Music is My Muse
There isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t feel thankful that my office doesn’t have a soft rock station playing over the intercom. It’s not that I have a problem with Fleetwood Mac or Toni Braxton. I’ve actually found that listening to Genesis is a more effective method of curing hiccups than eating gobs of peanut butter.
I know. I know. It’s easy to pick on soft rock. I guess it’s my backwards way of saying that I am really appreciative that I have the option to choose what I listen to at work.
Creatives often search for external inspiration to fuel their work. Most days, music is my muse.
I honestly believe that my job would prove to be much more difficult if I was forced to listen to soft rock. To prove my point, I’ve included a couple hypothetical situations for you to chew on.
Hypothetical situation #1: I’m at my iMac at work and I hear Crowded House playing. I am instantly transported back in time, where I find my 14-year-old self sitting in an orthodontist’s chair getting multi-colored rubber bands put on my braces while I sing along to “Don’t Dream It’s Over” in my head.
Hypothetical situation #2: I’m in a client meeting in the conference room and I hear the muffled sounds of “Just Another Day” by Jon Secada during a pause in our dialogue. The next thing I know – I’m sitting in the bleachers with a group of my middle school friends while we exchange glances across the gymnasium with a group of girls in our class. Both parties are too nervous to socialize and/or dance with each other. The music plays on …
What I’m trying to say is this: Being able to listen to what you want, when you want is really a beautiful thing. It helps me to better enjoy my time and dodge creative block. (Not to mention, time travel is tiresome and it really gets in the way of productivity levels.)
Currently listening to:
Joy Division
