My daughter did a psychology project linking learning and music. Many studies show students retain more information when they study with ear buds gently carrying their favorite tunes nearly directly into their brains. This didn't surprise me as I'm someone who works best with some background noise such as TV, a movie or music playing. I almost never write in silence.
I have to wonder if the type of music matters. I really don't think I could write a fight scene for my latest series with a polka tune bouncing off the walls. On the other hand, the soundtrack to The Last of the Mohicans might be just the thing.
While I wrote the last book in The Futhark Chronicles, due out in 2012, I had the soundtrack for The Lord of the Rings or the movie itself playing most of the time. It's great for inspiring my muse to create heroic battles and tragic loss of life.
Some of you who know me know I have three different DVD versions of Pride and Prejudice on my movie shelf. While writing my upcoming fantasy romance release,
Tiger's Mate, I watched all three of them and mixed in some time for Happily Ever After to help keep the mood light.
My iPod contains a little country and a lot of alternative rock. Lots of loving to put me in the right mood as well as a few melancholy tunes to cover the emotional spectrum I hoped to infuse my novel with.
Do you listen to some tunes while working? What are your favorites? Do you prefer silence while you write?
12 comments:
I need silence to write in. Music, particularly if it has words is a terrible distraction.
I prefer silence but if I do listen, it has to be classic (Bach, Mozart) or Jazz (instrumental piano or sax).
My approach is much the same as yours and I almost always listen to music when writing. The soundtrack to Braveheart is also especially good. It gets played more than any other album when I'm writing.
I take the music route every time. The Lord of the Rings soundtrack is perfect to write to.
I know I'm really getting attached to a WIP when I start developing a story specific soundtrack for it.
I let my students listen to their i-pods in class if they want to. For some, it's the only way they can do good work. It also makes me look like a very cool teacher!
The soundtrack from Rudy - which, oddly, I've heard bit and pieces from in other movies even though the jacket notes from the Rudy CD says the music was written for just for that movie.
For me it depends on what I'm writing and my surroundings. I've written a lot with headphones blaring, just to block out distractions. But I also like to hit the park and write without any music except that of nature.
I definitely listen to music while writing. Sometimes, if there are lyrics, I have to pause it if I am struggling with the scene. Listening to classical (Mozart and Chopin) works well for me.
I need music - it relaxes and inspires. My music tends to be of the heavy metal/progressive rock type. Bet it would scare most people!
I need background noise but if it is music I prefer it to be instrumental. My problem is that if it is anything else, I tend to get caught up in the lyrics and have th songs running through my head instead of writing. But music does sometime spur my imagination/ motivation. ThenI jot the thoughts down and write later.
I'm a silence writer. I love music too much. It will distract me every time!
I make soundtracks for novels I'm working on. But for my studying, I usually listen to techno, ambient, alternative.
I've only seen the Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth, but I'm really anxious to see the Kiera Knightly one. Who is the other with?
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