Sometimes I am trying to figure out how it’s done – I mean the process of creating music. Many have said this before me, and I agree. On what? I agree that the music already exists somewhere, and the composer or musician, only is a channel for it. It’s a matter of opening op for the music that already exists within yourself, or in universe, or in a higher dimension, or whatever. Keith Jarrett, one of our times most influential piano players, have said that it is not he himself who is playing, it is God.
In my case, I think the first step is the inspiration. Sometimes when I play a few chords on the piano, immediately a melody line is existing in my mind. It’s not something I am figuring out, or constructing – it’s just there! I am quite amazed every time it happens. Then after a short while some words are popping up, which in turn gives associations to other words. After a while I have a clear idea of what the song will be about. And when I found a theme for the lyrics, so to speak, I start to use the logical part of my brain to get a structure of the music and the lyrics. So for me, making music is a combination of inspiration and mathematics.
Mathematics? Yes! Those who have studied music theory knows that music has a lot to do with mathematics. In fact, mathematics and foreign languages were subjects that came easy for me in school. I really see now that I use those abilities in making music.
Anyway, it’s not all there is to it. I think I always have enjoyed creating stuff. I used to draw a lot when I was a child, and even later, and was fond of writing stories in school, making cartoons, and so on. Even writing on this blog and creating homepages is of course also a kind of creative activity. I think this need to create is my way of expressing myself. We all need to express ourselves somehow, don’t we?
