Music & Writing

[Elandaria]

Do you listen to music while you are writing? (no matter if it is creative writing, calligraphy, or just doodling)

 

If you do, what kind of music do you listen to?

 

Which artist you listen to?

 

Which songs or pieces?

 

 

I don't always listen to music because sometimes I am very concentrated while writing, but when I do I always listen to Bach, almost exclusively the piano works (or clavier interpreted on piano); The well tempered clavier, the Partitas and the Goldberg variations are my favorites.

Edited September 13, 2016 by Elandaria

[PaganArcher]

Almost exclusively metal of some type, but usually the band TYR from the Faroe Islands. As much of their songbase is Norse lore in music form, the storytelling keeps my mind moving and keeps me from getting stuck by over thinking anything.

[Octo]

For casual writing, nearly any music will do as long as it isn't intrusive.

 

For serious writing, "Thursday Afternoon" by Brian Eno is my mainstay. It has no melody, just a series of pleasant notes that don't direct my thoughts, but that do shift me into that state where creativity resides (Theta) as well as blocking out environmental distractions.

[estie1948]

I agree with your concept and I admit to having background music playing when I write. However, I must admit to being something of a cheat. You see, I have a friend whose job it was to prepare what in the USA has come to be known as "elevator music". Her job was recording the background music that plays in elevators, is some shops, in many office buildings, and, now days, even on phones when you are on hold. Many years ago, she prepared for me some very special versions of Camille Saint-Saens' "Le Cygne" and Johann Pachelbel's "Canon". Each runs for hours with the same music repeated although performed by different orchestras. It may sound a bit bizarre, but it has worked for me for decades.

 

-David (Estie).

Edited September 13, 2016 by estie1948

[Elandaria]

Almost exclusively metal of some type, but usually the band TYR from the Faroe Islands. As much of their songbase is Norse lore in music form, the storytelling keeps my mind moving and keeps me from getting stuck by over thinking anything.

Metal is just the exact opposite type of music that I would listen while writing.

Edited September 13, 2016 by Elandaria

[Elandaria]

For casual writing, nearly any music will do as long as it isn't intrusive.

 

For serious writing, "Thursday Afternoon" by Brian Eno is my mainstay. It has no melody, just a series of pleasant notes that don't direct my thoughts, but that do shift me into that state where creativity resides (Theta) as well as blocking out environmental distractions.

I agree with you on the first point.

 

Love Brian Eno. My personal favorite: "Small craft on a milk sea". But i haven't tried to write with his music on the background. Sounds like a great idea (that for some reason never occurred to me to consider).

[Elandaria]

I agree with your concept and I admit to having background music playing when I write. However, I must admit to being something of a cheat. You see, I have a friend whose job it was to prepare what in the USA has come to be known as "elevator music". Her job was recording the background music that plays in elevators, is some shops, in many office buildings, and, now days, even on phones when you are on hold. Many years ago, she prepared for me some very special versions of Camille Saint-Saens' "Le Cygne" and Johann Pachelbel's "Canon". Each runs for hours with the same music repeated although performed by different orchestras. It may sound a bit bizarre, but it has worked for me for decades.

 

-David (Estie).

 

Doesn't sound bizarre at all. It really helps to have a track playing in loop, is a really easy way to achieve a high level of concentration, it works just like a mantra. I am a painter and when I want to paint for long sessions I do exactly the same, that way you just "go with the flow" and achieve a great work rythm. One of my favorite pieces of music to left playing in loop is the famous "Air" by Bach.

 

Btw, your friend has an awesome and wierd job.

[mcorrea]

I love almost all types of music. From Bach to Chopin I like all the romatics. I like rock but prefer older bands like Pink Floyd. I especially like jazz, particularly from the big band era until Miles Davis (Charlie Parker is a fave). The only music I avoid as background music for writing is some fast latin dance rythms like salsa or merengue, but a nice bachata or ballenato can also work for me.

 

Matias

[Orpilorp]

For casual writing, nearly any music will do as long as it isn't intrusive.

