Many writers listen to music as they write, whether to simply minimize distraction, or to let the mood of the music work its way subconsciously into the writing. In this biweekly series, we ask Creative Writing students at UNCW what music helps them cultivate a good writing atmosphere, and we keep a running Spotify playlist of their recommendations. (Scroll down for the link.)
For this final installment, we’re hearing from Chas Andres and Matt Thies.
Chas Andres:
My favorite writing music is at least somewhat conducive to letting me reach a flow state, where individual songs and measures bleed into the background and my mind feels like it is everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Film and television soundtracks are especially good at this, and I’ll put on something by John Carpenter (usually Lost Themes I & II) if I want to write something suspenseful. When I have less direction, I usually opt for something more ambient or free-form.
If I really need to get words on the page fast for a first draft or something on deadline, I’ll often up the tempo to something with a quicker, driving beat. LCD Soundsystem is perfect for this, especially the songs where James Murphy’s vocals are a little lower in the mix and he lets his synths take over. I can write to most lyric-based rock or folk music without issue, but most hip-hop is too distracting. I’ll usually save that stuff for when I finish and I want to feel like an accomplished badass.
If I’m working on a project where I don’t really know what I’m doing, I listen to Phish. Their live shows are similar enough to what I’m trying to do that I often view them as my (far more talented) collaborators. Phish’s endless jamming is all about theme and variation, searching out the most interesting through-lines in the present moment and teasing them into something that is both brand new and somehow familiar. Some ideas are built up, others are discarded, and the end result is always something messy and weird and brilliant. Like writing, Phish is about the journey, not the destination. It reminds me to take a deep breath, loosen up, and just keep putting words on the page.
Matt Thies:
I always listen to music whenever I’m writing, if it’s at all possible. I prefer records to any other medium, but if I don’t have the room (or house) to myself to crank it up, I’ll normally go to headphones and a streaming service. It’s not the same as a vinyl, but I like to be surrounded by aural stimuli, immersed in whatever I’m listening to. I don’t have a preference of vocal over instrumental, mainly because if I’m listening to it as I’m writing, I’m probably zoning out and only listening to vocal tracks in terms of notes and pitch, and not lyrics—basically just another instrument. I’ve found that listening to music in the drafting, creative stage is far more common for me than when I’m revising, something about tapping into certain mood that coaxes the words out. That mood is constantly changing, as well, and I think that that sometimes saves whatever I’m working on from getting stagnant. For example, over the last four or five days during writing sessions, I’ve listened to Ghost B.C.’s “Meliora” album, created two Spotify radio stations based around Sam the Sham & The Pharoahs and The Lovin’ Spoonful, respectfully as well as knock-down, drag-out full repeat night of the song, “Goddamn You, Jim” by the Felice Brothers.
I think that the music around us influences far more than we realize and when it comes to writing while insonicated, music can enhance, or it can distract. Make friends with the “Skip” and “Shuffle” buttons.
–Dan Willis
Image via Flickr Creative Commons
Editor's Notes: This essay is the final installment of our series Music for Writing.
Dan's Spotify Playlist can be found by copying and pasting the following URL into your browser: https://open.spotify.com/user/1245593611/playlist/3qiIBIlBmasH08yhmlD0WD