Thesis Music

I do not know how many of you visit author websites/blogs, but I have noticed that more and more authors are talking about the music they listen to while writing. Some make playlists of what they listened to while writing particular books, while others talk about a a song that they identify with one of their characters. It is fascinating, in my opinion, how true it is. The connection between music, words, and feelings is something I could write on endlessly but, never fear, that is not what I am going to do to you today.

Music helps me to think, to drown out distractions so that I can focus better on what I am writing or what I am reading. And, as the authors I just mentioned, I have found that I gravitate towards music that seems to meld with whatever I am working on, especially when I am writing. What am I writing? My thesis, in case you are reading the blog for the first time. Did I intentionally set out to have a play list of music that helps me to write about Beowulf, biblical exegesis, allegory, monsters, and Anglo-Saxon monasticism? Of course not. The fact that one has come to exist is very, very funny to me. That is the main reason I am sharing this with you. I do not think you care, really, but it is funny to think that listening to certain music helps me to write about such things. Some are predictable, while others are much more surprising. Without further ado, here is, more or less, the music that fuels my thesis.

The Lord of the Rings Soundtrack. I do not think this one is much of a surprise. If this does not make you think of a heroic age where men and monsters live side-by-side then your imagination has been stunted and needs to nurtured so that it can make proper connections. Solemn, stately, and hopeful - the tone of any good epic.










Gregorian Chants. I adore Gregorian chants. The beauty of human voices, unaccompanied by instrument or digital enhancement gives me chills each time I hear it. This helps me to get in a monastic mindset. These chants capture the complexity, depth, and beauty of the monastic life that the majority of modern readers (well, people really, not just readers) do not understand.











Led Zeppelin. This one does not make a whole lot of sense, but I don't really care. Something about Robert Plant's voice just energizes me and helps me to write like a crazy person. Sometimes I find myself typing in time to Jimmy Page's guitar solos. Just kidding. I can't type that fast. But seriously. The Immigrant Song? I could listen to that on repeat.










X by Ed Sheeran. I did not realize I was an Ed Sheeran fan until the Grammys, but there it is. I have been listening to this album while writing the part of my thesis about authorship in Anglo-Saxon England. Do the two have anything in common? No, not one thing. Does the album help me to focus and tune out the millions of distractions clamoring for my attention? Yes, most definitely.









Needtobreathe. This is one of my favorite bands. I have all of their albums and listen to them on shuffle while I am reading. Their sound is unique and soothing, helping me to be unconsciously happy while reading, thereby helping me to read more. I love reading, but academic reading can be so dry. These guys help me to get through it.









The George Frideric Handel station on Spotify. The hugeness of his sound (nice and technical, I know) really helps me to focus on what exactly I am writing. The audience I am writing for is small, but I believe that what I have is important and necessary to understanding the unique, wonderful complexity that is Beowulf. This station is full of songs that are aware of their own importance. Does that make sense to you? Probably not. I fully recognize how my thesis has driven me to delusions.




Does anyone else have songs or playlists for books or writing? If so, I would genuinely love to hear them. Hope you were entertained by this post and have not become afraid to be my friend. I'm told everything will go back to normal once my thesis is finished.