 

For serious writing, "Thursday Afternoon" by Brian Eno is my mainstay. It has no melody, just a series of pleasant notes that don't direct my thoughts, but that do shift me into that state where creativity resides (Theta) as well as blocking out environmental distractions.

[Orpilorp]

I was hesitant to buy a CD player when they were initially marketed, but I eventually bought one only so I could hear Thursday Afternoon. I think I played that 61minute piece constantly for several weeks. Eno's Neroli and I Dormenti (i.e, Neroli version 2) are also good background music. Oh, and Discreet Music. Heck, about any of his generative stuff is great.

[DaveBj]

When I was writing my published novel (cover art to the left), I had the soundtracks to the LOTR movies playing. When I was working on my second book (currently on hold), I would put on the "John Williams" channel that I had set up on my Pandora subscription. It doesn't play exclusively John Williams' movie music, but movie music in general, which is okay by me.

[Schadenfreude]

i listen to classic FM radio.

 

I try my best to avoid myself getting crazy to not touch my violin and play it, though.

Edited September 21, 2016 by Schadenfreude

[gryphon1911]

My music tastes are all over the place. The only things I do not listen to are rap and country.

 

My usual bands are:

• Stone Temple Pilots
• Rammstein
• Korn
• Sub Dub Micromachine
• The Prodigy
• Weird Al Yankovic
• Tenacious D
• We Butter The Bread With Butter

And bands like them

 

I do also like classical music, Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, John Williams, Henri Mancini

Classic rock was my staple back in the 80's: Hendrix, Led Zepplin, The Who, Bowie, Emerson, Lake and Palmer

Then I liked AC/DC, Men At Work, Depeche Mode, Human League.

Edited September 21, 2016 by gryphon1911

[FountainPenCowgirl]

For me, it depends on the content of the writing job. If it's general writing/journaling, I'm a fan of music without words, especially light classical or smooth jazz. As I've aged, I find that concentration for complex/detailed/creative work often requires silence. That's a fairly new development.

[Runnin_Ute]

Depends on where and what I am writing. For a while this afternoon while writing to a pen pal I listened to DeeDee Bridgewater's Dear Ella. But I often listen to nothing at all.

 

If I am able to listen to Pandora, it can be anything from Pink Floyd to The Who, and Aerosmith to Henry Mancini, Mannheim Steamroller, Frank Sinatra, to the Beach Boys, and ZZ Top. If I have to use my mp3 player like I have had to recently, it is mostly jazz. Today was DeeDee Bridgewater, some Dave Brubeck and the rest eludes me at the moment.

[tinta]

I usually have a Baroque/Renaissance cable channel running through my television's Bose speakers, or maybe Smooth Jazz, but only if I'm journaling or practising writing.

For business or personal letters I need a lot more concentration. Then silence is best.

[Alexandra]

I like to write in silence.

[16m3mx]

Metal is just the exact opposite type of music that I would listen while writing.

 

Elandaria,

 

That music genre is for some people horrendously loud and distracting, nowadays it actually is sort of this way for me, but back in my days at university, I remember I would listen to Heavy Metal and other types of "Metal" music for studying for my exams...well I am an Engineer today, I reckon it worked for me.

 

Nowadays its a bit different, I would play a famous tv series (in México) on the background (La Dichosa Palabra) or some Jazz/Classical music, no specific band or anything.

 

Cheers,

 

Luis A.

[FP.MD]

Classic or jazz, sometimes instrumental hip hop. Nothing with lyrics.

[JonSzanto]

Well, I'm a professional musician and have been actively in music for over 4 decades, longer including my youth. I tend to separate music listening as it's own foreground experience because I don't 'rear-focus' it - the music always stays in the front of my mind. I usually prefer quiet when I am writing, but I do like to listen to music when I am repairing or cleaning pens... non-creative tasks.

 

There are people who don't just listen to music while writing but blend the two into a new art itself. This is my friend, Leigh Reyes, doing just that: