I've talked to some writers who can't write anything with music playing and others who insist on it. I like to have something playing, but not everything works. Vocals, for instance. Maybe it's a case of conflicting words, but usually (with exceptions noted below) I can't focus with somebody else's words floating in the air. For the most part, instrumental jazz works best. Some art music (classical, if you want to call it that) really works well too. So here's my preferred list of music to write to:
Going for the One – Yes
It has lyrics, but they're out there and the music is so other-worldly, it works.
Monster – R.E.M.
I don't even like this band, but for some reason this disc gets the creative juices flowing. Go figure.
Maiden Voyage – Herbie Hancock
Blue Train – John Coltrane
Bitches Brew – Miles Davis
Just about anything by Pat Metheny (The Way Up and Imaginary Day are both good)
Symphony No. 2 – Howard Hanson/Saint Louis/Slatkin
Most of the Beethoven symphonies (I have this set.)
Mozart "Haydn" String quartets (I have this set.)
Deja Vu – North Texas Wind Symphony/Eugene Corporon
There's some real high energy music here. (Plus I never get tired of hearing Cindy's solo on "Blue Shades.")
Today's word count: 300 so far. Break's over; back to it.
2 comments:
I used to be a fanatical NO SOUND WHEN I'M WRITING zealot: no television, music, conversations, dogs barking, blenders, pneumatic jacks, etc. Then I got a job where I went to an office with 80 other people (and their attendant noises) and had to write.
Blue Shades: one of the few pieces that I have successfully refused to have ruined for me by hearing it from a marching band. (I had no such success with Ghost Train or Clifton Williams' Symphonic Dance No. 3.)
I particularly like music when I am working on novels -- indeed, I'm sort of a themesong junkie and I own quite a number of soundtrack CD's. So my Great Unfinished Epic is written to two Kate Winslet films: Titanic and Jude (one of the most beautiful and haunting soundtracks ever), as well as some Braveheart (the woman heroine of my story is Scots/British, redhaired and a starship warrior, so clearly I am using the emotional tie-ins to the movies through the musics as well).
I did the last two weeks of library research for my doctoral dissertation with Basia and Enya on either side of a casette tape. Hearing Basia in the grocery store often evokes a visceral response (grin), so one does have to be careful about the music one chooses.
I tend to put something on infinite repeat and let it meld into the background.
I also use music for Final Grades: Quarterflash, Blondie, plus soundtracks for Braveheart and The Mark of Zorro.
Dr. Phil
Post a Comment