Music

Some people listen to music when they write, some because it helps them "get in the mood", others because it blocks out ambient noise that distracts them.

Some listen to any number of tunes, some listen to a very rigourous playlist.

So, if you listen to music while you write, what do you usually listen to, or what are you listening to right now?

I tend to like any song that can be played nicely on a repetitive loop (a sort of wallpaper effect). It's the equivalent of elevator music, except you don't have those annoying pauses in between the songs.

I don't really try to match the music to the "tone" of the story--anything repetitive works.

I've been listening to "Miss You" by the Rolling Stones for the last several days. Great tune.

Well, let's see. For a recent werewolf story I listened to Rob Zombie. For my horror novel, I listen to Evenesance, Marlyn Manson, Metallica (their earlier work), and Godsmack. For my comical adventures I listen to Matchbox 20.

I do find that the music I listen to:
1) blocks out my children, the dog, hubby, and all other annoyances:smack
2) gets me into a mood

I rarely listen to the radio. Only when I'm goofing off on the net.:snoopy

music

I seldom listen to music when I write, but when I do it's almost always Celtic or classical.

At least 80% of the time, however, I listen to Old Time Radio as I write. Such things as The Jack Benny Show, The Life of Riley, Gunsmoke, Burns & Allen, Mystry Theatre, etc. I also listen to Prarie Home Companion once a week.

Maybe 15% of the time I listen to talk radio, most often NPR.

Re: music

There's a thread in "Office Party" about mood music for writing.

I listen to music perhaps 20% of the time while I write, depending on the mood I'm setting for the scenes. But mostly I listen to something of high NRG to pump my creative juices up (kind of like working out) beforehand.

Re: music

Sometimes, I can't bear the distraction of anything louder than a small fan I use for "white noise."

In more manic moments, I've got rock tunes or Celtic tunes blaring through the headset. For the Celtic music, I'm a Loreeda McKennet fan. I wrote the first chapter of my current project to Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, and the last chapter to Steppenwolf.

music

"and the last chapter to Steppenwolf."

I'm a child of the sixties and I can't listen to Steppenwolf without drifting off into the past.

Re: music

I'm a child of the sixties and I can't listen to Steppenwolf without drifting off into the past.

Click to expand...

That's me, James. Occasionally, that drifting proves counter-productive. At other times, the sixties-flashback provided me with some much needed insight or inspiration for a troublesome scene. I wish I could bottle it.

Re: music

I prefer to have the TV on...

Re: music

I find music, any type, great for inspiration and relaxing before or after, to get my mind off of my book for a while and "re-energize" the creativity. As for background noise, I either need dead silence after everyone else is asleep, or the kids running around in the background which is it's own white noise.

Re: music

No music for me. As a former professional musician, I find it far too distracting, and then something like this ends up on the page:

hey, nice tone on the guitar there, what is that, a Les Paul? Naw, probably an SG...high e-string's a little flat, though, can't believe the engineer let that get by.... aargh! :head :head :head

Re: music

I listen to classical music when I write. It always relaxes me, and helps me achieve an 'alpha state' where the words flow quickly and meaningfully.

(You know what I mean by 'alpha state?' It's when you sit down to write, go off on a tear, and the next time you look up, it's been two hours and it's time to turn off the computer and run to the bus stop. I love that state! For me, it's one of the things that makes writing so fun.)

music

I might be alone in this, but I listen to house music and techno--whether I'm writing romantic scenes or chase scenes or whatever. Most of the songs are instrumental or "dubs"--containing very little vocals. I find vocals distract me.

Not only does this music block out distractions, the constant beat keeps my head bopping and keeps my mind focused. The music itself can be very aggresive (progressive house) or fairly mello (deep house) but it's all got an energy that helps me burn the candle later than usual.

I sometimes play foreign pop music, Turkish, Italian, Arabic, or Portugues "fados"--though this music puts me in a melancholy state and my writing sometimes reflects it.

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I can see how electronica and whatnot could be really good for getting into that "State of mind".

