Ask anybody that knows me, and they'll tell you that I am constantly listening to music. It brightens my mood and helps me relax as I go throughout my day, and in general it just makes me feel better. It feels like an escape. However, as ISM has become a priority of mine, music has taken on an entirely new meaning than what it had before. As I listen to music during the day, I am constantly finding myself analyzing the different aspects of the song that I am listening to. For example, I'll hear a portion of the song that builds up hype or releases tension, and I'll pause and think to myself, "What about this part makes it feel like that?". Or, if a song's drum line is especially catchy, I like to ask myself what about it makes it catchy. Are they spacing beats out and creating tension, or playing on upbeats and throwing in triplets to make the song more interesting to the ear? I find that this knowledge will, in a very special way, make the songs that I will create for my Original Work more professional and, in a sense, more relatable, to listeners.
- grantwmarshall