As a writer - have you ever just sat down - let the words flow and then without review or editing - hit send?
Of course you have - we all do - and for essay writers - producing something to a deadline - we’re even more susceptible to the need to just “get it out there” - to be done and to move on.
But that’s not how professional writers work - people who make a living from their words see the act of creation as just one step in the process - hell - even I’m editing this as I write - that opening sentence was originally three! A first draft is just that - a draft - it is only through review - through examination and “objective” assessment that we tighten it up - improve the flow and ensure seamless transition of our idea.
But music is a little different. For sure - professional musicians have editors - we call them producers - all your favorite albums by all your favorite artists benefited from an external perspective that honed the hit while trimming the excess. But improvisation has an established and respected place in music - from Jazz through the Grateful Dead to the uniqueness of every live performance - not only is music allowed to be different - we actively search for that genius moment where we experience true creative flow.
I personally believe that when you’re in the presence of creative flow - when you’re watching an amazing guitar solo at a rock concert or experiencing a pop star work the crowd - or when you’re listening to a recording that was created as a pure expression of the moment - then it helps.
It helps you to write - it helps you to think - it does something weird and intangible and - you get a little bit of the magic rubbing off on you.
I’ve been digging Piotr Wise for a while - his track Walking In The Fog - could have been on this list or the Music to Grieve To list - it may still be one day - (you should check it out!) - but I was struck by his recent release. 4 tracks on an EP that were recorded as a pure act of improvisation inspired by the loss of a friend in a car accident. As he says:
“The album has been dedicated to my close friend that I new since I was 4 or 5 YO. Improwave IV - Walk Away is the most personal track I’ve ever written. Musically the album is an experiment. During the recording one of the microphones is facing the forest outside my home-studio, while the other is right by the piano. In such a configuration I simply sat at the piano after midnight and began to improvise listening to the sound of piano, to the sound of nature. . . That night I meet with said friend - Damian Mikrut. He died in a car accident two months later...”
The EP is an interesting trip but Walk Away is the stand out - for me at least. I started out writing to the full EP but ended up putting Walk Away on repeat and that’s when I started to flow.
You can learn more about Piotr Wiese here:
About the Curator: Andrew McCluskey
The first visual memory I have is that of the white upright piano in Singapore, Hell and the Dark Forces lived at the bottom, Heaven and the Angels at the top, they would play battles through my fingers and I was hooked.
I’ve been fascinated by music ever since.
As a psychology graduate I studied how sound affects human performance.
As a musician I compose instrumental music that stimulates your brain but doesn't mess with your language centers, leaving you free to be creative and brilliant without distraction.
As a curator I research how music can improve your life and create flow - I can tell you what music to listen to when studying for a test and why listening to sad music can make you feel better.
As the founder of musicto I’m on a mission to inspire a global audience of music lovers and artists through the development of people powered playlists.
Latest Posts
Lonely Dream – Drunken Kong Remix – The Archer, Drunken Kong
24 November 2021
But as I’ve moved from ideation to manifestation, the energy of the playlist needed to change – solo piano is good for thinking – but 8 minutes of 130 bpm edm is great for getting things down
Out Of Reach – Cristoph, Yotto, Sansa
8 November 2021
So if you’ve been listening to the playlist recently you know what’s coming. Last week’s track was all about setting the intent for change – away from the more relaxing ideation space of solo instrumentation to this week’s electronic track from Cristoph, Yotto and Sansa.
Mr. Clay – Johnny Klimek, Tom Tykwer
31 October 2021
I’ve known for a while that the feel of the list was going to change – while piano instrumentals are perfect for reflection and ideation – at some point you need some energetic input to get your fingers moving.
Andrew McCluskey
The first visual memory I have is that of the white upright piano in Singapore, Hell and the Dark Forces lived at the bottom, Heaven and the Angels at the top, they would play battles through my fingers and I was hooked.
As a psychology graduate I studied how sound affects human performance.
As a musician I compose instrumental music that stimulates your brain but doesn't mess with your language centers, leaving you free to be creative and brilliant without distraction.
As a curator I research how music can improve your life and create flow - I can tell you what music to listen to when studying for a test and why listening to sad music can make you feel better.
As a creator / contributor at musicto I’m part of a global creator community that collaborates through music. You can learn more about our community here.