A Soundtrack to a Book?
My music is just about storytelling. I don’t have much to say, and I’m not trying to change anyone’s mind. I’m just singing through conviction about what I love and what I care about, starting with the very small.
-Sufjan Stevens
Music has always been an important part of my life. I began playing the viola when I was seven and the guitar when I was fifteen. My love for rock music blossomed at about age thirteen, and in the last five years my taste has drifted over to indie and folk music. On occasion, I find absolute delight in listening to a Vivaldi concerto or one of Beethoven’s nine symphonies.
Good songs tell a story, and often do so in 3-5 minutes. My imagination fills the gaps of what is left between the staffs, increasing the potency of the lyrics, as well as the mood of the accompanying music.
This storytelling is natural in movie soundtracks, which are already audio-centric in nature. I just rewatched Steven Spielberg’s 1993 classic Jurassic Park. This movie is cinematically wonderful. Of course, Michael Crighton is an amazing storyteller, and Spielberg is one of the best directors in cinema history, but that greatness is amplified by John Williams’ score.
John Williams composed and conducted the score for Jurassic Park. Williams has one of the most celebrated careers in enhancing the stories of the movie through his soundtracks.
Far less obvious a connection is music with written stories. However, I make this connection all the time as I write. Several years ago, I found out I was not the only one who did it either. I took a class from local author Kathie Giorgio, who stated that when she wrote her novel “The Home for Wayward Clocks” she had often had Coldplay’s iconic song of the same subject running through her head.
I wrote Forth From Eden based off a dream. In that dream, I saw the emblems of virtue central to the story, as well as the ending of the story play out. Throughout the dream, my mind projected the melodies of the song, Battle of Evermore, by Led Zeppelin. I had heard this song for the first time six years previous to the dream and recall staring at my boombox in delighted disbelief. For those of you who aren’t familiar, this song sounds nothing like some of Zeppelin’s biggest hits, like Black Dog or Stairway to Heaven. It’s provincial, raw, and fantastical. The mandolin dominates the music, but not in the way that the instrument is typically utilized. The notes are repetitive, the riffs are cyclical and beautiful. My understanding is that at least some of the members of the band were fascinated by fantasy stories, and it isn’t the only song in their discography with references to Lord of the Rings.
Album cover of Led Zeppelin’s untitled album from 1971, of which Battle of Evermore was a part.
In any case, I used the images I saw in that dream and the idea stated in the lyrics to “bring the balance back” as the basis of my book. As the story played out, I found other songs that matched the mood and moment of the story. I even burned a copy of the entire soundtrack, though it’s long since disappeared and I was not wise enough to write down all the songs. The majority of them can be found on this Spotify Playlist, though.
