Adam Neely on YouTube and the Future of Music 

I think academia has a way of making composition and the study of music "precious." Often there's a build-in attitude of intellectualism vs. passions of learning which I call "an Eros of learning"--that unfortunately is carried over into life/art after the degree or degrees. Ultimately this separation of intellectualism and passion/service to others only serves to separate the individual from their own bodies and heart, which is what motivates the Living of Life Well. Signed, Adam's mom, a classical musician and passionate educator.

Two of my favorite music youtubers, what a pleasant surprise.

I’m a 65 years old man who dabbles in piano. I’m “addicted” to Adam, Rick Beato, and now Samuel. What I enjoy about these videos is the challenge they present to my limited knowledge and understanding of music, especially theory. I don’t know if I really learn much. Hearing, for example, Adam talking rapidly (too rapidly?) about unfamiliar or complex chord structures, sometimes makes me feels like a visitor to another planet. I wonder if I’m a complete outlier in that regard, or if many other people find it entertaining to watch experts hold forth on subjects that they aren’t really equipped for. I guess Adam touched on this when he spoke about watching content about string theory.

Look out, Sam. Adam is trying to steal your haircut.

When you are an accomplished composer who finds out they're an even better interviewer. A person which the two of you may want to check out is Brett Victor. He has somewhat disappeared from the Internet, but he used to be very influential in the area of computer science and programming, while his underlying subject was how humanity can improve in transferring knowledge, in particular in creative processes. The passage where Adam discussed how mathematical formulas tend to switch him off and how music notation may have a similar effect on the uneducated, reminded me of his conceptual thinking. RU-vid itself is a proof point of Victor's ideas: when there's a new interface, learning (knowledge transfer) takes a major leap.

Excellent interview and a great perspective.

What a wonderful thing to see pop up in my subscription box. Interesting conversation ; I love both Adam and Samuel's videos!

A crossover RU-vid pairing as obvious as it is unexpected. Well done Samuel

Whao!!! What a treat! Two channels I'm subscribed to coming together! Nice Sunday surprise!

as an amateur musician that plays the uke and toy piano I was really happy to hear the discussion at the end about the casio rapman! I like instruments that make people smile.

PRO TIP for Sam: Make sure the synths and the vocals are NOT in the same key.

This is crazy! Worlds are colliding. From Jordan Peterson to Adam Neeley. Good job Samuel!

You two having a discussion is hyperreal, to me you both are like the 3blue1brown of music.

Two of my favorite music youtubers, together at last!! Great discussion, thank you!

I should have figured you cats had connected. Thanks for this conversation. Rock on both of you.

Thanks to both of you. Great discussion :)

How did this collaboration come about? Echoing many of the comments below, this was quite a pleasant surprise.

This is a great video, and an important discussion on the future of music and the role of the internet in reaching and expanding audiences. Especially with regards to contemporary classical music, the survival of which (in any commercial sense) I think will come to depend more upon this medium (especially in a climate of increasing austerity like in the UK, which inevitably will hit the arts qutie hard).

Excellent conversation. I hope the future of music, especially of the complex and experimental kind, will look very bright. You guys keep on doing what you currently are doing, it's great content.

fantastic video, especially if you're trying to start a career in music

That was an hour well spent. Thank you!

great interview loved the Captain Beef heart video BTW, I am now subscribed and will keep listening. Both you and Adam are so different 'slow thoughtful dude vs 'the speedy digital dude'. I mean that in a good way.

Pretty interesting video.

A further thought in case you still read these comments: One of the most engaging videos of yours was the first lecture you uploaded (just audio). This was because you specifically told a bit of your story, and that gave so much context into why you make these videos, why you are the way you present yourself, etc. Perhaps you might consider breaking up the analysis videos with short biographical videos that could draw more people to your channel. If your overall viewer base increases, that will spread out to your existing and future videos. Let's just say we like to watch things that appeal to our humanity, in addition to learning. So although I'm eager to learn more about, say, Webern and his works, I would be much more interested if you could relate your feelings and experiences to Webern via this medium. If I wanted (and I have), I would just go to Wikipedia and read from the sources there to learn. However, the personal touch you can give your videos will make everything so much more enjoyable to connect with.

