I think it's possible if you're doing a solo piece, but to create a whole song with loads of different instruments without any influences seems to elude possibility. What do you guys think?

[Blazingmonga]

I think you are asking a slightly vague and abstract question.

What do you class as an 'influence' in this context? You could be meaning many things.

Hmm.

Everything we do is always a product of what we have been exposed to, I think it's impossible to create anything without influences. The most I'd say is that a mix of influences can occur whereby it's difficult to pinpoint exactly what those influences are. Or maybe I've misunderstood the question.

there's not much to misunderstand there, fragility. and: you got the point. everything is influenced by everything. the universe is omnicausal.

everything is influenced by everything. the universe is omnicausal.

And if there's a tornado tomorrow: sorry, I let one rip

even from just a musical influences standpoint I think it would be impossible to do, because if you didn't have some base starting point you'd basically be lost.

I think it's impossible, or at least close to impossible. You'd have to have been influenced by the concept of music to begin with.

I think you are asking a slightly vague and abstract question.

What do you class as an 'influence' in this context? You could be meaning many things.

Hmm.

I mean a musical influence, from certain artists etc

also impossible.

Impossible. If you could wipe your 'brain slate' clean, then the very concept of what music, and musical notes and arrangements are, is meaningless.

We'd be back to banging hollowed out tree trunks with clubs.

But......if anyone could, it'd probably be dev. *choke slurp slurp*

hmm, regarding certain artists or pieces as an influence, dev's stuff might really be not very influenced, but seeing him claim that it "writes itself" it certainly is fueled by a lot of influences.

and what's the problem at all? music has only evolved from boom-boom to composition, BECAUSE artists influeced other artists.

Basic concepts to be understood:

Influence doesn't spell copying/un-originality.
Originality doesn't spell "without influence".
Music itself means influence, if you have music, SOMETHING influenced it. Even in case of abstract mathematical soulless music there is the very concept of "abstract mathematical soulless music" that influenced it to be the way it is. There is no music without influence.

In the case of artists, that certainly is possible. Have a kid in southern Kansas (generic shithole for us europeans, sorry ) with a guitar in the house and no record player. If he grasps it, chances are he'll be spewing out listenable music that is not influenced by any artist in particular, but is very much influenced by everything surrounding him.

That's a good way of putting it. It really does depend on how you look at the question.

I said it was possible because when I write music, I just play until I hear something I like coming from my instrument. I very rarely start off with an idea in mind, it's usually I just musically waffle until I hear something cool that I might use. I'm not using influence as such to write the song.

If it were not possible to make music without influences, then music would never have been invented.

If it were not possible to make music without influences, then music would never have been invented.

You actually have a point there... I suppose I should've thought of that. Then again, music could've been an accident.