Jacob Collier: When Music Theory Destroys Creativity

We don't deserve Jacob, people are crying cause they don't get it due to lack of musical education. It takes a wider mind set in regard to what the experience of music really is to truly appreciate Jacob's complex creations

Although i'm not a fan of his music as well, you can't tell that jacob collier isn't creative. He experiments very much with samples, instruments and musical phragments. Also, music doesn't have to be creative. Sometimes just the musical idea makes ist enjoyable. Also music theory never tells you what you HAVE to do. It just helps you to sharp your ideas and gives you guidlines that may help you. It's always better to know music theory when you're a composer, although you never have to use it. That's what Jacob says as well. If you dont like his music thats probably because you dont like his ideas. Not because he knows about music theory. But wether you like them depends on you subjective taste. There's no such thing as objectively good or bad music.

You people really don’t understand what he’s doing, do you? It’s not about the product, it’s about the process. He’s an artist and artists have to have room to do weird stuff and make mistakes in order to creatively grow, not make perfectly measured albums based on four chords.

The over-complexity argument in this video is interesting considering your editing style. (and mine, btw)

see i used to agree with absolutely everything in this video, and then i watched his “a rock somewhere x the seed” video with aurora and it basically completely changed my mind about him

yet another one of these types of videos. nice.

I think he i just having fun. It ended up pushing him into the big music world but he hasn't sold himself to anyone and keeps having fun. Im fan of him but i dont like all his songs. Some i skip, some i play on repeat. Its whatever resonates with me and others.
Its simple – if you dont like JC, skip him. Talking loads of rubbish means you still care.

He sure does talk a lot but to me, his music proves the opposite to his words. Sadly its the squeaky wheel that gets the oil.

I still don't get how it destroys creativity

I don’t see Jacob Collier knocking anyone else’s music. He has said many times there is no good or bad music, the music either moves you or it doesn’t. What I see in this video is jealousy and an inferiority complex. I’ll sum up your idiotic video so people don’t have to put up with your drivel. “I don’t like Jacob Colliers music for these reasons, (mostly it’s just too complex for me) therefore it’s bad ‘soulless’music”. Who knew you were the arbiter of what is soulful and what isn’t. Get over yourself.

Thank you.

Never heard of this guy until now but it strikes me he grew up talented from the get go and this is all he knows. Not a crime per se, but maybe annoying to other people.
I play, but know very little about theory.
I do however have a good ear and understand the importance of keys.
I even understand and use alternate tunings. Works for me. I enjoy playing and really got into this to get away from jock mentality.
Some people are just so natural they don't have to try….
But I'm not one of them.

Sorry,but hes extremely annoying

Seeing the goofiest musician putting complexity in his music and immediately interpreting it as a "flex" says a lot about a person. I've haven't seen Collier putting himself above a single person, and he regularly collabs with artists that make far simpler music, so he obviously doesn't think less of it. And describing his music as both "advert music" and "too complex" is an oxymoron that I cannot take seriously. Of course his music isn't for everyone but to me this sort of criticism looks like an attempt to rationalize one's personal taste as resulting from some sort of ground truth. Maybe his singing doesn't sound emotional to you because his vibe doesn't resonate with you personally (which you already mention yourself), not because "he is singing too well". There are many ways to put emotion into your voice that don't involve pitch, like the softness in his voice on Little Blue.

What a take! I guess it's easy to get clicks when his name is in your title; you don't have to really say anything of substance. Anyway, he's got great songs, he's got shit songs

A quite bewildering array of b stock.
The same point being reiterated so many times. Collier just seems to be too clever for his own good.

'Jason cauliflower music is not meant for everyone, therefore some people hate it but some people love it'

-this video, basically

His "technically skill playing instruments"? Have you actually watched the dude play guitar? Watched him play piano? He mediocre at best, he's just a studio baby who quantizes and autotunes everything into place.

With the extensive knowledge of jazz music and overall music theory that Jacob has the only thing you coulda put a blame on is that his new releases become more and more pop-sounding. Bro doesn't know a thing about bob or post bob music when people over complex their music litteraly to be not like the others.
Complex music as so modern art requires listener preparation – different harmony, different melody movement etc, like for African music that doesn't have a melody at all

You managed to make an entire video about the guy without including a single note from his tracks. Thank you.

Hm, the theory isn't the problem. The complexity isn't even the problem. The problem is either just a lack of creativity, or it could be that not every listener appreciates the beauty in complex music. Which is fine. If no-one liked simpler music then Adam Levine and Dan Reynolds would be working at a Walmart or something. And if no-one liked complex music then Thom Yorke would probably be a lot more moody. To me, it can be a rewarding experience when a piece of music is a little bit scary and strange at first, just to keep finding new details and nods that make you realise how genius it really is. And music theory or really whatever vocabulary you have to craft interesting music is just like any other language. Some people will think you're a douche for using a fancy word. But that word probably has a much more precise meaning or a specific connotation. Those who know about that meaning and connotation will be able to appreciate the poetry and punctiliousness. It's cool if you just want to say that someone is kind. But when you mean "magnanimous", say magnanimous. Why dumb it down. If you have a word that best describes what you try to say, then just say it. I couldn't care less if it makes me look like a douche.

He is incredible, but his music is boring af. : /