Do you listen to music while you write?
Q&A With Shay Each Sunday
Let’s talk a bit about one of my favorite things this week, which I draw a lot of inspiration from…music!
Q: Do you listen to music while you write?
A: No. Not unless I’m in Starbucks or a cafe or somewhere that is playing music, but usually in those places the music is mellow enough that it doesn’t distract me. I think I love music entirely too much to listen to it while I write, I’d be getting caught up in the lyrics and emotions and I don’t think it would be beneficial like it is for some people when they write. I also get distracted and my mind wanders, even though I can be really focused...which I guess is basically part of being human. Sometimes if the TV is on or someone is talking loudly while I’m working at my computer, I have actually written what was said out loud rather than what I meant to write (again, something I’m sure has happened to most of us once or twice). It makes me chuckle but it’s not necessarily productive. I do like a little distraction while I write, like being in a coffee shop where there are a few people around rather than a plain quiet room, but I guess if I’m in the zone I can tune most things out. Not usually my most loved songs though. I get way too caught up in some of my favorite music, especially lyrics, so it’d be sensory overload while writing.
I do find music really inspiring and still get chills when hearing certain lyrics of my favorite songs. And I’m sure the feeling a song brings can inspire something in my writing that I’m going for, even if I might not be aware of it at the time, but I don’t need to listen to it while actually at my computer. To me, those deep emotions you feel when connecting so fully with a song is pure art! Like it was written for you exactly in that moment. And I think that’s what most of us strive for in our writing—connection. Well, music does that for me, but I guess I have to quiet it during the times I’m trying to make my own art.
My all-time favorite type of music is nineties grunge. Some cherished bands are: Nirvana, Alice in Chains, LIVE, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters, Bush, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Audioslave, Oleander, Brand New, and basically WAY too many to name. I’ll tell you some of my favorite lyrics in a later post; stay tuned!
