This is a new segment, Featured Discussion. Where, I am looking at heading with this segment is more of a opinion based discussion. There is some that will be true and fact, but for the main part I want a good discussion, and I want people to chime in and talk. I will make my opinion and comments known as well. However please, PLEASE do not insult or degrade anyone else.
Featured Discussion:
I didn't expect Thursday to come up as quick as it did, and frankly I wasn't all that prepared for it this week. I had to hunt for a good topic and the featured article this week comes from Barnes and Noble again dealing with songs that were inspired by music. I wanted to highlight their opening comments and what they say about a song, but mainly I want to give my opinion afterwards. I hope you all enjoy this week, with how music helps shape ideas and furthermore gives us more than just words on a page.
9 Songs That Were Inspired by Books
If you can’t get David Bowie to join your book club, do the next best thing and pick a book he’d recommend—his taste for Orwell is not-so-well hidden inside songs like “Big Brother.” It’s alway fun to spot a literary easter egg, tucked away in the music of everyone from hipster godfather Lou Reed to perennial Romeo-seeker Taylor Swift. Here are some of my favorite book-inspired songs, brought to us by rock stars who play lit geek on the side.
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“Ramble On” (Led Zeppelin). As Robert Plant always says (probably), I like a little troll in my rock and roll. Not of the internet variety, but honest-to-God trolls. Yes, behind the leather pants, glorious hair, and rock-and-roll howl, Plant was a Tolkien geek. He doesn’t even try to hide it: “Twas in the darkest depths of Mordor, I met a girl so fair. But Gollum and the evil one crept up and slipped away with her.” Want to see The Hobbit with me, Bob? I’ve got Netflix.
Source: Melissa Albert on Barnes and Noble
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“Ramble On” (Led Zeppelin). As Robert Plant always says (probably), I like a little troll in my rock and roll. Not of the internet variety, but honest-to-God trolls. Yes, behind the leather pants, glorious hair, and rock-and-roll howl, Plant was a Tolkien geek. He doesn’t even try to hide it: “Twas in the darkest depths of Mordor, I met a girl so fair. But Gollum and the evil one crept up and slipped away with her.” Want to see The Hobbit with me, Bob? I’ve got Netflix.
Source: Melissa Albert on Barnes and Noble
I am the opposite sort of, I tend to write more when I am listening to music or have a good beat that's stuck in my head and pounds constantly asking to be let out. So I would assume it would be similar for musical artists to do something similar with books; find a good story and all the while you can think of music to company a good story and capture those emotions. Yet either way both produce spectacular works; now before I get jumped on for that I am not saying that not all music is good or all books are good.
What I wanted to talk about was my experience as a limited writer and avid listener of music. I find myself mainly coming up with the best blog ideas when music is beating in the background and slowly thrumming through my body. It's no wonder that at the same time I associate certain emotions and events to songs and I use those songs to write specific moments in a book. It's not often that I find new songs that stimulate my mind, and when there is a song that does I tend to write like crazy.
As well, when I am reading a book, I can associate certain songs that would go great with scenes. Its that association between what emotions and feelings music captures and the same with books that together complete certain scenes. It's hard to write those in books or capture those moments completely, frankly I don't think it's possible. I think some of the best books that capture the raw emotions and make you think more about the book than just the words and the evolving plot, but leave some of the best to the reader to interpret. A good author can guide a reader in the right direction, but doesn't need to hold their head and show them completely. Now I am not saying an author can leave out imagery or any context related details that would otherwise confuse the reader either.
What I enjoy is reading a good book and finding that I have some wiggle room to find my own music and inspiration behind the vivid characters and plot. I want to feel the author want me to complete the scene and feel a part of the story. That's what every author's dream should be. I understand that I've actually gone off topic for a while and I should get back on topic.
Music is a great way to help keep your mind fresh, but so are books. Together they help create an emotional paradise and both tell a story that will hopefully touch your heart. We all hold a few songs close to our heart, me included; but I wonder if there's a book we all feel that way about. I want to read more and want to listen to more music, but I don't have time for it all, or to understand every book or song. So I try to sift through the fields of both mediums and try to find what I am most interested in. Yea there's bad books and there are good books I read, but I don't regret any time spent on either of them.
What I wanted to talk about was my experience as a limited writer and avid listener of music. I find myself mainly coming up with the best blog ideas when music is beating in the background and slowly thrumming through my body. It's no wonder that at the same time I associate certain emotions and events to songs and I use those songs to write specific moments in a book. It's not often that I find new songs that stimulate my mind, and when there is a song that does I tend to write like crazy.
As well, when I am reading a book, I can associate certain songs that would go great with scenes. Its that association between what emotions and feelings music captures and the same with books that together complete certain scenes. It's hard to write those in books or capture those moments completely, frankly I don't think it's possible. I think some of the best books that capture the raw emotions and make you think more about the book than just the words and the evolving plot, but leave some of the best to the reader to interpret. A good author can guide a reader in the right direction, but doesn't need to hold their head and show them completely. Now I am not saying an author can leave out imagery or any context related details that would otherwise confuse the reader either.
What I enjoy is reading a good book and finding that I have some wiggle room to find my own music and inspiration behind the vivid characters and plot. I want to feel the author want me to complete the scene and feel a part of the story. That's what every author's dream should be. I understand that I've actually gone off topic for a while and I should get back on topic.
Music is a great way to help keep your mind fresh, but so are books. Together they help create an emotional paradise and both tell a story that will hopefully touch your heart. We all hold a few songs close to our heart, me included; but I wonder if there's a book we all feel that way about. I want to read more and want to listen to more music, but I don't have time for it all, or to understand every book or song. So I try to sift through the fields of both mediums and try to find what I am most interested in. Yea there's bad books and there are good books I read, but I don't regret any time spent on either of them.
