In Ancient Greece, poets and musicians claimed their powers came from three Muses—Melete (Meditation), Mneome (Memory) and Aoede (Song). These were also the goddesses of music, song and dance. They remembered all things that had came to pass, memories inspiring song and poetry. Their power to bring events to the minds of mortals gave gracefulness and elegance to their words.
The Muses have long been considered mythological inspiration for creativity and music; the study of music and emotion is linked to psychology. There are many psychological studies linking music and writing. Different music stimulates different parts of the brain. The left brain is generally associated with logic, language, and analytical thinking, while the right brain is linked to creativity, intuition, and spatial awareness. The idea of being solely “left-brained” or “right-brained” is a misconception as both hemispheres work together and are crucial for complex cognitive functions. Although music can influence the writer, the link between music and writing is not fully understood even as music appears to enhance cognitive abilities, creativity and discipline.
Have you heard of the Mozart Effect from the 1990s? This was the first study to link classical music to increased spatial cognition and can induce short-term improvement on performance of certain kinds of cognitive tasks and processes. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1281386/
Mozart is not my favorite composer, but I listen to classical music whenever I have a particular knotty problem in my writing to untwist. I am working on this article, listening to “4 Hours Classical Music for Studying, Relaxation & Concentration,” presented by Halidonmusic on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38LMlhYiQzc). Music can help break through mental barriers. Some pieces are familiar, but others aren’t. That’s okay. I’m not here for a sing-along. I am here to find the words, study content material, and relax enough to concentrate on organizing information to help you, the writer. The three ancient muses improved my ability to perceive, pay attention, and remember with music.
Music does the same thing in writing as it does in life. It’s a mood enhancer, evoking deep emotions and stimulating imagination. (Try dancing without music.) Music has the power to influence emotions, moods, and cognitive processes. A change in music style may shift moods, creating more passionate or sensitive writing.
What is the best music genre to improve writing skills? Different genres evoke unique emotions. Explore different music genres that resonate with you. Classical, jazz, rock, or folk; each offers unique rhythms to ignite creativity. The right music can have a positive impact in the development of writing skills.
Experts recommend different genres for different purposes. Instrumental music or low-tempo tracks can create environments conducive to deep focus. Listening to classical and old-school music (Oldies but Goodies between the 1960s to the 1990s) helps the writer make fewer mistakes. Turn to movie soundtracks to spark new thoughts and inspirations. Movies music engages emotions making it perfect for narrative writing. Imagine an action-packed or romantic movie scene without music. Tension and anticipation would lessen emotionally with love scenes and boring action scenes. Music triggers anticipation.
Classical music is ideal for deep concentration and analytical writing. It helps to develop unique rhythms and atmosphere in the writer’s world by stimulating dopamine secretion and synaptic functioning in learning and memory. Music can also reduce anxiety and stress by boosting natural opiates.
Jazz soothes the body and influences writing styles by helping to discover unique rhythms and atmospheres. It stimulates creative thinking and free-flowing ideas.
Ambient provides a calm atmosphere for reflection and clear thinking. Lo-fi offers smooth, non-intrusive background for steady focus.
For my daily two-hour writing sessions, I prefer listening to classical, but when I’m organizing material, instrumental bossa nova is especially helpful for me.
Where do you find music sites that resonate in you? When I became serious about my writing, I googled “instrumental study, reading, writing” and discovered many sites that were popular for students preparing for tests. There were sites entitled: Classical Music for Writing, 8-Hours Classical Music for Studying Concentration, Classical Music for Studying and Brain Power, Classical Music for Brain Power, and more.
Other sites: Pandora, Spotify, Mood Fuse. Websites like Focus@Will offer play lists to enhance focus and productivity. Shazam is an app used to download music.
Music has positive effects to enhance memory, improve attention to detail, and increase problem-solving skills. Before beginning your daily writing, use music as a warm-up. Engage in short music-based exercises by listening to an uplifting or energizing song that inspires positive emotions. Upbeat music, including songs with positive lyrics, provides an energy boost and primes the brain for writing. Once it’s time to buckle down and concentrate, listen to instrumental music and soothing genres to help stay calm and focused. Fast-paced melodies may cause loss of focus resulting in unclear writings and many errors.
Once you found your music, close your eyes, immerse yourself, and let it wash over you. Allow the three ancient Muses, who inspire through music, awaken your senses, to create an elegant new world of words.
Music is a vital part of Kathy Dobronyi’s writing day. When seeking a world uncluttered with words and noise, she listens to classical music for writing. If she is organizing the piles of research for her historical fiction set in the seventeenth century, she chooses Bossa Nova music for studying.
Connie Morrison
Hi Kathy, Excellent essay and, yes, music can “fix” your mood! At least it can mine. If I’m feeling blue, all I have to do is put on some Carly Simon, and my feet start moving! And I notice you have a book. Would you like me to add it to our members’ book page (https://theoysterpail.com/books-by-members/books/)? I’m currently reading The Women by Kristin Hannah…barely imaginable to me. I can only read so much of it in a sitting, it is so emotional.
Kathy Dobronyi
Connie, I truly do not know the status of my memoir, “Under the Wings of a Good Luck Phoenix: An American Girl in Saigon June 1963 to March 1964”. Just after I self-published, I was contacted by Juris Jurjevics, an author and editor at Soho Publishing. He discovered my story, read it for a resource for the book he was presently working on (“Play the Red Queen”) and was impressed with its “beautiful writing.” After he got in touch with me, I went to NYC to talk with him, and we began to work on improving my story. He never charged me for his expertise. Sadly, he died before we could gain any traction. “Play the Red Queen” was published posthumously. In February 2019, I went to the book “signing” where I was recognized by his widow who read his list of acknowledgements for a number of people including “author Kathy Dobronyi.”
Mary Bast
Fascinating article! I’ve also found that music can help break through a block. I once broke through a fallow period while listening to jazz. In that case my poem was an ekphrastic work directly speaking to one of Charlie Parker’s recordings, but I love the idea of music as a background for creativity in general.
Jeanne K
Greetings, Kathy
I am glad I found you. Kathy, youvoffered / facilitated an outstanding “Personal History Writing” class in Inverness, FL 10+ years ago. I was one of the numerous participants who benefited from this course, sharing with you and other classmates, etc. I chose to write a love-letter book to my daughter.
I stopped writing for a decade+ all the while journaling topics I wanted to include. In the interim, I kept years of notes on topics or events I want to include.
Now is the time to resume writing and complete my book. Technology, depending on the degree to which we incorporate it, has changed a writer’s life in ways we never could have envisioned. My writing journey is continuing in a fascinating way.
Thank you, Kathy
Best regards, Jeanne
Kathy Dobronyi
Jeanne, it’s wonderful to hear from you, and proud to learn that you found a beautiful way to share your story with your daughter. Thank you for letting me know.