Hobby or Religion?

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elescher

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Sep 12, 2010
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I was thinking about how our audio endeavors are often termed as being a hobby. As I can only speak for myself in this matter, it is much much more. From age 8-13 I was forced to go to a conservative Hebrew School, 3 days a week, 2 hours a day, and I never missed a day. Everything in the classrooms was spoken in Hebrew, and frankly, I never understood a single word of it. I memorized the Hebrew alphabet and learned how to count to ten. I still remember how to say "dog" in Hebrew, which in itself is quite ironic. The sad reality is that the day after I was Barmitvahed I left that world behind me and took nothing of it with me. Never looked back. More important than the academic however, was the lack of spiritual fulfillment. For this I turned to music.

Just to be clear, all this has nothing to do with my relationship with God, a different subject all together. But when I think about all the time, dedication, effort, and PASSION; I know this is more than a hobby for me. It's a lifeline. I don't think I could be happy without it. It's part of who I am, and the only parallel I can make of its' importance and meaning to me, would be to that of the majority of mans' relationship to their church or synagogue, or whatever.

Maybe John Lennon had a point.
 

JackD201

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
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Catholic born and raised. Jesuit trained to boot. One thing I can say is that when attending mass and a great choir is there, the religious experience is magnified a hundred fold. Thank the Big Guy upstairs for the gift of music. :)
 

JackD201

WBF Founding Member
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I didn't support him but he won Dan. Now if you have a problem with ME just get it out of your system already instead of taking it out on my country or any of my countrymen.
 

Big Dog RJ

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Feb 2, 2012
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Amen to that! When I read the word "dog" my ears perked up, since I'm known as big dog!

I strongly believe it is a religion, or probably something more than that. I know so many people who are depressed, hate their jobs, over stressed, cannot cope day to day with their divorces, and always want something more to than just go to work and earn a pay cheque. The funny thing is when some of them come round to my place and just sit and talk and then listen to some of my music, they relax! They even forget what they were complaining about in the first place, I kid you not!

Hence, probably the reason why my wifey cannot understand why I'm so dam happy when the Quads are working and world is sinking...
I feel our music and our systems are a form of therapy for us. When I'm feeling down, financial crisis, lost a job or was handed a parking ticket, I just head home, do a quick work out, shower and relax to music. The worries just disappear, and if I don't get this dose at least 3-4 times a week, I go completely nuts... It's almost like a drug.

Since I'm on a new project now and work just 4 days a week, guess what the other days are spent on? yep you guessed it.
I also spend a lot of time reading up on musician's lives. For example, Ray Charles, and Eva Cassidy, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Brown and the legendary Miles Davis all have a story to tell and when you read about them and their life, you actually appreciate their music even more. The other day I was reading about Nina Simone, and the amount of work she did as a human rights activist. Who on earth would have thought about all this and think that they really did try their best to support the cause.

Nowadays musicians don't do anything of this nature, they just run to a digital workshop and create some junk in the garage... oops shouldn't have said that! But you get my point. Today's new stars on the rise like the young ones who use so much auto voice, they have no clue what real music is, they don't even know about the original songs, made nearly a century ago, and now they are just tuned differently. Nothing is hardly original or written, it's all copied if some form or other.

For example, the other day my daughter was listening to the new release of "Fast Car" that has been teared to crap with this new release by some stupid group. They just ruin the Tracy Chapman original. I told her that song is no where original. I played her the original on both LP & CD, and she went "ah! dad that sounds real nice" then she asked me why the hec did they remix and release that same tune to sort of sound like mash potatoes...? go figure.

You see, so it's more than a religion or hobby, because we also appreciate what the original artists have done, and all the effort they have put in to making and delivering real music.
Therefore, I really don't know what to call it other than you have already stated "a way of life" I guess...
Cheers to that, RJ
 

morricab

Well-Known Member
Apr 25, 2014
9,391
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I was thinking about how our audio endeavors are often termed as being a hobby. As I can only speak for myself in this matter, it is much much more. From age 8-13 I was forced to go to a conservative Hebrew School, 3 days a week, 2 hours a day, and I never missed a day. Everything in the classrooms was spoken in Hebrew, and frankly, I never understood a single word of it. I memorized the Hebrew alphabet and learned how to count to ten. I still remember how to say "dog" in Hebrew, which in itself is quite ironic. The sad reality is that the day after I was Barmitvahed I left that world behind me and took nothing of it with me. Never looked back. More important than the academic however, was the lack of spiritual fulfillment. For this I turned to music.

