But where does the creativity come from? What sparks all these ideas? What is so amazing it drives me to constantly
want to develop? The answer is
simple: Everything.
Some forms of
inspiration:
Nature and things we see:
Being out in the world is an amazing source of inspiration. Seeing the way a cloud casts a shadow on a
hill or the way leaves on a tree are blowing in the breeze can spark all kinds
of ideas. But how about the flow of the
breeze? The smell in the air? I once composed a piece based on the ripples
of the water on a small lake on a windy day.
Beyond nature, how about the things we have built? Amazing sky scrapers or the way traffic sits
in gridlock on a highway are other examples.
People:
People are an endless source of inspiration. This does not always mean people that do nice
things or give of themselves, though those would qualify, but also the mean or
insensitive things people do. The way
someone’s eyes light up when you surprise them with something or the way they
seem to glide as they walk across a room can be inspiring. Someone who walks through a doorway and doesn’t
hold the door open for the person behind them can also evoke ideas. How about the things they say and the way
those things are said? What about the
way they shake your hand, hug you or gently put their hand on your cheek?
Feelings:
This is a topic I could write pages about. Feelings are, to me, the most important part
of music. Regardless what your
inspiration is, it had to be expressed in a way that the listener can
understand the feeling the composer is conveying. That being said, the topic is almost
unimportant. A song I wrote years ago,
which was one of the first of mine that became known more publically, was
composed about having the ability to fly.
Even now, when I listen back, I remember the visuals I had in my head of
soaring over mountains, rivers and valleys.
I received a great deal of feedback on the song that ranged from being
underwater to relaxing on the beach reading a book. I found this fascinating and realized that it
was not important the listener understood my vision but that they all related
the music to relaxation. The feeling
transferred to the listener and they saw what their mind created. This was an important lesson for me and very
different from composing music for film where my job is to enhance the emotion
on the screen. Convey the feeling to the
listener and don’t tell them what to feel.
Titles play a major role in this as the title can give away the visual
but that can also be a fine thing to do.
Personally, I like it either way.
With so many sources for inspiration, it is easy for me to
find something to write about.
Typically, I am simply drawn to something enough to take the time to
express it musically. These are just a
few ideas that are the most common for me but even the way the lines flow on a
cracked sidewalk or the way dust falls from a shelf when cleaning can bring an
idea. Sometimes, though, I tend to get
wrapped up in the music and get away from the point and that is a topic I may
cover in a future blog.
Thank you for reading and I hope you found something helpful
in these words. Have fun with this and
create away!
Scott
