Being a musician is a way of life and, for those who can make a career out of it, it can be a truly dreamy one. Playing your own music to fans is a feeling unlike any other, but it takes a little while to get there. For every hit you write there’ll be dozens that didn’t quite go to plan, which means you’ll need a whole lot of inspiration if you want to keep things fresh. Thankfully there are plenty of places to search for inspiration that you might not have thought of before and we’ve collated them here, so you’ll never be out of ideas.
It’s All Around You
Most of us are exposed to music that we don’t even notice during our day to day lives. Some of it is almost exclusively terrible, like the nauseating, crackling music that you’re forced to listen to whilst you’re on hold. However, some can be pretty good, like when an old favourite tune comes on in a lift, or you’re playing a level of a game that you love and you notice a cool chord progression that you just know will be stuck in your head for days. So, the next time you’re playing a video game, or using those free spins that you found, and you notice a catchy tune, make a note of it. Online games often have catchy sections in their soundtracks, which could give you the spark of inspiration that you need to write something great. Usually, only a few notes are needed to spark an idea, so these tiny little snippets of sound can prove really useful.
Films and Television
If you prefer being inspired by long-form music, but have had enough of scrolling through Spotify or YouTube, then you might have more luck turning on the television. Scores for films and music for television shows can be really inspirational and span all kinds of different genres. A blitz through a Lord of the Rings film is full of drama, tension and orchestral arrangements that could inspire anything, from a sample in a rap track, to a special twiddly finish in a violin piece. The latest Stranger Things series, on the other hand, reminded everybody of how much we love Kate Bush, landing her around $2 million in royalties this year alone. Being reminded of a song you’d forgotten about could lead you into a deep dive of an older artist’s music, which in turn could lead you to a song that you really want to take inspiration from.
Let Your Mind Wander
Finally, often musical thoughts will come from your own brain. After all, in the quest to develop your own musical voice you’ll spend a lot of time in your own head. It can be tempting to listen to music all of the time in an attempt to force inspiration, but you’ve got to give your mind enough space to come up with creative thoughts of its own. If you found that little riff from a video game inspiring then enjoy a bit of quiet for a while. You might find yourself humming it later down the line and that’s the time to let your brain do its thing and improvise.
