writing about music/ art

[Dayna]

I've learned a lot about music/ art on here, but I wish I knew how to put across better ideas. It seems like I know what I like, and things, but just don't know how to communicate it very well.

[Adam Blake]

Practice!

[Dayna]

Ok. Practice. Thanks.

[will vine]

Dayna, it's been good to have you back here, even if I can't stand Simple Minds.

I guess it depends what you want to get out of writing about art and music. Do you want to appear expert? Do you want to provoke? Do you want to just say what's in your heart?
There are some very knowledgeable people crop up on this site....(Hey, anyone seen Garth lately?)...and some old guys who appear knowledgeable by dint of long memories, but mostly we just like what we like and we've immersed ourselves in it to the dereliction of many other duties no doubt. From all that, we pick up musical/artistic links, observations, jokes, comparisons.
I'd say looking for links in the things you like is a good place to start. It's essentially what dear old Charlie did.

[Dayna]

I'm not an expert, so I shouldn't try sounding like one. It's hard, since there's so many things I like that you guys don't. I'd love to be able to describe any music I like really. I can always hear so many details I like, but never really able to say what I'm hearing without sounding silly.

Now, I'm totally hooked on Simple MInds.
It's perfect, as far as I can see, and hear. I've been writing on the Facebook fan site. I hope they won't get tired of me there.

It's some of the best music I've heard in a long time, and I guess I just wanted to share what's in my heart about it, and leave it up to you what you all think. Maybe I am kind of hoping to win you over to what I like too, if there's a chance. I hope it doesn't look like I want to provoke at all.

[Willy]

I'm in no way qualified to give advice on how to help you with this but I've never forgotten my English teacher at school saying "If you want to be a writer but feel you you're not good enough, just start writing anyway and after some time (He said 3 years but Pants! to that) you will become a good writer.

On a sidenote, I'm reminded of the old theory that an infinite number of monkeys with typewriters will, eventually, come up with the Complete works of Shakespeare -so there's hope for us all.. and apparently that is now coming true, thanks to some virtual monkey business.here:
http://www.jesse-anderson.com/2011/09/a ... akespeare/

-and let us not forget Bob Newhart's take on the subject (in 1960)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ji_--Q1S9Gk

[Dayna]

Thanks. I've been writing somewhat, and improving I think.

It's just that when I'm listening to something I like, it makes me excited for some reason, and I keep thinking, what is it I'm hearing that's so exciting about this? Maybe I could try writing everything I hear.

I've even gotten interested in writing down my own dreams now. They're so good, someday I might get a good fantasy novel from them.

[uiwangmike]

The difficulty of writing about music is almost proverbial, Dayna. This quote has turned up on the forum a few times over the years.
http://quoteinvestigator.com/2010/11/08 ... out-music/
It's interesting that no one is able to pin down exactly the origin of the quote. I was reminded that it has been similarly impossible to trace the origin of the expression "the Full Monty", which you also mentioned recently.

[Alan Balfour]

It's just that when I'm listening to something I like, it makes me excited for some reason, and I keep thinking, what is it I'm hearing that's so exciting about this. Maybe I could try writing everything I hear.

And that's exactly what inspired me to attempt writing about the music I had become passionate about. In 1966 I wrote reviews and features of recently purchased blues LPs and sent them to a soul music mags in the hope they might get published. One or two were. In hindsight they were appalling, full of flowery language and over used adjectives etc. But it got me started.

What I'm trying to get across with all this waffle is, stick with Dayna. I'm sure if Charlie were still with us he'd say much the same....

[Dayna]

Thanks everyone for all the advice. You know it's you guys that have inspired me to think about music so much, and learn about it. And Adam that got me going on learning guitar. Maybe it will all turn into something for me some day. Who knows.
Maybe I'll even get to meet the people I want to meet. ha ha!

[Jill Turner]

Write from the heart, not what you think people may want to read.
Jill

[Dayna]

Write from the heart, not what you think people may want to read.
Jill

Thanks. That is encouraging.

[alister prince]

Hi Dayna
just a thought as a late entry to your thread,to add to the the responses made already. I have to write a lot of stuff for 'public consumption' for my work and find its worth reading the text aloud, especially at first. It helps to give you an idea of how it comes accross to the reader. It also gives you a sense of the rhythm, repetions, jarring statements and so on. After a while you get to do it in your head and you don't feel so odd.
Aly