I’m happy to be kicking off our next rotation The Soundtrack
of Our Lives, where we’ll be talking music.
I found my musical heartbeat in the 80’s. While Michael
Jackson was influencing a generation’s fashion and Whitney Houston was teaching
them how to love, I discovered new wave and punk. My most profound teen moments
involved The Ramones, The Cure, The
Smiths, Depeche Mode, Echo and the Bunnymen, Modern English, Howard Jones,
Violent Femmes, etc. One of my first big crushes used the Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” as a springboard for
our inaugural makeout session. *Ahhh* that song still gives me the tinglies!
Even though my tastes have continued to develop and diversify,
I still love 80’s alternative music (and makeout sessions). I’m especially fond
of punk covers by bands like Goldfinger
and Me First & the Gimme Gimmes,
but I also like contemporary alternative. Right now I’m really into fun., The Academy Is, Hot Chelle Rae,
OneRepublic, The Fray (always), One Direction, Needtobreathe, Maroon 5, Goyte, Gym Class
Heroes, and 30 Seconds to Mars. Jared
Leto’s pink mohawk—need I say more?!
 |
Like any writer who connects
deeply with music, my characters share the same kind of profound connections.
Unfortunately, we don’t always agree on what type of music speaks to us. Often
my main characters gripe (in my head, of course—because anything else would be
crazy!) about my choice in music and sometimes they flat out refuse to cooperate
until I concede to their musical preference. Here are a few of my favorite (and most stubborn) main characters.
Alexia (The Halo Chronicles: The Guardian) - Alex
is very eclectic in her musical tastes. She likes alternative rock spanning
many decades. But when she needs to escape, she loses herself in the pounding
rhythms of screamo/post-hardcore/metalcore bands like As I Lay Dying, My Chemical Romance, The Devil Wears Prada, Autumn to
Ashes, Taking Back Sunday, and A Day
to Remember. Alex and I are very simpatico when it comes to working
together.
Mackenna (Finished Project yet to be announced) -
Kenna loves Broadway musicals. Like me, she has a particular affinity to
Sondheim, and the truth he illuminates through song. She, however, is not as
angsty as her creator. As a result, she enjoys mainstream musicals of the
Rogers & Hammerstein and Jerry Herman variety much more than I do. I’m more
of a RENT, Spring Awakening girl. And Kenna likes Wicked a bit too much, in my humble opinion—she’s kinda obsessed
with playing Glinda—but overall we manage to compromise. She’s even helped me
see the beauty in the more pedestrian, mainstream musicals.
Sofia (Work in Progress) - Sofie surprised me.
She comes to the modern world from an isolated place and connects to...Country Music.
Seriously? WTF—Country?! Not Social Distortion’s
version of “Ring of Fire” that I have on my “Happy Place” iTunes playlist, but
honest-to-goodness Country Music. She likes Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, and especially identifies with Taylor Swift’s
songs about disillusioned fairytales. She also cares a great deal for The Band
Perry’s "If I Die Young". My typical music is too distracting for Sofie and she
refuses to cooperate unless I play what she wants. (Did I mention my main characters are often as stubborn as I am?)
But when it comes to my main characters and music, I follow one
simple rule: Their story, their music. But when the laptop closes, it's all about me.
Other songs on my “Happy
Place” iTunes playlist:
A Dayto Remember’s cover of “Over My Head” (the
Fray)
Me First and the Gimme Gimme’s cover of “What I Did For Love”
(A Chorus Line)
311’s cover of “Lovesong” (the Cure)
The Eels cover of “Can’t Help Falling in Love” (Elvis Presley)
How about you, Dear Reader? Does music speak to you? What's on your "Happy Place" playlist?
Carey
www.careycorp.com
8 comments:
Oh, Carey, I feel your pain. As you know, I'm slaving over Sultry #3 while waiting for more Alienated edits. Well, Colton is an Oklahoma boy living in Texas, and he loves country music. But not that pop-crossover crap. He says that's not real country. He's very stubborn and persnickety when it comes to music.
Mel - LOL! I can totally picture Colton laying down the law when it comes to your Sultry 3 soundtrack.
Haha! "Laying down the law." You clever girl, you.
Carey,
Considering you're my writing partner, you know quite a lot about the music that inspires me and my characters...I suspect more than you'd care to know. ;o)
One of my current favorites is everything by Parachute!
One of my favorite characters (Mary in CHASING FIREWORKS) loves Queen and anything else Classic Rock. It's a bond that she shares with her dad and her best friend-turns-boyfriend. LOL. Thought that was kinda ironic considering our last posts. :-)
My first epic love story, spanning two decades and approximately 160,000 words (God help me) had lots of Frank Sinatra in it. It was a bond she shared with her adopted grandmother. :-) I love me my Frank! Every time I hear "Fly Me to the Moon" I start swaying in a very Rat Packy kinda way. :-)
Fun post, Carey!
When will the world finally hold Doon in their hands??? I want it! I want it now!
@Lorie - I do know a lot about what music inspires you. I can't wait to read what you do with the topic.
@Kim- Am I sensing some "Bohemian Rhapsody" in your upcoming post? Nic's reading DOON now...fingers crossed that she loves the changes. LOVES THEM!!!!!
What a great post! It's amazing how these characters have their own personalities and interests. Nothing proves that more than seeing their different musical tastes!
Thanks Lea - I can't wait to read your post.
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