How do you choose
music to write by?

The most difficult part of choosing music to write by is learning how to find the poetry that exists in song.

Click for Free Writer's Block Help E-Zine and Free E-Book

When you sit down to try to learn how to write lyrics, how to write a song, or merely how to continue the piece of writing you are working on (short story, poem, etc.), you are taking into account all that you have already done, and all that you must still do to achieve your goal of completion. You want to make your writing spectacular and imaginative. Finding your muse, and that which makes you eager to write more, is vastly important. That is why choosing music to write by can be an important step in your writing process.

I have many favorite musical artists, as I'm sure you do, too. I like to find inspiration in these choices of music to write by. These choices include Michael Jackson, the Beach Boys, Taylor Swift, Boyz II Men, Ben Folds, Phil Vassar, Jason Mraz, Green Day, Nickelback, Daughtry, and way too many more to name in one sitting. I find inspiration in listening to any or all of these artists. They provide me with a sense of creativity, emotion, and versatility that is often lacking in prose writing. The sounds of their voices can convey all the positivity or negativity that they want. They can make you feel empathy, sympathy, anger, or love for the subjects of their songs.

Take Michael Jackson as our first example of music to write by. Growing up with his music, from "I'll Be There" and "ABC" with the Jackson 5, all the way to "Thriller," "Bad," and "The Way You Make Me Feel," Michael Jackson truly made a name for himself. He had vision and proved that through the raw emotion that could be felt when you listened to "Billie Jean". He inspired countless other artists, including the one and only Weird Al Yankovic, who has famously parodied numerous artists. Whenever I hear Jackson's "Beat It," I cannot help but think of Weird Al's "Eat It" parody. This shows the power of great writing and performance. Jackson impressed his song on the public, allowing for the people of the world to accept his music for what it was, or be inspired to create their own.

You may also consider Taylor Swift. Fairly new on the music scene, at least when put up next to Michael Jackson or the Beach Boys, you can tell that she definitely has music to write by. "Love Story" not only is a young adult story in lyrical form, but it opens itself up to multiple literary interpretations that thrill me whenever I hear it. These literary interpretations make me enjoy her music even more than I already did the last time I heard the song. She mentions Romeo, Juliet, and even The Scarlet Letter. The literary allusions that are present within this song are wondrous and make me want to hear the song over and over again.

Finally, in terms of music to write by, you may consider Nickelback. Chad Kroeger, the lead vocalist for the band, has a raspy, intoxicating voice that makes listeners more intent on the music. I stand by the idea that lyrics are not everything. When artists such as Kroeger learn how to write lyrics and how to write a song, they are learning how to write music in general. Music not only consists of the words you hear, but the way the sounds impress themselves on listeners' ears, creating the glorious poetry in song that you hear each and every day on the radio, your iPod, or however else you listen to music. Kroeger's voice, along with that of Ben Folds, and other artists who have distinct voices (not that all artists don't, but these stick out to me as more distinct), make the music even better to listen to, because you end up having a vested interest in not only the lyrics you hear, but the sounds of the voices and instruments that go into the song as well.

Nickelback's song, "If Today Was Your Last Day," takes ideas and concepts that people take for granted, or do not even consider, and puts them into lyrics. "Would you live each moment like your last?" "Donate every dime you had?" This song made me truly contemplate that which it asks, about if today was my last day, how would I spend it? What would I do? Who would I see? What difference could I make? Songs like this are like creative writing story starters in themselves. They ask questions that permit you to imagine new and invigorating ideas for how to spend your days. You may take it as a cue to spend more time writing, and schedule that time accordingly each day so you know you have worked toward your goal.

When I see previews for movies, I often make a decision about whether or not I want to see a movie based on the soundtrack that is played during the preview. Often, I am on the fence about whether or not I will see these movies. Sometimes, I know I want to see them, but the music makes them all that much more appealing. They capture me with the perfect chords, notes, and lyrics that add magic and excitement to the movie. Think about your favorite movies. What songs were in them that made them so great? My favorite movie is Stand by Me, a Rob Reiner film from the '80s. It is set in the 1950s, and so has songs from that time, including classics like Rockin' Robin, Yakety Yak, Lollipop, and a slew of other songs that make me long for the '50s. Hearing these songs brings me back to a much different time than today, and so helps me in writing history and and pushing me to do some creative writing research to further my writing in the vein of the past.

Just because all of these artists have music to write by does not mean that you actually have to sit and write while listening to this music. You can listen to it as inspiration, and then choose to have a quiet environment to sit in and write out what you discovered within the music while listening to it. Do what is right for you. Schedule time to write and schedule time to find music to write by. You may find an entirely new world of inspiration in songs you have listened to millions of times, and those that you have never taken the time to hear before. Take a listen. Let your ears guide you.

To return from Music to Write By to the
Writer's Block Help Home Page, click here