Re: music

I listen to techno and trance also, but mostly before I write to get me pumped up. I'm listening to the techno mix of "Tainted Love" right now.

The best music for "during writing" is something that suits the mood but can be in the background -- techno would be one, or celtic, or new age... they become "white noise" after a while. I don't like to listen to my favorite albums during a writing session because I'm easily distracted by the familiar songs and music.

music...

I have a soundtrack for each project I work on. Most recently, when working on my novel I listen to Ben Jelen. When writing erotica, I listen to Katie Melua. When writing various other short stories I listen to Wilco or Gary Jules.

I always need music though. Sometiems it's difficult to find the perfect album or mix of artists. Once I find it though, I listen to it constantly throughout the writing process.

Re: music...

Absolute silence (if my parrot cooperates) while writing but room-shaking 50s, 60s and 70s music when I'm kicking back.

great minds think alike... so don't warped ones

Maestro... et tu?

Thought for sure I'd be the only looney bird listening to techno. And I have that version of Tainted Love.

music

Whatever I listen to when I'm writing, the main noise I hear is the little program that makes my keyboard sound like a typewriter. That's music to me, and the clacking of the keys really sets a rhythm and keeps my mind focused.

James, a while back in the Uncle Jim thread you posted where you found the program that makes your typewriter keys clack -- but I couldn't find it. Would you mind posting it again? Mille Grazie.

I have a soundtrack for each project I work on.

Me too. I have three storylines in my novel, and my choice of music depends on the POV. To each POV character his or her own theme and performer. It was all going very well, but one of the storylines takes place in a world of "bad guys" a bit similar to hell, so I put some Enigma on... guess what? It totally put me off writing! Their music was too "hellish", truly evil (sorry, all Enigma lovers), so I had to stop it because I sensed that it sort of assisted the bad guys in my story... :jump

Music and reading?

I too use music. Either that, or complete silence, no in between. Somebody mentioned TV - that's an instant inspiration killer for me. I zone right out and get nothing done.

Can any of you guys read with music on? I can write just fine with any kind of music, but when it comes to reading, I just listen to the music and my eyes glaze over trying to read the words, and I end up reading the exact same sentance for a half hour.

Somebody else mentioned foreign music. That's especially good for reading. The thing with English lyrics is that I can understand them. And being a songwriter myself, I focus on them more than what I'm reading. Which is also why classical, techno, or 'mood music' is good for reading.

But anyway, I always have a very distinct playlist for my stories. And it gets a bit silly sometimes too, because I'll pick one particular song for a scene - something that fits my character, the situation, and the mood perfectly - and sometimes I'll have to play that song over and over and over again until I get the scene finished.

At this point, I just put the headphones on so nobody else knows I weird I am :lol

Headphones, btw, are also very good for concentrating.

keyboard

Sure. Noisy Keyboard is at www.leeos.com/noisy_keyboard.html

Home Typist, the free version of Sound Pilot, can be found here: www.colorpilot.com/home-typist.html

Re: keyboard

From Autechre, Nobukazu Takemura, Boards of Canada to Sasha and Mozart's violin concertos.

Someone please reply that they know who those first three are.

Sometimes I'll pick a CD at random, but usually I'll look for something that goes along with what I'm writing mood wise. I'm a big fan of IDM, trance, progressive house, ambient house, ambient, etc. And Igor Stravinsky.

It's actually rather difficult for me to write without music. If anyone cares, I listen on a pair of B&W 602S3s and a NAD integrated amp and CD player or Sennheiser HD580 headphones if it's late.

Re: Music and reading?

I haven't been writing long, about a year now, but I have recently found that music helps me get into the "flow" and get into a rhythem.

I typically listen to upbeat christian music (since I am a christain) from TVU Live, Radio U, KLOVE, etc. Bands like Pillar, Emery, Grits, Everyday Sunday, Toby Mac, bla, bla, bla. The lyrics are positive and most of the music is of the foot-tapping quality.

:snoopy

The thing that I can not handle is someone trying to talk to me while I am in the flow. That not only drives me crazy, but it also makes me lose my train of thought.

later,

keller