The phrase of “wouldn’t it be nice if … ” popped into in my head the other day and I thought to myself – “Isn’t that a song lyric?”.
I went to google, of course, and it reminded me that this is a Beach Boys song. I played it as I was walking to the train on one cold and snowy morning and felt a warm glow of beaches and sunshine all over me. It was not a shock to experience the power of music has but it was a wonderful reminder!
I started singing this song to myself on and off during the day. I noticed how having a theme song could turn a mood around and I recognized–again–how important music can be in our lives. I played the Beach Boys for my daughters that night while I was making dinner and they were playing and noticed how it affected their moods as well. Maggie ran up to me and suddenly stopped tugging at my shirt to say – “Mom, I love this song – what is it?”
The magic of music. Like anything as we bring our attention to it, we begin to see it everywhere.
So, my question became how can we incorporate music into our writing routines? How may it support us?
Do you find that music is distracting or has the ability to set the right mood? For me, I find songs that I know all the lyrics too can be distracting while writing but but ocean waves or soothing classical music can be very supportive and create focus. I now also know that I can use music to create a certain mood and affect how I approach my work day or writing block. Music can also be a part of creating a ritual around writing to let your mind know that you are about to enter into this activity and provide yourself with some support.
If it feels like music is something that you wish you could incorporate into your writing routines but feel as though you cannot, I would encourage you to take a look at this and ask: is there a way that I could see it differently?
I would love to hear more about how you incorporate music into your writing process. Please email me at support@melissaeanders.com to share with me about it.
Melissa E Anders 