Blog 24: More analysis

Familiar music’s influence on the writing process (i.e. brainstorming, drafting, and/or revision)

In the following excerpt, S discusses listening to music during the writing process.  She discusses how music affects her brainstorming, drafting, and revision. 

R: Do you think that music affects your brainstorming and drafting and revising, like have you ever listened to a different set of music when your brainstorming to when you’re actually writing, to where your revision process and your actually draft.  Do you listen to different music then also? 

S: Uhm, I GUESS its different because when I’m brainstorming or coming up with ideas its like just random songs that like make me THINK. And I guess when I already have an idea and I’m writing, I’ll like listen to something like more like JOHN MAYER.  Something that I’m used to.

R: Is it because its something soothing?

S: YEAH.  I think so.

R: That’s what it sounds like to me.

S: And THEN, uhm, and then, actually when I REVISE, I like read out loud a lot to myself. So, I don’t think I listen to music when I do that. Cuz I think I read the same over and over and over again, like out loud.  And people might think, I’m

R: Crazy?

S: And my mom walks by and she’s like ‘what are you doing?’

When S discusses brainstorming and drafting, she says, “Uhm, I GUESS its different because when I’m brainstorming or coming up with ideas its like just random songs that like make me THINK. And I guess when I already have an idea and I’m writing, I’ll like listen to something like more like JOHN MAYER.  Something that I’m used to.”  In this quote S explains that she listens to random songs during brainstorming; however, during revision S listens to John Mayer---an artist she knows.  Her language in this quote implies thought into the question; hence, it begins with “Uhm, I GUESS.”  S’s emphasis on “THINK” and “JOHN MAYER” define her actions during brainstorming and drafting.  When S talks about Revision

she says, “And THEN, uhm, and then, actually when I REVISE, I like read out loud a lot to myself. So, I don’t think I listen to music when I do that. Cuz I think I read the same over and over and over again, like out loud.  And people might think, I’m---”  Unlike brainstorming and drafting, S can’t listen to music when she revises.  The emphasis on “THEN” and “REVISE” indicates she is retelling her experience when she revises.  S speeds up her speech when she says, “I don’t think I listen to music when I do that.”  The increase in S’s language may imply that she is confident and/or uncomfortable with the answer; confidence in her speech because she is able to form the answer without indicating thought, and uncomfortable because she speeds through her answer.  Her uncomfortable feeling is associated with listening to music while writing.  At the end of S’s statement, she explains why she doesn’t listen to music: “Cuz I think I read the same over and over and over again, like out loud.  And people might think, I’m---”  Again, S is gathering her thoughts in this statement.  She then makes a point about revision when she says, “I read the same over and over and over again.”  S explains that during revision she reads her writing multiple times.  Because S repeats, “over and over and over again,” it implies that revision is a dedicated process which involves intense reading.  

Again, this excerpt shows many links to familiar music’s influence on the writing process.  Listening to music while brainstorming and drafting can positively assist the writer during the writing process.  Randomly selected familiar songs can conjure up ideas while brainstorming.  During drafting, replaying a steady stream of familiar music can help with fluency during writing.  On the other hand, listening to music while revision may be counterproductive in writing.  Revision involves reading comprehension, which can be interrupted when listening to music.  

Listening to familiar music while writing positively effects a writing environment

In the following excerpt, S describes a specific instance when she wrote to music while traveling into New York City.

S: Mmhmm. And I was on the train. And then i was, cuz I was in a BAD mood.  I was writing about how going into the city SUCKED.  And it was like a little short story. And it was kinda FUNNY.  I liked it.

R:  What were you listening to? Do you remember? John Mayer again?

S: Uhm, NO I think I just had it on like SHUFFLE.

R: Uhm, how do you think it effected your writing? Were you more creative?  Do you think it affected you at all while you were writing?

S: Well, YEAH.  I like, well it helps me like zone-zone out from everyone else, I guess.  And, uhm, I think ACTUALLY, wow this is making me THINK, actually I think its better if I don’t listen to the same songs over and over again.  Cuz like each song kind like, cuz each song makes you THINK like a different kind a way.

R: So, but you try not to listen to the lyrics? Just the beat?

S: Mmhmm.

R: Or the rhythm?

S: Yeah. BUT sometimes, uhm, I am listening to a song and then I get an idea.  

R: Okay. What do you mean by that? You get an idea?

S: Like I’ll be in a TRAIN and I’ve been listening to a lot more music now because I commute so much and I like don’t like conversing with people.  So, I’ll like listen to music and then I’ll be listening to music, and then I always have like my teen vogue [laugh] pad with me and then I’ll like WRITE, cuz I listen to a certain song.  I’m trying to think of an example of something.

S’s story begins with her traveling into the city for work.  She says, “Mmhmm. And I was on the train. And then i was, cuz I was in a BAD mood.  I was writing about how going into the city SUCKED.  And it was like a little short story. And it was kinda FUNNY.  I liked it.”  S is retelling the story as if she was there.  She says that she was in a bad mood during this time.  Her emphasis on “BAD” and “SUCKED” implies a negative tone, which would satisfy her bad mood; however, her tone turns positive when she talks about writing her short story to music while on the train.  “And it was kinda FUNNY.  I liked it.”  The emphasis on “FUNNY” defines her thoughts on her story.  And the tone in which she says, “I liked it” confirms her feelings towards her written story.  Later in the story when S is asked about how listening to music on the train effected her, she says, “Well, YEAH.  I like, well it helps me like zone-zone out from everyone else, I guess.  And, uhm, I think ACTUALLY, wow this is making me THINK, actually I think its better if I don’t listen to the same songs over and over again.  Cuz like each song kind like, cuz each song makes you THINK like a different kind a way.”  When S says, “Well, YEAH” the emphasis implies agreement, in that, music helped her.  She later says that music helped her zone-out from the environment she was in;.  Zone-out, according to S, is a state of mind in which she is able to write creatively and fluently.