Being a percussionist growing up was influential in my love of music. I played a diversity of music: Rock-n-roll, big band swing and ballads, marching band and symphonic, all of which I still enjoy today. But the music that resonates most with me is classical.
Ever since I was old enough to appreciate the likes of Mozart and Beethoven, I wondered how composers wrote their songs. It fascinated me how they incorporated so many different instruments into a cohesive order, and how a change of instrumentation could create a completely new sound. For example, Rachmaninov’s Zdes’ khorosho (How fair is this spot) was originally written for piano and voice. However, the song was orchestrated with the trumpet replacing the voice and the orchestra replacing the piano. It’s amazing how the orchestrated song, while having a completely new sound retains the same emotional resonance of Rachmaninov’s initial composition. Check out the two versions here:
While listening to classical compositions I often wonder about the composer’s creative process. Was their worked influenced by other composers? Was it based on a life experience?
Before I started writing, I had the same questions about fiction. How does one create a story out of thin air? As I developed my writing skills, I discovered there are many answers to that question. However, for me there is one element that remains true in every story I write, life experiences.
Events that I have experienced, people I have meet and places I have visited, play a big part in the development of my stories. To give you an idea, I’ve included a few examples from stories I have written.
My recently sold short story Song of the Night Woods, (Antigonish Review) has roots in an event that occurred when I was in college some 35 years ago. It took place on a sultry summer night in the Illinois Mississippi River bottom amongst a sea of growing corn. The story came to light only few years ago after recalling what happened that night.
The Christmas Zephyr, (Foliate Oak Literary Magazine) took shape after riding the train to Chicago several years ago to attend a writer’s conference. Seeing the faces of all the different travelers and overhearing some of their conversations made me wonder and the story was born.
My work-in-progress, a short story entitled Sego, actually grew from a photo of my dad. He’s standing next to a horse named Sego after spending the day working cattle on my uncle’s ranch in Montana. The photo, over forty five years old, brought back memories of all the summers I spent visiting and working on the ranch that eventually led to the story.
Rachmaninov’s song Zdes’ khorosho has roots in a life experience too. He wrote the song shortly after being married while living on his beloved family estate in Russia. Listening to his song after reading the poetic lyrics (link to lyric translation), one can feel his love for the land around him and his new wife.
All writers strive to have their work connect with their audience. Living through life’s gamut of experiences, the good and bad, the joyful and sad, gives perspective. While so many different things can prompt a creative endeavor, it’s this perspective that breathes life into a creative endeavor.
Even those who write fantasy take from real life experiences and real life characters. This is not to say that the MC is us, but rather that our lives are present in all stories.
Oh how lovely! And you’re right the trumpet soloist captures the pathos of the human voice, which I enjoyed more because of the words (thank you for the translation).
I often think of Mozart, how he composed, and in the movie Amadeus, there’s that scene with Salieri looking over the score and almost weeping because he could hear the genius (and not one note crossed out/revised). Once I asked about taking a breath in a convenient spot by changing the rhythm and the director said, “did Mozart put a rest there? No!”
Why do any of us make anything, be it food or music or stories? It’s about connecting. We all have this deep yearning. One of my favorite priests said this about Intimacy=into me see.
Thank you for a beautiful look into your storytelling.
Thank you Vijaya, I remember that scene in Amadeus, it was both riveting and humbling. I like the quote from your favorite priest and it’s so true for us writers. We lay it all out there for everyone to see.
Very nice. When I visit schools, I tell kids that none of us can prevent our life experiences from coming into our writing, although it’s most often not a particular event itself, but our feelings/reactions to things that have happened to us, shaped our perceptions. That trumpet player is amazing!
Very nicely said. What a good thing to share with a young audience. When your growing up, it’s hard to imagine how one’s experiences shape and mold our future lives. Getting older does make one wiser, especially from a writer’s perspective. I agree with your assessment of the trumpet player…she has such a rich sound.