Hear ye!
“Music oft hath such a charm
To make bad good, and good provoke to harm.”
– Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure“
Music is integral for dancers and choreographers as well as artists in other media. We are bombarded with new music and media and need find ways to listen to and record our impressions of musical works, to sift through these influences and access what moves and inspires us.
Reflective writing has become an integral part of my personal creative practice and I encourage students and clients to create their own simple method of capturing ideas, insights, and information.
You may choose analog or digital information management and notetaking, or a combination of both, the key is to make a habit of recording observations, impressions, and insights, then storing these resources in a way we can access and use them.
Research supports the efficacy of notetaking in supporting learning and creativity, and it is a practice that prolific artists recommend, now how do we keep track of these impressions so they may inform and inspire our choreography, performance, and other creations?
A professor and mentor in my MFA in Dance, Betsy Fisher, required such music listening logging as part of choreography coursework, and it has stuck with me ever since.
In Writing the Life Poetic, Sage Cohen suggests ways to store “Acorns” of poetic ideas and segments, and this system is also applicable to music listening, dance choreography and all sorts of creative ideas.
Twyla Tharp describes her choreography idea boxes–yes, physical boxes on shelves–system of project storage in The Creative Habit, and many YouTube creators in the area of journaling also keep music listening and media consumption logs, a couple of which are listed below.
Music Listening Log
Basic information you might wish to capture for each piece of music or song you observe:
- Name of the Piece
- Length
- Composer, Writer
- Musicians, Performers
- Date Performed/Recorded
- Date(s) Listened
- Impressions
Loggy Log
Favorite songs and pieces of music in my current rotation can be found in playlists on YouTube and Apple Music, in lists in Evernote, and I created a Bullet Journal spread about Music Listening Logs where I will also be capturing musical reflections, which I’ll later digitize:
Resources for Further Exploration
- How (and Why) to Take Dance Notes – Class, Rehearsal, Performance Writing to Grow & Create article
- Mood Music that Moves Me- Playlists of Songs & Pieces to Inspire the Spirit article
- Developing Rhythm & Musicality for Dance article
- Nutty for “The Nutcracker” Ballet: History, Story, Music, Dance & Holiday Magic article
- Gretel & Hansel Fairytale for Creative Dance – Music, Storytelling, Improv & Choreography article
- Roses Have Thorns: Time, Love, & Mortality in “Sleeping Beauty,” “Hamilton,” Poetry, & Life article
- Cinderella’s Courage & Kindness: teaching the classic fairytale ballet article
- Year of Wonder book by Clemency Burton-Hill and companion (nearly complete) playlist truly is enriching and enchanting
- Writing the Life Poetic: an Invitation to Read & Write Poetry book by Sage Cohen
- The Creative Habit: Learn it and Use it for Life book by Twyla Tharp
- Music Journal is Bringing Me Joy video from Chris Saenz
- Media Logging video from Dear Theo
Questions for Reflection
- What is your favorite song or piece of music?
- Which kinds of music do you wish to explore?
- Where do you record insights and inspiration for future reference?
- How might music and reflection contribute to your artistic process?
- What are you creating?
Try out these note-taking approaches for yourself and let me know what works for you. Thanks for reading and practicing together in spirit or in fact!
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Back regularly with more fun with ballet, mindful movement, & creativity. Take good care until then,
Blythe Stephens, MFA, Bliss Catalyst
they/them or she/her
Creator of A Blythe Coach: dance through your difficulties
and take leaps of faith into a joyful, fulfilling life