I had a wonderful teacher who liked to stimulate our minds with classical music. All year long she would play music and had us use our imaginations while listening to it. We were encouraged to write a story using the music to make us think about what is happening at the time. I think that is when I began my love of writing. At an early age, I think my imagination was pretty wild. As I listened to music I could see the action happening in my mind. I couldn’t wait to get the action down on paper.
Of course my teacher encouraged me by giving me lots of praise which made me feel fantastic.
She could have told me about a play that used this music but she didn’t. She could have told me what the composer was thinking when he wrote the piece but she didn’t. She could have shared her ideas on what was going on when she heard the music but she didn’t. She told us that anything was possible and to write down what we thought was happening and that anything was possible.
What a world she opened up for me! Her openness meant that anything I wrote was going to be right. There was no wrong answer. I could make anything happen the way that I wanted it to. When I heard the music, I could write a romance story or a mystery story. As the music sped up or got louder, I knew the action in my story would get stronger and more exciting. Oh, the stories flowed from my hand! I couldn’t wait to write when given the chance.
Of course this opened the world of writing to me. But it also opened up the world for me. It made me realize that I could write my life however I wanted to and that my actions were up to me. If I didn’t like the way my life was going, it was up to me to change my actions. I was in control of what I wrote and what I did. I’m not sure my teacher meant to teach me this life lesson or maybe she did but it made a lasting impression on me.
Have you used music to encourage writing? If so, how? Please share.
Image: 'Bari_09'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11854150@N08/8139143406
Found on flickrcc.net
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