Just to be clear, all this has nothing to do with my relationship with God, a different subject all together. But when I think about all the time, dedication, effort, and PASSION; I know this is more than a hobby for me. It's a lifeline. I don't think I could be happy without it. It's part of who I am, and the only parallel I can make of its' importance and meaning to me, would be to that of the majority of mans' relationship to their church or synagogue, or whatever.

Maybe John Lennon had a point.


Nope, for me it is just a hobby that happens to satisfy some emotional needs in my life as well as intellectual needs.
 

bonzo75

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Feb 26, 2014
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It is strange that no one is describing it like a crack addiction
 

jadis

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Apr 28, 2010
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Catholic born and raised. Jesuit trained to boot. One thing I can say is that when attending mass and a great choir is there, the religious experience is magnified a hundred fold. Thank the Big Guy upstairs for the gift of music. :)

Same here. Had 3 retreats in my senior year in college, where simple songs accompanied by a guitar could mean all the joy and inspiration one gets from a 'boring' retreat. Inspirational albums like Hymns Triumphant and Proprius' Kornet Har Sin Vila became my favorites almost as soon as I heard them, as they bring me back to those times when music was for inspiration, not just relaxation.
 

Al M.

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Sep 10, 2013
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Nowadays musicians don't do anything of this nature, they just run to a digital workshop and create some junk in the garage... oops shouldn't have said that! But you get my point. Today's new stars on the rise like the young ones who use so much auto voice, they have no clue what real music is, they don't even know about the original songs, made nearly a century ago, and now they are just tuned differently. Nothing is hardly original or written, it's all copied if some form or other.

For example, the other day my daughter was listening to the new release of "Fast Car" that has been teared to crap with this new release by some stupid group. They just ruin the Tracy Chapman original. I told her that song is no where original. I played her the original on both LP & CD, and she went "ah! dad that sounds real nice" then she asked me why the hec did they remix and release that same tune to sort of sound like mash potatoes...? go figure.

You see, so it's more than a religion or hobby, because we also appreciate what the original artists have done, and all the effort they have put in to making and delivering real music.
Therefore, I really don't know what to call it other than you have already stated "a way of life" I guess...
Cheers to that, RJ

I have no nostalgia. I like the old artists, but also the new. Perhaps with pop and rock you have more of a point, even though there are still great original artists out there (I am currently into 21st Century Breakdown by Green Day, an album from 2009 with some fantastic and complex song writing, as well as superior coherence as a band). But the best of contempary jazz and classical is just as riveting to me as what the great masters of the past have to offer. I am into the avantgarde though in both, which may not be everyone's cup of tea.
 

thedudeabides

Well-Known Member
Jan 16, 2011
2,126
651
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Alto, NM
Nope, for me it is just a hobby that happens to satisfy some emotional needs in my life as well as intellectual needs.

Perfect answer. As with anything in life, balance is the key.

Unfortunately, there are some, in my view, that take it way too seriously and, as a result, become obsessive and neurotic. Not healthy for one's happiness and enjoyment of life.
 

thedudeabides

Well-Known Member
Jan 16, 2011
2,126
651
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Alto, NM
It is strange that no one is describing it like a crack addiction

IMHO, only the "way over the top", neurotic type would describe it that way.

There are many things in life that are important to worry about. Audio should not be one of them.
 

Rodney Gold

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Jan 29, 2014
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What comes between hobby and religion?
 

elescher

Member Sponsor
Sep 12, 2010
201
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New York
BTW, I also think that in the same way that a lot of people "congregate" for religious ceremony, participation in fora like these provide me with a similar kind of satisfaction.
 
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