First off. Thank you so much for taking the time to join me on my website, follow my blog and read anything that it is that I produce. I love to write for many different reasons and one thing is for sure. I wouldn't be doing it without you. So thank you from the deepest part of my heart.
I wanted to write about something that to me is inspirational in many ways. Music is such a huge part of our lives. It almost interconnects with all of us, and it does differently through different genres. Whether it be Rap, Heavy metal, classic rock, blues. It touches us in a way that helps influence us creatively and inspiring. I grew up with music as a part of my life. I played the guitar from a young age. I learned the classic Led Zeppelin song Stairway to Heaven when I was around the age of 11. And from there my love for music just grew and expanded to my love for all types of music to this day. Something that just has an emotional tension, that pulls which drives you in a direction. Some music can help relieve the mind from thoughts that are so deeply embedded in our mind that we think it is normal. It sometimes stops someone from doing something that they may eventually end up regretting. As I write, create the worlds I do in my stories. I listen to some of my favourite bands, composers. I create playlists based on the story I am creating, I let my emotions drive the story from the music that I am listening to, the music I find emotionally driving and sometimes even bring me to tears from such pure emotion. Whether in the lyrics or in a badass guitar solo that bends just perfectly. One song that comes to mind that no matter how many times I listen to it or even watch it is called Hurt. A song originally written by Trent Reznor and played by his band NINE INCH NAILS. But Johnny Cash, 1 year before his death did a rendition of the song which told a different tale. From Trent, it was meant to be seen through the eyes of a young kid falling in a downward spiral. And for Johnny it was an old man with regrets on some of the things he had done in his past life, putting it behind him and closing the lid on the piano. Pure art could be heard through the husk and emotion in the tone in which he sang the amazingly written song.
When I wrote my debut novel Rise up in 2019 I was going through a hard time. I had terrible thoughts come through my mind through personal problems. The story and the music I had attached to the story as I was writing influenced the scenes in my story. When a song came on I could find myself in the scene. I was Anna watching her sister get hit by a car. A moment in Anna's life that tore her apart. Her love and imagination was broken and torn from her, her emotions overwhelmed her, becoming an image in her mind that would cause her grief and pain. All these moments were built by a puzzle of an idea, the music and inspiration. It blends like a yin and yang, bringing a balance that creates something that to some may be something they love or to some, something they didn't think worked for them.
I probably went off on a little tangent, forgive me. I do have a meaning behind what it is that I am blogging about.
For me I find it a perfect mixture to write and listen to music, that is even sometimes something that you think may not be something you would normally listen to. It helps me overcome writers' block by listening and imagining, just letting my mind create. Do what it is meant to do. When I want to get into a scene with anything with my Athoria novels I would listen to a playlist I created called Realms of Athoria. It has many different musicians. Hanz Zimmer, John Williams, Steve Jablonsky. They are just some of the composers who created some of my favourite scores. But I would also listen to heavy metal, rock...really just anything that threw ideas in my head for me to then pulled together the puzzle of my story and create something I hope is worth your time in reading.
Anyway, I have probably gone on enough about my love and the influence I believe music has on us from a philosophical point. My beliefs in what helps bind everything together. Just like the Force from Star Wars music is a force, a living essence brought to life by us that bonds and binds everything together, past, present and future.
If you read this and you are an aspiring writer, look to those that inspire you. Embrace what they do, embrace your creativity, try new things outside of something you would normally do. I went from music and writing to creating trailers, voice acting (still a work in progress ;) check out my YouTube Scriptures of Athoria, The Heart of Athoria: war of the Stormking teaser), and drawing. I keep pushing myself creatively to do as much as possible and the best I can. Keep writing my friends. Be true to yourself, inspire, create and look to the future and be a ripple in the water, make an impact, there is never one too little or too big.
Sincerely
Brodie W. Whitburn
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