Sunday, May 15, 2011

Music

Can't we just listen to music? I repeatedly asked Tyler this weekend.

Because, it was, what Tyler called, 'a big sports weekend' for him with The Player's Championship (golf) and cycling on all in one weekend. We have a small apartment so it means either the television is on or the IPod. One or the other. So we must compromise and take turns.

The characters in my current WIP demand that I listen to music and write about it, which has been this incredibly challenging and exciting task. I need complete silence when I write but lately I must stop in between paragraphs, words, and sentences. I must take pause, close my eyes and listen over and over to the songs. To the voices, to the hammering of a drum, to the way the piano notes skip and fall.

With the Linda Eder concert coming up (this Friday!) and playing catch up on 3 weeks of NBC's "The Voice" this rainy afternoon, it seems I can not get enough music. I want to listen to more and more.

So my ears are eager to know: what you are listening to right now? Who are the musicians that inspire you?

8 comments:

  1. I've been listening to Keith Jarrett's Concert at Koln album, not sure why. It's the best selling solo piano recital ever and completely improvised. Just a man and a piano. Something baout that appeals to me I guess.

    mood
    Moody Writing

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  2. Usually I have a song or two that I listen to obsessively for each WIP (like a mini sndtrk), but nothing has struck me yet as inspirational gold for my current WIP.

    On a personal note, I'm listening to Cyndi Lauper "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" right now :)

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  3. Florence and the machine, bob Schneider, and always my favor jonatha Brooke. I watched one episode of the voice and liked it so I want to tune in again this week!

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  4. Wrote a whole long comment, but Blogger ate it. Hmph.

    My first novel was really music-based. My male MC was a musician, a guitar player and song writer, and he was inspired by the same music I love, classic rock. I'd often find the YouTube video of whatever song was inspiring me at the time and listen to it a few times before starting to write. It helped. Music gives me energy when I write.

    I just started a new story this weekend (I have the whole thing outlined, which I've never done before. I'm even using notecards! Everyone say, "Oooooooh!"). Once again, my male MC is into music, he's a singer, and I find myself again listening to music and, this time, reading lyrics so I can put together some of the my own lyrics he sings (I did this with the last one too, but the song genres are totally different). And the music I'm listening to is light years apart from what I'm listening to. This time, it's...*whispers* boy bands. Yup. I'm 30 years old and scouring YouTube for N'Sync, Backstreet Boys, and Big Time Rush. It's embarrassing. The things we do for our craft, right?

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  5. I love all kinds of music. From Bach to the Stones. All kinds except country, that is. *shiver*

    When I am writing I do not listen to any music though. It gets my mind off what I'm doing. :-) (Uh, yeah, I can walk and chew gum at the same time, why do ya ask?) :-)

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  6. When I'm writing I don't put music on, but as the compuer is in the lounge, I have learnt to block out background noise from the tv.

    However, I'm always listening to my i-pod and would be lost without it. At the moment, I've been listening to Adele, Ellie Goulding, Plan B and The script. Although I have been listening to the Tinie Tempah album obsessively lately.

    What about you? What kind of music do you like?

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  7. Right now I've been listening to Deadmau5, DJ Tiesto and Vampire Weekend. The techno music is helpful when I need music to energize my fingers and brain cells to write and Vampire Weekend helps me dance out my frustrated when I get stuck.

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  8. I love listening to my teen's music when I'm working on my YA...not when I'm actually writing, but when I'm thinking about the storyline. :) To write I need silence or white noise.

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