by Catherine L. Tully
I’ve posed this question once before, but I’d like an update. I have mentioned how I find it difficult to listen to music and write at the same time, but many writers find listening to tunes enjoyable as they work.
Occasionally I will indulge, but usually it is only when I am doing mindless work that doesn’t require much concentration. Even then, it is usually classical or something mellow that won’t distract me… Continue reading Music As Muse?
OK–so what is your take on this topic? Do you listen to music when you write–or does it distract you? I’ve had music on the brain lately, so I was hoping people might ring in and let me know what works or doesn’t work for them….
I can’t listen to music with words when I am writing an article. I want to listen to the lyrics and enjoy the song. That said, I can listen to soft classical music in the background if it isn’t too rousing–but then–what’s the point? I listen to music when I am writing fiction (shh, I don’t talk about that much) or when I am e-mailing friends or on Facebook. Then it is a great inspiration, but when I’m working, the tunes stay off.
How about you?
Very few of my fellow freelance writing bloggers out there are bothering to mention anything about what they use to keep the inspiration and motivation to write going; I thought I’d try to start a mini-fad among the freelancer blog community with a little series of posts I’m calling “What’s In Your iPod?”
I was inspired to do this after getting obsessed to the point of ridiculousness by this group that’s been making the rounds on Sirius satellite radio, The Belmondos. The single, Awesome Rumble, played on my iPod no less than six times in a row this morning as I edited content and compiled material for an e-commerce newsletter. Now that I can’t stop listening to them, I pass them along to YOU.
Chances are I am the only person in the room geeked enough to like a band for no other reason than they named themselves after a French New Wave/noir movie star (Jean-Paul Belmondo), but I really took a liking to this one over the holidays thanks to Sirius radio. You can check out the Awesome Rumble single here or preview three tracks from the album here.
CD Baby Owner Derek Sivers sold his company this summer for $22 million dollars. Sounds like a massive jackpot for Sivers, doesn’t it? Would it surprise you to learn he didn’t get the payday? He put the $22 million in a charitable trust designed to further music education.
That’s part of something Sivers referenced in his blog post from October 16th. It’s a bit of inspirational writing, but in context of Sivers selling his company–probably worth far more than the $22 million price tag–it speaks on a whole different level.
There’s a lot of talk on FZ, and all over the net, about six-figure freelancing, making money and earning your maximum potential, but when the day is over, the real questions remain. Why am I doing this? Did the 13 hours I put in yesterday put me closer to something meaningful?
I think one of the big traps we freelancers fall into–at least THIS freelancer– is getting on the work-eat-sleep treadmill and forgetting to stop and enjoy life. Sivers seems to have learned how to balance the joy of work, the rewards, and finding time to evaluate the meaning of it all. His website has nothing to with freelance writing, it’s aimed squarely at musicians, but it does speak volumes about the kind of independence and freedom we’re supposed to enjoy as creative types. Call it a reminder to stop and smell the roses, even if it’s just on a coffee break.
An entry at Pampelmoose.com on the high price of gas affecting indie bands is also quite relevant to anyone planning a book tour or a bit of travel writing. The energy crunch is finally showing its effects across the board. Will self-publishers, indie-rockers and small press publishers find it necessary to team up with one another? This isn’t such a far-fetched idea when you consider that anyone who writes in the alternative press or publishes their own material has basically the same needs as a touring band. An audience, a place to sell your work, and a way to get there without breaking the bank are common needs. If your work fits in the same demographics as your local band, consider approaching them for a partnership of some kind.
What you’ll learn is that all bands need someone to work their merchandising table, and you need to find new readers to sell books to. Putting these two notions together in ingenious ways is NOT rocket science. Join forces and both communities–in print and on CD/digital downloads–are much better off for it. The possibilities are endless.
In recent times there is a great emphasis on radical transparency for websites and blogs, so I feel it’s only fair to point out that today’s headline is completely sensationalized and downright misleading. It did what headlines are meant to do though, it got you to read what comes next.
As some regular readers here may remember from my earlier screeds, I’m a fan of Dave Allen’s music blog, Pampelmoose.com. A recent post reprinting the words of Todd Berry of Greyday Records discusses some practices in the music biz that drive the value of a musician’s work down.
What does any of that have to do with freelance writing?
Continue reading The Music Industry Vs. The Freelance Writing Game