Music in the Studio

Let's talk about music. As far as I know, most painters have music on almost all the time in the studio. There is probably someone out there that prefers to paint in complete silence. And I wouldn't be surprised if a number of people even have the tv, or podcasts, or audio books on. The latter is definitely not me, the only thing I want to concentrate on is my painting and what I need to do to move it along towards completion.

So what do I listen to and how does it relate to the studio session?

Over the years there have been many different phases in my listening tastes and the studio usually calls for a more catered or curated selection of music than at other times. Its not like listening to music with your friends. Its not like when you put on something in the background while doing chores. Music in the studio is important. It helps set the tone, it blocks out other distractions, and for me, it usually makes me dance or sing along and helps create movement.

Sometimes I just impulsively put on something fun or whimsical, something I know well...something I will sing along with and play real loud. Sometimes its more melancholy and less singing...There were the Tori Amos years (Choirgirl in particular), there was a time when I had a painting playlist that was specifically dramatic songs I liked to sing loudly (maybe I was trying to keep other people from popping in, it never worked), lately its been lots of emo (my ex hated emo and would always complain, so now I'm loving listening to as much whiny music as I want with no complaint) so much Bright Eyes, Conor Oberst, Built to Spill....

So the music affects the experience but does it influence the painting in some way? I don't think a particular song or artist will ever be reflected in the actual painting for me, but the way music makes the studio experience become its own little sensory space facilitates the working process. Time becomes very subjective. Hours can pass seeming like minutes, or minutes can seem to stretch as one focuses in on minutiae.

If you know me, you may have been the recipient of random music sent your way. You can assume if I'm sending music that odds are I'm in the studio. Unless its classical. I love classical music but I never listen to it when painting. That's more for my cup of coffee or a stroll in the museum. So I sit in the studio, and I listen to music, and I paint along, tapping my paint brushes to the beat. And I step back and listen to music and I look at what I've painted and the music makes me happy. It makes me content to sit and look and figure out what to do next and it allows me to have fun even when the paint itself is frustrating me. So here's to me sending out more random music to friends I think might want to hear it, either to paint along, or just because music brings joy.

So the Pixies are singing on NPR Tiny Desk now and I think the paint is waiting for me. Time to go. Until next time when I let my random thoughts spill.....