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The Alchemy of Music – Music and Creativity

Over the course of the past month, we’ve thoroughly explored the more traditional elements of design, pertaining to topics such as web usability and web design layouts. Today, as I was foraging through the music playlist on my iPod (a ritualistic process I go through before starting a new design project), I had an epiphany, well sort of. Music has always been, for me, an integral source of creative inspiration; a guiding stream of consciousness that has triggered some of my most compelling creative pieces. From the mellifluous vocals of The Fray to the more hard-hitting punk rock tunes of Green Day, I am colossally indebted to the miraculous and whimsical world of music. As a practitioner and fervent supporter of the Arts, it is certainly enriching to discover and fully appreciate the creative element of music and its influence in art direction. To fully express my gratitude to the thousands of artists that have ‘shared’ with me moments of toil, heartbreak, joy, and pure idleness at the design studio, I have compiled a list of my favourite musicians. They have (quite literally) been the foundational support for my creative endeavours.

Jay Brannan

An undisputed musical genius in the indie music scene, Jay Brannan produces some of the most radio-friendly, catchiest tunes to date. Most of his songs are acoustic, which in my opinion, adds to a ‘raw’ distinctive flavour. While the lyrics are often quirkily sardonic, they are rich in emotional significance. A few notable releases include “Soda Shop” and the Cranberries adaptation, “Zombie”.

I found his tunes particularly useful for illustrations which require you to channel specific emotions in to an art piece or more generally any project which demands a certain degree of emotional investment. For example, months ago I was commissioned to design an illustration for a now defunct punk-rock music company, Tractor Music. Ironically one of the verses from Brannan’s song, “I’ll sell my guitar so I can by myself a tractor”, became the conceptual storyline behind the websites overall identity. The final illustration was a comic strip featuring a budding musician who fought for his right to keep his guitar and buy a tractor which he really wanted, despite not having the financial means. Not really a masterpiece but nevertheless the song provided an artsy narrative. 

Matt Nathanson

Perhaps a little more mainstream than Jay Brannan,Matt Nathanson’s most popular song, entitled ‘Come on Get Higher” is an evident winner in reinvigorating a day that has been rather dull or less than productive on the design front. As a designer, it is very common to face lengthy lull periods devoid of creative inspiration (also known as “designer’s’ block”). Nathanson’s lyrics provide that extra dose of energy to break free from a lazy spell to put a spring in your step. 

Star Guitar Music Video (Chemical Brothers)l

I have to admit that the rationale behind this particular entry has more to do with the stunning music video than the actual tune. A Michel Gondry production, Star Guitar fuses rhythm and beat with motion art fluently, clearly taking audio-visual direction in music to the next level. Watch carefully at how the speed and lighting of each frame synchronise with alternating rhythmic beats. Light and speed are the two main artistic compositions utilised in this music video, apart from the breathtaking urban and industrial based scenery.  .

One Republic

With a colourfully vibrant MySpace website,One Republic’smusic lives up to its online visual enchantment. Soulful, enigmatic and heart-thumping, their latest album, Waking Up, speaks to the sophisticated listener. I am often reminded of the vibrant and pulsating feeling of being at the heart of a particular exhilarating experience. The dance oriented tunes will also serve well as embedded audio in urban-design themed Flash movie sequences.

Heartless Music Video (The Fray)

The Fray’s part animation/part motion sequence, music video titled, ‘Heartless” is fascinating. Forget the band’s smooth vocals, that music video alone, where sketches on a notepad come alive, is visually delightful. The animated sketches design concept allows us to see what it would be like if illustrations could actively ‘describe’ our own internal emotions at any particular given time. Pictures are indeed worth more than a thousand words.

What are your favourite artists or music videos that you feel have helped in the creative thought process?