Music of the Muse

Though I sometimes have to have silence for my writing, I often rely on music to help drop me down the rabbit hole. Generally (though not always), I prefer music without any or without any discernable lyrics because words in English interfere with the flow of words in my head.

Recently, I've discovered a new favorite. Philip Glass, with his minimalist compositions, is amazing. In particular, his SOLO PIANO is haunting and evocative, and I've never been much of a fan of piano 'til now. The link will take you to Amazon, where you can hear a clip from the METAMORPHOSIS series. (Try it!) I first heard #5 on, of all places, Battlestar Galactica. Loved it from the start.

In addition to Philip Glass, I often write to Anonymous 4. The group's ethereal, often medieval music is wonderfully meditative, as is the old favorite, Chant, by the Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos. In a combination of classical and world music, Adiemus is outstanding and never fails to get me in the writing groove.

These are only a very few of my favorites (for writing anyway; for other times, I love classic rock, folk rock, and jazz). What music helps you get in flow with your work, or do you prefer silence or perhaps the background hum of a public place?

Comments

Jen said…
I generally prefer to have the TV on in the background, tuned to something mindless. Old reruns of certain TV shows (like Married...with Children), stupid reality shows (like Date My Mom), and other stuff I don't particularly need to pay attention to, to know what's going on, or that I don't care (but not something so boring it puts me to sleep).

If I put music on, I'll probably start lip-syncing and dancing, and then I won't get anything done! LOL!