I’ve written before about music as story (Stomp: The Musical) but what about music and story? Music and story are a perfect match for artists and audiences, music bringing inspiration to the words and story highlighting nuances of the music.

Artists Listen

Ask any artist about the details of their process and the odds are good they will mention listening to music while they create. The selections may vary based on what sort of piece they are creating, but more often than not, music goes on in the background while they work. I’m listening to The Kinks on Pandora right now. Lyrics often distract artists who are working with words, but they don’t seem to bother me for something like a blog post. For fiction, though, I need instrumental-only tracks.

What Does Music Bring To The Creative Process?

Music fulfills a number of roles for the creative person:

• Noise cancellation. Listening to songs is a simple, practical method to tune out distractions from the environment.
• Focus. Music can also distract us from the voice in our head, whether it is a source of self-criticism or simply nagging us with that laundry list of things to do.
• Mood. A playlist keyed to the type of artistic output required can get the creator into the necessary emotional space to tell the story.
• Smarts. Some research suggested particular kinds of music augment problem-solving and creative thinking, Mozart being particularly helpful, apparently.
• Sensory patterns. We can harness the power of habit, patterns, and repetition by linking particular music with our creative routines. Playing the same set of songs every time we work can make it easier to enter into the creation. The routine cues the work to begin.
• Reward. How often do we turn to our favorite tracks to make a boring task or unpleasant experience a little more manageable? From cranking up our jam while we do housework to listening to the classics via headphone in the MRI scanner, music makes whatever we’re doing a bit more fun. People in the business of producing art must work at the task consistently, whether they feel like it or not. Often artists are self-employed, so their work ethic must be self-generated. Favorite songs can make that time at the desk or easel something to look forward to. 

Music And Story Enjoyment

For consumers of art, music can enhance the pleasure of the story experiences. Lyrics distract if we are reading or hearing words, but for viewing visual arts, they can provide an interesting counterpoint. 

Musical accompaniment is integral to movies and TV shows as the background sound tract signals the viewers’ emotional journey along with the story characters. Songs iconic of particular eras or cultures are powerful triggers for memories and evocation of feelings. 

People may read in silence, but they may also find that well-chosen background music can enhance their enjoyment of a story. Narrative stories and roleplaying games also benefit from appropriate accompaniments.

Sources Of Playlists

You need look no further than your own iTunes folder for song selections or check out the many music-streaming services like Spotify and Pandora. Amazon Prime also has music services, and YouTube features many playlists.  While some writers and other artists enjoy composing their own playlists, that’s a real time sink for me. I tend to favor a list already curated that fits my needs. How do you use music to enhance story?

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