When I was four years old, my parents took me to the Papermill Playhouse in New Jersey to see The King and I. Their theory was that if I could sit through a show there, they could start taking me to Broadway shows. From the first notes of the overture, I became a musical junkie. Luckily, my parents encouraged and enabled my addiction.
To this day, I’d rather see a musical than any other kind of show. Some may think it strange when actors burst into song, but to me, the rendition of lyrics enhances my experience. Although the music may help establish mood for many, it is the lyrics that fascinate me. Because of time and phrase limitations, songs have to be written in a very precise manner. Each verse needs to build upon the one before it and the refrain must reinforce the idea being conveyed.
I am not a songwriter. I can’t focus on a single word or thought concisely enough to produce a powerful lyric, but I use lyrics to inspire writing moods. When I have the right show music on
Maze in Blue, my first book, was written with They’re Playing Our Song and 1776 playing over and over in the background. When I tried changing to Wicked, my ideas froze. Ironically, the songs from Frozen paced me for Should Have Played Poker. In writing One Taste Too Many and Two Bites Too Many, the first two books in Kensington's Sarah Blair series, I’ve opted to keep the Broadway channel playing, but I’ve noticed I usually work out difficult scenes to music from In The Heights and Hamilton.
Do you write to music? Any special type? If you are a music junkie like me, what are your favorites?
Ah, the Papermill Playhouse! I wonder if it is still there. What a great venue.
ReplyDeleteI need the sounds of silence to write. Lyrics are so powerful, they speak to the soul and continue to live with us, their import changing through our lifetime.
I love musicals too. Alas, I need silence when I write. Or maybe I simply haven't yet discovered the right soundtrack for my work.
ReplyDeletePapermill Place! I'm a Jersey girl, too.
ReplyDeleteI need silence and lots of it.
I love musical theater. I just about wore out my vinyl record of "West Side Story." But I need silence to write. Otherwise, I get distracted.
ReplyDeleteI've seen authors post their playlists that they listened to as they wrote a book. I enjoy seeing them and it gives me the flavor of the book but I cannot write to music. Silence for me.
ReplyDeleteI love all kinds of music and adore musicals but most of my listening is only during exercise, and then it's usually some high tempo latin music.
Shari, as exercise and I aren't friends, the pace you probably listen to and I couldn't get together to write. Grace, silence can be golden, but sometimes it gets too silent. Margaret and Kait, Papermill playhouse, I believe is still there, but in a slightly different reincarnation. It was going under, but through grants and some other things, it was rescued. I haven't checked in the last year to see if it made it. Annette, Margaret, and Kait, the lyrics are what transport me and make me peaceful when I write, but it has to be a score that stays in the background. Some interfere with my flow.
ReplyDeleteNo, NO MUSIC. Maybe because I'm a musician, I can't hear it and not actively listen to it. It's like someone reading a novel in my ear while I'm trying to write one. You can have all the music while I'm writing.
ReplyDeleteI don't write music, but I love to write lyrics. Fitting the words into the flow of the music is exacting and discovering the perfect word when there are so few words is a challenge. The music I write prose to plays just in my head.
ReplyDeleteWhen I write, I usually have music of the type that the character in play would like. That means different music for different characters.
ReplyDeleteI adore musicals. I love their structure, their approach, their take on life. Sometimes their songs inspire my writing, but at other times, different music is better for me. It depends upon what I'm writing. And, I do dabble with one act musicals, writing book, words, and music. Kaye George has even collaborated with me on a Sherlock Homes musical! She wrote the violin prelude!
ReplyDeleteWarren and Paula, I marvel at anyone who can write lyrics. As Warren notes, finding the precise word is key. Kaye, I'd like to hear the violin prelude, but that's one of the differences between us … I play the piano, but lack the musician's ear that you have. The music itself falls into the background...much like a tv show. KM, interesting. I would have to keep changing my music as my characters keep changing.
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