Don't Shoot the Messenger! (Adventures of a Critic)

Music Makes a Difference

This chapter is for authors predominantly. I guess critics can use this as something to look out for. 

Music is an eye opener, a healer, a destroyer, and an inspiration. Music can send messages that words cannot convey alone. Music is both an entertainment and a tool. It brings people together, and it can tear people apart. 

Music greatly influences people. Psychological studies have shown that music can alter a mood so greatly that someone who is usually happy after listening to dark songs after a day or two can be clinically depressed.

Music is something you should take advantage of while writing, but you must use it well for it to work to your favor. 

If you're an avid music listener like I am, you will listen to just about anything. Now, I personally cannot stand country music, but everything else is fair game for me. 

The music of your culture can tell how your culture is doing. Is the music in the world you've created very Renaissance-like and usually has a defined beat with a dance to go with it? Is the music classical? is the music symphonic? This can show so many things: the age of your world, the technology available, the class of where your main character is, what your people do in their meantime. 

What's the message of the song? Current age Pop is a lot about kids being young and free "YOLO", etc. What is the message of the era? During Vietnam there was a lot of anti-war songs such as "Imagine" by John Lennon, "War (What is it Good For?)" by Edwin Starr. What is the message in your music? 

Are your characters depressed? If they are, you won't find them listening to "Bubbly" by Colbie Caillat or "Here Comes the Sun" by The Beatles. They'll be listening stuff like "So Long", by Jenny Owen Youngs or "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter, or "Take a Bow" by Muse or "Cave of Mind" from the soundtrack of Howl's Moving Castle . If they're suicidal, they may be listening to even darker music like certain songs by 30 Seconds to Mars or Dark New Day. If it's more fantastical setting, listen to "Hand of Sorrow" by Within Temptation while writing it. The type of music they listen to reflects on their personality too. Do they listen to pop and they're depressed? Then it'd be more likely that they'd be listening to Daniel Powter and Ne-Yo's "So Sick" and things like that. Do they listen to Alternative music? The band Muse, Panic! At the Disco, Fall Out Boy, and others. 

Instrumental: "Your Hand in Mine" by Explosions in the Sky, "Echo" by Helen Jane Long.

What about Indie? Depression Indie could be "Casimir Pulaski Day" by Sufjan Stevens (which may be more folk-y), or "Shelter" by the xx, or "Pick Up Off the Floor" by MIKA. 

 I'd say country but I really don't know that much about it. 

Understand what I'm showing you? I have just showed you I don't know how many songs that will help you with your character. Depression seems to be a popular topic for Teen Fiction as of late (and there's no issue with that, it's an interesting psychological disorder of sorts that even I delve into in my novels). BUT, I will not stand for someone who is very depressed to be listening to "Firework" by Katie Perry or whatever, and if they are, it should just make them feel worse. I understand that--whenever a happy song came on when I was feeling low I'd switch it, and if I couldn't switch it, I'd think it's mocking me. That's how it is. But if they're singing along to "How We Do" by Rita Ora I'm going to call you out on it. They wouldn't be doing that. 

Now, if you're happy and you're listening to these depressed songs, you're mood will most likely mellow and you might go more into your mind. You may even switch it because it's sad. 

If you're angry and a happy song comes on, it'll just piss you off. You'll probably switch it or just shut it off. You'd rather listen to things that connect with how your'e feeling.