The Music to Move Worlds

Have you ever been driving down the road, listening to the radio, and that song comes on? You know, the one that drains all the tension from your body and puts a smile on your face. You crank up the volume, to share with the cars around you, because that song is so awesome, and you know everyone else will love it as much as you do. And for a few minutes at least, you can relax and enjoy the concert of one, starring you, of course. :)

Maybe that song triggers a memory. Whenever I hear Don’t Know What You Got (Till it’s Gone) by Cinderella, I’m transported back to my junior high dances, and I sigh and think, ‘I love this song’. Or maybe that song sets your mind free and you can think deeper and more freely than you normally would. Whatever the result, you feel a physical change from that song.

Music has played a huge role in my life. I grew up watching musicals, and I’ve probably seen or listened to Annie and The Sound of Music at least 100 times each. My mother was always singing or whistling, which is something I picked up on. Though, my kids usually just look bewildered and stare at me like I’m crazy when something they say activates that part of my brain, and I belt out some show tune tidbit.

Now, please don’t think I’m saying I could ever sing on Broadway or anywhere public. I wouldn’t say I’m particularly bad, but that doesn’t mean I’m good either. I’m in that middle ground. Somewhere between the contestants on American Idol that are so incredibly awesome you’re too stunned to speak, and the ones that are so terrible, you can’t help wondering why no one loved them enough to tell they were awful before they humiliated themselves on national television. Sometimes, that show is just so sad.

With the influence music has had on my life, it’s only natural it would play a role in my writing as well. I’ve found that when I’m stuck on a particular point, if I turn on certain songs, it all starts to flow again. Granted, it doesn’t work every single time, but it works most of the time.

Though I have very broad tastes in music, ranging from Bach and Mozart to Pink Floyd and Metallica, my favorite thing to listen to while I’m writing is Evanescence, especially the Open Door album. I don’t know what it is, but it gets me in that groove, and it just feels like my story. There’s no other way to describe it. Even when I’m listening to it in the car, I can’t help thinking about what’s happening next, and how I’m going to work that scene.

So, I want to know. Does music influence your writing? Do the words flow better with something humming in the background or do you need complete silence? And what’s in your playlist?