POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

The Writing Playlist

By Nandy Ekle

In my world music is the backdrop of a lot of things. I listen to it while working at my day job of writing letters. I listen to it while I drive my car, if I’m not listening to an audio book. I usually wake up with a tune in my head and go to bed humming.

I have stockpiled a lot of music on my phone and my tablet. It’s a very eclectic collection from Irish instrumentals, Spanish instrumentals, western ballads, movie soundtracks, operas pieces, disco, dance tunes (Macarena), and techno.

However, there are certain pieces of music I’ve purchased just for the purpose of writing. And I’ve created my own “Writing Playlist.” These are the ones that make my skin prickle with excitement because I can feel the story hiding in there. Some of the stories are very evident, like watching a movie. But some of them are like playing a hidden pictures game. It’s there. The instructions tell you it’s there. There may even be a ghostly shape of what the story looks like, but I have to see it. And then, half way through the song, it begins to glitter and I wonder why I didn’t see it straight-out before. So I look away, then look back, and I have to find it all over again.

So, I’ll show you some of my writing playlist, and I’d love to know what your writing playlist looks like.

1. Music of the Night – from Phantom of the Opera
2. Phantom of the Opera (Junior Vasquez Club Remix) – from Phantom of the Opera
3. Don’t Fear the Reaper – Blue Oyster Cult
4. Total Eclipse of the Heart – Bonnie Tyler
5. It’s All Coming Back to Me Now – Celine Dion
6. Dark Lady – Cher
7. Hotel California – The Eagles
8. Fire On High – Electric Light Orchestra
9. Here We Are – Gloria Estefan
10. Hallelujah
11. Tom Dooley – The Kingston Trio
12. El Matador – The Kingston Trio
13. Need You Now – Lady Antebellum
14. Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show – Neil Diamond
15. Try – Pink
16. Just Give Me a Reason – Pink
17. Another One Bites the Dust – Queen
18. Cell Block Tango – From Chicago
19. Blood Theme (Alaska in Winter Remix) – from the TV series Dexter
20. Perfect – Pink

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