Inspiration: Do you hear it?

[nikki-k]

This thread currently discusses two examples of incredibly (musically) gifted people, and it prompted a bit of internal consideration.

I actually hear complete songs/symphonies in my head. They are (typically) triggered by something; it is almost as if some library of music is there to be accessed, and all it takes to pull a piece off the shelf is a trigger that is relavent. Or, sometimes it is like my Conscious Self has a virtual playhead, and it just drops onto a running bit of tape. It is VERY vivid/lucid, as if I have heard the song many times, and as clear as any current media allows. As cool as that may sound, it ends there unfortunately, as I lack the ability to translate it to paper, tape, or disk quickly enough (and some of it is complete tripe, lol). As soon as I begin to try and do so, one piece/track/instrument at a time, the others deteriorate, and the song soon follows. Sometimes.. rarely.. I will "capture" just enough of a key bit, and then I will recall other bits over time. One such song, triggered by a Pink Floyd snippet, took over 7 years to fully "extract." Also, I do not initially hear sung parts in English; they are always in either some odd, nonsense language (sometimes with odd accent), or simply (choir-like) "Oooohhhh," "Aaaahhh," etc. Due to my learning idiosyncrasies, I never learned the skills to transcribe. I recently began doing so, but cannot seem to remain on track with it.

So... how does inspiration occur for you? Do you hear *songs* in their entirety? Is it a cumulative process, where you may "discover" a bit that feels/sounds good, and you proceed to build upon that (this happens as well for me.. love it when it does)? Do you hear a small snippet in your head, "translate" it, and then build upon it? Music, then lyrics? All of these and more? I always thought people heard the same things in their heads, and that little triggers was all it took. "Dry spells" are just times when too much "real life" is occupying the Conscious Self, so that "virtual tape head" gets a "Not now! Busy!!!" nudge/push out of the way. Very interested in how others experience "their music"!!!

 

[Scott Peterson]

Interesting topic.

I used to write a lot. I used to write a lot of music. I might hear something in my head, some melody or riff; but more often for me it was just through hearing something and picking up a guitar. I used to do it in jams or capturing some spontaneous burst of accidental 'magic in a bottle' and go from there. A lot of my work (I used to be the primary collaborative musician with the singer) was little bits I had stumbled upon over the years and stored away until I found the right time, place and material to pull it out. The key element I used to have in my favor was time. I had time to work on the creative aspect. My first son was born in 1997; my second son was born in 2001.

I put out my last CD in 2001 and essentially stopped writing; though not entirely... but I don't really focus on creating bits now more than honing my craft with performance and recording as a sideman as my primary existence as a guitarist.

My life got in the way - work, marriage, raising two boys and simplifying my existence down to the bare minimum. I workout, I play sports, I am involved in raising my kids, I have multiple businesses I own and run. I've stayed a gigging guitarist because I love performance.

I love composing, I love recording, I love the production process. I love the creative process of starting with a grain of an idea and working it obsessively until it is a finished piece.

But I have not got the luxury of time to do it with any proper focus at this phase and point in my life. Priorities are priorities. I love my wife and marriage takes work to stay together (been married 20+ years). My boys are getting older, the oldest is 14 and the youngest is 11. I am extremely 'plugged into' their lives and activities. I coach soccer, I go to swim meets, I go to band concerts and football games (the oldest plays trumpet). I drop them off at school, pick them up from school, get them to practices. I play in a Division 1 Over 40 Men's soccer league (in fact I am typing this having just returned from playing late Monday night - we won 10-1 woot!) and my fitness is important as is participation with the guys my age playing hard and competing. I love competition and intensity; I stay fit to be relevant on the field. I run an advertising agency and I own/run Internet discussion forums (I am co-owner of the Gear Page for instance and the owner of The Praise & Worship Forum) (*Note: I am a volunteer moderator here on the Fractal Forum only).

It boils down to time; and it's time I do not have.

I imagine that once my boys get older, move on/out and my actual time becomes my own again that I'll turn back to creating and crafting music again.

But now is not that time. Not for me.

 

[nikki-k]

Thank you for the reply Scott
One of the.. side effects.. of becoming a paraplegic for me is time. My injuries were extensive enough to prevent me from doing too much besides music, the occasional bop around town (buses and trains), and maybe a night out here and there. My better half encourages my music time; both of us are avid readers, and share nearly every activity, hobby, etc. I am incredibly lucky there My father, a Jazz musician, thought he would have all the time to dedicate to his music, finally, upon retiring. He was quite surprised to discover that he has not yet found that time. However! He finally did find the time to get his wife to take her singing seriously, got her to take lessons, and now the two play gigs as "Moondance." He plays wind instrument and some keys, she sings. So, while not his music, he is finally gigging again regularly.

So fascinating the twists and turns life takes...

 

[Jens]

I forget which composer I saw quoted for saying: "composing is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration."

In my experience composing music is as difficult/hard as any other aspect of music. Sometimes, some things some songs come easy others are pieced together with
a lot of effort and discarded material, and you might find your self doubting it for long after it's done (that bridge should really be in another key....).

To me I take time to compose music and I cannot rely on inspiration to spit it out for me so I just write a lot of stuff and throw away a lot of stuff.
In that way I know that the more time I spend composing the more stuff useable stuff I end up with. I am lucky that music is my profession so I can
give it some priority but like Scott, and probably everyone else, our lives are not only spend creating our own music.

Jazz saxophonist David Liebman once asked Stevie Wonder how he could write so many great songs. Stevie said: "That's easy: I write three songs a day"

Jens