The writer and artist Austin Kleon writes, “You are, in fact, a mashup of what you choose to let into your life.”
The artist is someone who collects things, he says. And what you collect makes up what you share.
You see, we’re all just recycling centers. We take in art, churn it around inside, add our own stuff to it, and spit it out as our own work.
So if you’re not taking any in good art, the end results won’t be as good. (I understand “good” to be subjective to each artist, but you get the idea).
This is why listening to music is a crucial part of making music. What goes in will influence what comes out. So if you listen to poorly assembled music, that’s not going to help you make music you’re more happy with.
It’s not going to help you make more professional-sounding music.