Repetition.
It’s the key to pretty much everything. Whether you’re learning how to throw a basketball or developing a writing habit (hey - even a meth habit for that matter,) the more you do it - the more likely you are to do it and the easier it becomes.
The thing about repetition is that it’s a double edged sword - on one side you have familiarity, knowledge, comfort and reliability - on the other you have tedium, boredom and ultimately annoyance. Finding the balance between the two is an art form.
Repetition is a huge part of the essay writing list - not least because the list not really meant to be streamed one track after the other - it’s more about helping you to find a track that works great on repeat. The theory here is that after a few repeats the brain recognizes the music and starts devotes less resource to processing it - you still get the benefit of the auditory stimulus and auditory “protection” but you’re able to get to a flow state faster.
There’s a 6 note figure that dominates this track - it’s the first and last thing you hear and it works brilliantly. As with Charles’ first track - Soft Sunrise - that appeared on this list back in September 2018, I’ve been living with this one for a while on one of my feeder lists. Over time I’ve fallen more and more in love with the piece and have developed a pretty good habit that allows me to start writing and focusing pretty much as soon as the opening figure comes on. It may work for you - it may not - but I would definitely recommend you take it out for a spin!
You can learn more about Charles Szczepanek 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.
Although I've always played, I haven't always been a musician. Most of my twenties were spent working with people, buying and selling and learning how the world works. It was in my thirties that I came to America and focused on music and began to develop music2work2.
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.