Hi Mr. Andreyev! Great video. First of all, I'm 54 years old and started watching Adam Neely prior to watching you; I hope I'm not his only old guy subscriber, or yours for that matter. I very much enjoyed this video. I first became aware of your channel through the Trout Mask Replica piece. I had never heard the album ( It was available used for $35.), but have since purchased it and burned it onto my server. Have you analysed Emerson, Lake, and Palmer. What about Frank Zappa (He produced Trout Mask Replica, as you well know.)? I started playing drums and percussion when I was 9. My professional responsibilities, as well as the incredible lack of responsibility of many not-professional, if you will, musicians has caused me to move away from the drums, though I play now and then. Currently I'm working on integrating Ableton Live, with a Moog Mother-32, a Yamaha S90XS, an Akai MKP249, and my drums in a recording studio setup geared to performance, if only in my home. Since you seem to know about virtual and electronic composition, I'd love to see something on that. Also, my professional endeavors are in the realm of science. My children have both played music since they were 4 (one of them voice, piano, and cello [by her own request a year ago - she's seven]) and they are very into math and one of them science. I'm not in the least bit surprised that Adam Neely is attracted to those types of videos. I very much would like to learn something on the intersection of electricity physics and electronic synthesis. You and Mr. Neely are both up to that challenge. Obviously, you've both got me thinking. Thank you for your time.

Thanks for this insightful discussion!

I'm really interested in Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima by Krzysztof Penderecki, have you thought about making a video about. I don't have a grasp on music like you do and would like to see what your expertise would reveal about it

OHH Neely!! Nice! Love both of you guys!!

Wow two idols of mine talking 😍

Excellent. Thanks 😀

Great video! It gave me a lot to think about. I'm a jazz composer.

ooooooooooh this is amazing

Of course Trout Mask Replica will get you the most amount of views. Everyone knows that!

very nice midnight surprise here in SLC utaw

When Adam talked about how his combination tones video didn't get many views, it reminded me of a story FrankJavCee told about how he spent a lot of time making a binaural beats video that didn't get many views but then made a video in a day titled "how to vaportrap" that got hella views.

Awesome man, keep it up!

This is fantastic! I wonder if that question about music literacy for the general public also has implications in regards to how musicians approach the physicality of playing music? Considering the propensity of physical injury amongst musicians I wonder if a practical analysis of the relational nature of efficient body use could be communicated via RU-vid?

Yeah nice.

I wonder if composers were routinely trained also as conductors, would this add a performative aspect to composing which would add a degree of value-added labour for the purpose of monetisation?

10:47 How Adam gets people excited

Very insightful

for the next Q+A: Hey, Adam Can you elaborate on why the Dominant chord is called... Dominant (dominate)? Thanks!

youre channel seems to be at the intersection of many of my favorite things on the planet. Its remarkable. Jonathan Pageau/Jordan Peterson, Beefheart, Velvet Underground, Adam Neely... All discussed from one source?? good lord.

oh shit worlds colliding

Amazing conversation, if I had a dollar for every time Sam blinked, I would be the richest man alive.

21:07 Speaking as a person "who is older" (GenX), I quite enjoy both Adam and Samuel's channels, in different ways for different reasons, though I am admittedly unlikely to walk up to either of you on the street and say "OMG" anything.

Anime crossover!!

The term 'classical music' has become meaningless. When people ask me whether I lke classical music I say yes out of laziness. It covers everything from Bach and before to Stockhausen and Andreyev. The classical composers were Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and to some extent Schubert. The French categorise Beethoven as a Romantic but I see him as classical for the way he connects details to the whole. For the amorphous use of the term I write Klassikal. I notice that Samuel talks of classical and contemporary.

"Started with a youtube channel." Interesting. How does one do that, exactly? You simply post to youtube and automatically all sorts of people find you and decided to subscribe? How do they find you? If I tried to "start a youtube channel" I'm sure I'd get nowhere, regardless of how good a job I did. So what's the secret?

Webern brought me here (via the algorithm).

You lost me, Neel...LOL

omg

Adam neely doesn't even play dirty chords

Adam normally looks so slick, why does he look so crap here?

Be careful with those “click-bait-y” titles. I see them as a sign of someone desperate for views, hyping a sure-to-disappoint video. In a way, I think you are exploiting the gullibility of children and naive audiences. I want clear, concise videos that say exactly what they are, and aren’t entry-level BS. Too much market malarkey, and I learn to avoid your videos. I will not find your good videos if they are mixed in with rubbish.