Books and their soundtracks...
Why is it that movies can have soundtracks, but not books? I mean, seriously, anything put out by Disney these days has its own soundtrack. Sometimes the songs are written purposefully for the movie, other times popular songs are adapted to fit the movie. Take Ella Enchanted, for example. You have the scene in the giants' village where Ella is told to entertain the crowd. She bursts into a somewhat decent rendition of Queen's Somebody to Love, one of my favorites. The movie ends with Don't Go Breakin' My Heart, and its surprisingly good. Long after the movie is over, you remember the scenes whenever you hear here the songs.
Another recent movie to do this is Happy Feet. Popular songs from Queen, Prince(hm...royalty anyone?), and Elvis are mixed with songs written specifically for the movie.
So I ask, why not a soundtrack for books? I know I write best when I have music to listen to. On top of that, each book seems to evoke the need to listen to certain music above others. For example, the novella written for my senior thesis was written almost exclusively to Barenaked Ladies. Two books ago brought on a need to listen to Dierks Bentley. This book? It's got me listening to a whole slew of things, most of them mellow. Megan, my college roommate, sent me a mix she had made. The mix itself is mostly love songs, everything from Johnny Cash to Blues Traveler, Lynyrd Synyrd to Velvet Chain. Starbucks' cd Crush on You has made the cut, as well as a cd my aunt brought back to me from Israel. I can't even tell you what this man is saying, but it sounds great.
To me the music mimics the feelings I'm trying to pull from, creating a head space where I can create. I've seen authors post the songs they believe belong to their books, the songs that call to mind their hero or heroine. Maybe that's what I'll do one day. It can all be part of the experience.
So how about you? What is the soundtrack for your book? For your life?
Labels: movies, music, writing
posted by Erin @ 8:57 AM
1 Comments:
Ummmmm... right now? My music is on the agressive side. "Take this Job and Shove it," Johnny Paycheck, "Oh, Lord It's hard to be humble," Mac Davis, probably "Attitude Adjustment" by the ever popular Hank Williams Jr. Debating about "On the Road Again" by good 'ole Willie and "These Boots are Made for Walkin'" by Nancy Sinatra. Though I don't own any boots, I think I can find some shoes made for walkin'. Alas. Tomorrow? Entirely possible it will be "Walking on Sunshine" running my life. Though I cannot ever get away from "Brick House" of the Commodores.
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