Inspiration Through Music: Loreena McKennitt

Music is often about transportation. One moment, you are in your bedroom sitting in a chair. Then when the music starts, when the first notes grace the air, you suddenly find yourself somewhere miles away. It could be a place that doesn’t exist, your dream vacation spot, or even a nightmare. Writing has the same quality. When I begin a chapter on a first draft for a story, I need to be able to get lost inside of it. It helps me to concentrate on getting the whole thing down and not breaking away to edit things here and there. Finding the right kind of music that can do this while writing can sometimes be hard. It has to reflect the atmosphere of the story, create the right mood, and fit with your characters. If there is any musician who has discovered a talent for teleporting us from our safe homes into ancient mystical landscapes, it must be Loreena McKennitt.

Advertisement