Most of the time, when I do something creative (or anything, amost… workout, grocery shop, take a walk, clean my room), I look to music for inspiration. I’m feeling particularly stuck in some areas of my work (ok, it’s playwriting) and I keep finding myself looking for music to inspire me, because isn’t it great when you listen to a song and it speaks to you so convincingly that you believe that it was written specifically for you? That maybe no one else has ever heard this song and it’s your secret? And when you’ve overplayed the old favorites, getting to know a song/artist/album is like getting to know a new friend: you’re a little unsure about it at first (perhaps even annoyed or filled with revulsion), then completely infatuated, then contentedly in love.
I think there’s something so nice about loving an art form that you know nothing about and have no proficiency in. It makes me understand why people who don’t DO theatre GO TO the theatre. Maybe it’s a little inspiration–a little push in the right direction. Or maybe it’s just a little reassurance that it’s ok to be alive. Anyway, here are some links to follow if you love music and are looking for some inspiration:
1. Study.
2. You Choose
3. Pandora Brought Me This Gem
4. National Association for Music Education
5. They Can Do Whatever They Want… Even This (and i love this jam)
2 Comments
sbmeyers posted on November 8, 2011 at 12:34 am
I love this music sharing! Thanks dear! I would argue, however, that many people who listen to music listen to become experts in a way. People get attached to their favorite bands and music and they feel a sense of ownership when they really invest in an artist and their work.
I believe that there’s something similar going on in the theatre world. I think there’s a level of investment people feel about theatre that brings them there, whether it’s because they think they know the show, the subject matter, the actors or they grew up immersed in the craft in some way. People who come to see live performance are ultimately sold by a personal history, and I bet some of this has to do with how they were raised. This is a new thought for me as well, so it doesn’t feel totally fleshed out. I just mean to say that I don’t think people often stumble upon the theatrical experience. Something previously brought them to the inkling of a desire to consume theatre.
atsiegel posted on November 13, 2011 at 4:07 pm
Man that’s an interesting point. As someone who does have the ability to create music, I can understand that viewpoint; learning how to play a song just lets me enjoy it even more.