can find out more about me at www.rick-vargas-southfield.com, at www.scenariostationmusic.com, and at www.ricardovargasmichigan.com.

Music and Happiness on the Ricardo Vargas Southfield Blog

Today, on the Ricardo Vargas Southfield blog, I want to discuss music and its effect on happiness.

Music gives me energy and it makes me feel motivated for the events of the day. I put music on to energize me and get me excited and pumped up for whatever I have going on. I could be driving to an event, meeting up with some friends or family, or just running an errand – it doesn’t matter. I put some music on to get me in a good mood and just feel happy.

Happiness is a state of mind and music can help you get there. When we listen to music, our brains release dopamine, which naturally makes us feel good. When you hear an especially good beat that goes right along with your mood, it can make you feel excited and pumped. Music can take away feelings of sadness and nervousness and redirect your mood to make you feel good.

When music makes you want to dance, it’s another way of making us feel good. So many times I will put on a good song that just makes me want to dance and move around, and this automatically puts me in a good mood. If I hear a song that takes me back to a good memory or a good times in my life, this also makes me happy.

Research shows that people who regularly attend concerts and dance, perform music, or just regularly listen to music, are more likely to feel happy. Get up, throw on a good dance song and just dance! It will instantly make you feel more positive, more energy, and more motivation for the day.

Thank you for visiting me today on the Ricardo Vargas Southfield blog!

You can find out more about me at https://www.scenariostationmusic.com

And at https://www.ricardovargasmichigan.com

Music and Life on the Ricardo Vargas Southfield Blog

Today, on the Ricardo Vargas Southfield blog, I write about music and its effect on life.

I consider the music I write to be a soundtrack to my life. We all have ups and downs. We all have good days and bad days. We all have moments we want to remember. There are so many memories I have where there is music attached. I hear a song, and instantly, a memory pops into my head. Music has that power.

The music I write can be happy, energetic, melancholy, and reflective. All of those descriptions can be in one song, or in many songs. Just depends on the moment I am in, the day I am having, and where I am in life. My music can be chaotic. My music can be relaxed. It can be super upbeat, or have a major tempo change right in the middle of the song.

My life dictates the music I write. Just as a song on the radio can jog a memory while driving, my music writes the story of my life. Music notes are the letters I use to write. The melody and tempo I choose are intentional though I may not realize it until after I have composed the song.

If I am writing a song for a client, it is so important for me to understand the meaning behind what the message is that they want to convey. Without this, there will be no story. You can read more about creating good music here: https://ricardo-vargas-southfield.com/index.php/2020/06/14/creating-good-music/

If you listen to my music, you learn about who I am, where I have come from, and what my story is. You may only learn about me on that one day, but all together, my music is the story of my life.

Thank you for visiting the Ricardo Vargas Southfield blog.

You can find out more about me at www.scenariostationmusic.com, www.rick-vargas.com, and at www.ricardovargasmichigan.com

Creating Good Music on the Ricardo Vargas Southfield blog

Creating Good Music

Today on the Ricardo Vargas Southfield blog, I write about how to create good music.

Creating good music is not easy. It is a process. And it can be a very long process at that. Trying to find the right inspiration to write the perfect song and come up with a great melody can be time-consuming, tedious, and frustrating. Sometimes I find myself creating something to only stop and scratch it all and start over at the beginning.

Writing bad music comes easily sometimes – you start with a beat you think is good, run it by someone, and find out it is not what you thought it would be. You think it’s really good but you may have completely missed the mark. What is important though, is it is part of the process. This is how we get to the end result and creating good music.

Bad music helps you appreciate the good. Making bad music as part of the process of getting to the good part makes it all worth it in the end. If it was not worth it, it would be incredibly frustrating and getting to the good music would never happen.

I find inspiration for music in the strangest places sometimes. And that’s okay. It makes for a good story for the people I am creating the music for. It can be about seeing a visual and picturing what music might be the soundtrack. It could be an old song that you think about in a different light. It could even be a drip in a water faucet that sparks the creativity. You never know what might be the creative spark for that day!

I find my creative juices flow best when I am least expecting it. It is never a process to push – instead you get pulled into it and create a masterpiece when you don’t think you can.

Thank you for visiting the Ricardo Vargas Southfield blog.

You can find out more about me at www.scenariostationmusic.com, www.rick-vargas.com, and at www.ricardovargasmichigan.com

My About Me page is: https://ricardo-vargas-southfield.com/index.php/about-ricardo-vargas-southfield/

Music and Influence on the Ricardo Vargas Southfield blog

Today, on the Ricardo Vargas Southfield blog, I write about music and its effect on influence.

Music is used in advertising, in stores, in medical offices, and other places to continuously evoke a feeling. Music influences us to buy certain items, to feel a certain way, and help us feel emotionally invested in something. Whatever it is that the influencing party wants us to feel. You might be watching television, and music comes on to make you feel emotional, so you feel more of a connection with the characters. You might be at a dentist appointment, and soft, classical music is playing to help you feel calm and relaxed. You might be at a basketball game, and suddenly upbeat, dance music is playing to help you feel excited to root on your favorite team. Music plays such a vital role in our everyday lives and we probably do not even realize it!

Music has such a powerful influence on our society as we know it today. It improves our mood. It increases productivity (as written about in my previous blog post). It can help stimulate intellectual growth. It can reduce stress. Music has such amazing power that I encourage everyone to use music as much as they can as it can help people in so many different ways. Musicians may not even realize the power of music and how what they are performing can have such an influence on society.

I write this blog post to emphasize the importance of music in everything we do. Whether you pay attention to it or not, music is the soundtrack of our lives. Music and influence are a part of our everyday lives.

Thank you for visiting the Ricardo Vargas Southfield blog.

You can find out more about me at https://www.scenariostationmusic.com

And at https://www.ricardovargasmichigan.com