finding inspiration through music

[Quantus]

Dude's coming back for Terminator 5...

[The Deposed King]

Dude's coming back for Terminator 5...

Listened to a lot of: The Downeaster Alexa by Billy Joel when I was stuck on the other side of the world working as a nurse and trying to write part time.  It got me through a lot of work (Singing it) and then writing in my spare time too.

Although in general I prefer something with a bit more of 'lets go get them' or as JB likes to put it, angry young men singing.




The Deposed King

[Aminar]

I write best with music.  In all reality I write best in chaos.  Something on TV, Music in headphones, people everywhere.  No idea why.

[Snowleopard]

^
Maybe that's how you disconnect the governor in your head that exerts
control over your imagination.

(In case you didn't know - governor - a device that keeps the speed of a vehicle from
going past a certain point.  A lot of school buses had/have? that on them.)

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

Mostly if I am writing to music it will be to either songs where I know the lyrics by heart, or ones where the lyrics are in a language I do not know.

I can't edit or revise to music at all, but sometimes it is good for first drafts.

[Sully]

I'm like Neurovore.  Maybe for a 1st write, but not anything after. 

My problem with writing and music in tandem is that I tend to listen to actively listen to music.  I don't do passive listening very well, or very consistently.

Sometimes a brisk piece is helpful to keep me from landing in the doldrums though.  The enforced tempo can be great for mandating mental activity.

What I DO like doing is brainstorming while listening to music.  Especially dramatic concertos, or operas.  Has to be a multi movement piece though.  Stand alone ones don't tend to have enough contrast.

And some times you just have to break out the O Fortuna 

Clearly, your fingers do not develop phantom pain from the experience of having to play Carmina.    It's glorious, amazing and incredible, yes.  That's matched with draining, exhausting, stiffening and aching.   Marriage of Figaro is the same way.  At least Carmina has its easy bits though, Mozart always takes it out of you.  He's so damned unforgiving.

[Quantus]

I'm like Neurovore.  Maybe for a 1st write, but not anything after. 

My problem with writing and music in tandem is that I tend to listen to actively listen to music.  I don't do passive listening very well, or very consistently.

Sometimes a brisk piece is helpful to keep me from landing in the doldrums though.  The enforced tempo can be great for mandating mental activity.

What I DO like doing is brainstorming while listening to music.  Especially dramatic concertos, or operas.  Has to be a multi movement piece though.  Stand alone ones don't tend to have enough contrast.

Same for me.  Lyrics get distracting when Im writing, in the same way it's distracting to listen to some jerk rattle off random numbers while you're trying to do math 

Clearly, your fingers do not develop phantom pain from the experience of having to play Carmina.    It's glorious, amazing and incredible, yes.  That's matched with draining, exhausting, stiffening and aching.   Marriage of Figaro is the same way.  At least Carmina has its easy bits though, Mozart always takes it out of you.  He's so damned unforgiving.

Clearly I am musically useless and have never experienced that sort of pain    My parents tried to get a late 80's computer to teach me to play the piano as a kid, but it was an abyssal failure. 

[The Deposed King]

Been alternating between Downeaster Alexa to put me in the 'back against the wall' mood and then metallica for when I'm actually writing.  Sadly most of my metallica is their later stuff.  I need some 2x4 and that Genie one where 'I wish I may, I wish I might' I need some power tunes!



The Deposed King

[spywolf]

I actually find it difficult to write without music. I have a selection of tracks I use for inspiring certain types of scene and I've been known to come up with new scenes or even whole book ideas just listening to a particular piece of music.

this is me
I am always listening to music when I am writing
does not matter if it is a project for school or a creatie writing project I am doing in my free time...

[Carnifex:Pacifex]

just out of curiosity, does anyone here listen to Post-Rock? bands like Mono, GodSpeed You BLack EMperor, or This Will Destroy You?
generally the slow, mellow, emotional rock that builds up into legendary climaxes?  can be really beautiful, or incredibly sorrowful?
If not, and if you are curious, and if you have the thyme, I would reccomend checking out Mono's "ashes in the snow" for a great example.

I mostly mention thise because Post-Rock tends to be the most inspiring for me.

[Dom]

I tend to come up with ideas to music.  But for the actual translation from ideas to fingers, I can't have music on.  It would be, to me, like having a fiction book open next to me as I write...much too likely to push me off-course.

[gatordave96]

just out of curiosity, does anyone here listen to Post-Rock? bands like Mono, GodSpeed You BLack EMperor, or This Will Destroy You?
generally the slow, mellow, emotional rock that builds up into legendary climaxes?  can be really beautiful, or incredibly sorrowful?
If not, and if you are curious, and if you have the thyme, I would reccomend checking out Mono's "ashes in the snow" for a great example.

I mostly mention thise because Post-Rock tends to be the most inspiring for me.

I was not familiar with the term post-rock until I looked it up.  Spent some time listening to excerpts of the bands that you mentioned.  Intriguing.  I may need to pick some of it up and give it a try.  Right now, I'm on a progressive music kick -- Porcupine Tree, Coheed & Cambria, Anathema, Transatlantic, and the Flower Kings.

[Carnifex:Pacifex]

sweet. ill check thsoe guys out, Im in need of some new artists ^_^

[Ulfgeir]

Often write with music on. Either mp3's on winamp, some CD's or listening to an online radiostation (www.regenradio.net). That siad, if I listen to the radiostation I will often check into the chat associated to it as well so it willdefinetly cut down on my writing...

/Ulfgeir