The Sounds of NOT Silence
Daughter #2, all of nine, freckle-faced, blue-eyed, and a ball of fire, wants to be a rock star. More specifically . . . a drummer. More specifically, she now has a ginormous poster in her room of the $5,000 drum set she wants. In baby blue. She has the poster up so she can DREAM about the drum set. In the meantime, I dropped a few hundred last night for a snare drum, a mute, new sticks . . . and you get the idea. Because, my life wasn't noisy enough. No, today at 7:00 in the morning, my whole house reverberated with the sweet sounds of a kid banging on drums. For an hour. WITHOUT the mute.
I need a mute button for my life.
Which got me thinking, as life often does, about silence. If you had told me, at 22, when I was first crafting my short stories, that I would be able to write in anything but library-like silence, I would have thought you were crazy. Now, silence just ain't part of this writing gig.
I like music on my stereo. I almost think I need it on. I have now reached the point where I wonder if I even COULD write in a library. In silence. Child #1 plays classical violin on a beautiful instrument that is LOUD (she is a really powerful player). Child #2--electric guitar. "Smoke on the Water" and some AC-DC song are what HE'S working on. And then those drums for #3. When Child #4 takes up his passion, I'm hoping it's chess. But given my track record, I'm betting on TUBA. The music of my life.
But in an ideal world, I dream of writing in an attic like Jo in Little Women. Swear it!
So, I am curious . . . who gets to dream their little worlds in their books in quiet? Who has to rise before dawn for a little solitude? And who is doing it with drums in their ears? I'm betting some of the parents out there have ear plugs.
E.
P.S. Sara Hantz interviewed me for her blog. Pop by and say hello!
I need a mute button for my life.
Which got me thinking, as life often does, about silence. If you had told me, at 22, when I was first crafting my short stories, that I would be able to write in anything but library-like silence, I would have thought you were crazy. Now, silence just ain't part of this writing gig.
I like music on my stereo. I almost think I need it on. I have now reached the point where I wonder if I even COULD write in a library. In silence. Child #1 plays classical violin on a beautiful instrument that is LOUD (she is a really powerful player). Child #2--electric guitar. "Smoke on the Water" and some AC-DC song are what HE'S working on. And then those drums for #3. When Child #4 takes up his passion, I'm hoping it's chess. But given my track record, I'm betting on TUBA. The music of my life.
But in an ideal world, I dream of writing in an attic like Jo in Little Women. Swear it!
So, I am curious . . . who gets to dream their little worlds in their books in quiet? Who has to rise before dawn for a little solitude? And who is doing it with drums in their ears? I'm betting some of the parents out there have ear plugs.
E.
P.S. Sara Hantz interviewed me for her blog. Pop by and say hello!
posted by Erica Orloff at 7:49 AM
15 Comments:
Neither of my kids have shown interest in musical instruments (my youngest says it's because he doesn't want to carry it home--he walks). For me, it's the bounce of a basketball and two boys fighting because someone is cheating, and video games and rap music LOL but I've never been able to write in silence--I prefer new age music with no words
I see a sound-proofed closet in my future. ;)
Silence would drive me insane. I'd be constantly anticipating sound.
Btw, your children don't all practice at the same time do they?
Amie:
Yeah. Silence is distracting for me. I don't quite understand it, but music is constantly on when I write.
Jude:
We can lock you in the attic.
E
kathryn:
Sometimes, yes. The drummer is obssessed, so she practics pretty much any time she is awake. And that overlaps with Violinist, who is practicing for a big audition.
The electric guitarist is just really starting . . . but he has already grown his hair Frampton-like.
E
Have you introduced daughter #2 to Sheila E? I know she's old school, but dang, can that lady bang on her drum set. Plus, nothing like latino percussion to get the groove on.
I used to be a journalist so I can write anywhere, anytime, with any background noise/music. I actually don't like working in silence. I'm supposed to get my own office nextyear and I'm not looking forward to that. Give me a bullpen anytime!
Yeah, lock me in there until my book is finished. Make sure the walls are padded, though. ;)
karm:
I haven't! But I must. I will download her some stuff for her iPod.
She reminds me of the kid in LOVE ACTUALLY. He put up signs "DRUMS ARE MY LIFE" in his room. I love that movie!
I can write with noise, although music is preferred, however I can't sleep with noise. Actually just about any "distraction" but direct conversation and the TV are OK with me... as long as I can put headphones on :)
But my girls are too young to have around when I am writing. At two and four they are just too needy for me to get but a moment or two of concentration before my intervention/parenting is needed.
The vast majority of my writing occurs late at night during the week. There is almost no time on the weekends and with the new job there is no real time during the day.
Erica, it is so great that your children are into learning and playing music. I'm trying to get mine interested, but they just don't seem that interested. I'm hoping that when I remodel the garage into a workshop this summer and star building guitars again that they will show interest.
ewoh:
Total digression here, but my oldest wanted her first violin at three, oddly enough. I knew NOTHING about violins beyond "gee, they sound nice." And then I discovered a children's modified Suzuki program at a local university. I had to attend class with her, and the first day in the class (she was 4), I thought "This is ridiculous. No kid is going to learn all this." I looked over and she was acing everything they asked her to do. She is still playing--at a really high level and in a music high school--almost 13 years later. They are sponges, and if you can get them in a class--or even music appreciation classes--I think it's worth it. I can't imagine my kids' lives without art and music. One paints (the drummer). She's just this creative kid.
As for tending to them--I hear you. I wish I could write late at night like you, but my clock isn't built that way. I get up at 5:30 a.m. GROAN! But I've been doing it long enough that it's just when I wake up.
E
I have to have music going. Total silence unnerves me. I need the TV on to get to sleep, so it doesn't really surprise me that I need background noise to write.
naomi:
I always used to sleep with the TV on, but then I would occasionally have weird dreams. Like I was being eaten by an alligator--only to discover that Discovery was on and it was about crocodiles. So now, like ewoh, I need total silence.
E
I HATE silence when I'm concentrating because I then listen out for all the noises. I love to write to the radio, I enjoy the voices as well as the music.
Music takes my full brain. I can't do music and something else, unless it's something mindless.
Noise, on the other hand, is fine. I write at Borders, and I like the noise. Except today. For some reason, the conversation right behind me kept intruding. I don't know why; that never happens to me!
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