Music To Write To...

Written by Anika Henrikson

Many people have waxed poetically on the art of compiling a mixed tape, CD, whatever. I'm not one of those people, usually.

Sure, there are rules...and there's your audience to consider. But more often than not, I'm making mixes for myself. So I throw those “rules” out the window and just make a mix that fits my mood. This is, undoubtedly, why I have over 70 playlists on my iPod right now.

I never know what kind of musical mood I'll be in on any given day; I have to be prepared.

So I've got my “New Wave” jams—a cacophonous mix of New Order, Echo and the Bunnymen, and Psychedelic Furs songs, among others.

I've got a “Scandinavian” mix—20 or so songs from Swedish artists that I listen to when I want to revel in my heritage.

I also have mixes chronicling the first two years of college and the final two years—very different phases in the evolution of my musical tastes.

I recently came to the decision that the mixes I make for work are the most important. These mixes do have rules. They have to sustain me as I work on copy—keep me up and engaged, but not distract me from what I'm doing. If something's too “ear-catching,” I have a tendency to start typing out the lyrics to the song, to the beat, instead of the story I'm supposed to be writing. That's honestly happened on more than one occasion. Listening to music and writing go hand-in-hand. If I'm sitting in silence, my creative juices are stagnant. That's why my iPod is always rockin'.

Naturally, I have a few mixes that work better than others, depending on the type of story I'm writing. If I'm, say, working on a story about guys who ride motorcycles, you can bet I'm not listening to Enya. A story about the best home-cooked meals in town will come together better if I've got a playlist going with songs that remind me of my mom and grandmas (and their cooking).

However, I've struggled to find the perfect music to listen to when I'm writing stories for our Community Partners section.

But one of my favorite things about working for Bakersfield Magazine is that I am able to be a part of supporting these great local nonprofits. Each issue, we fill up our Community Partners section with stories about charities to help get the word out about either an event or just to get some information out about a nonprofit that needs support...and I want to do my part to encourage people to get involved. I obviously can't do that if a story about childhood diabetes has the tone and energy of an Alice Cooper song (but listen to “Poison” and tell me it's not the best, most hyperbolic song, ever).

Often, I wind up writing about organizations that try to help the underprivileged in our community or those suffering from illnesses that require money for research. It's a pickle. I want to make sure that the tone and the pacing of the article fits with the need of the organization; fits with the need of the people being helped.

Garage rock sometimes seems too grandiose; jazz propels me into such a relaxed (read: comatose) state that I can't actually think; Enya makes me too sad. I also quickly realized I can't listen to The Swell Season or Angus & Julia Stone while trying to write about underprivileged children. But I can listen to them any other time without trouble.

The mindset I need to have while working on these pieces is specific. I need to feel empathy, I have to understand the need, and I have to convey the power of what community support can accomplish—but I have to do it without being morose, depressing, or overly-dramatic. I don't want these stories to read like a Sally Struthers infomercial. I've tried almost everything.

So, until further notice, I'll be listening to Doo Wop while I work on these types of stories. When I talk about the importance of supporting the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway (on June 19), the Arts Council of Kern, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Kern County, I'll be swaying to tunes by Randy and The Rainbows, The Platters, Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs, and The Del-Vikings. Oh, and “Duke of Earl” by Gene Chandler. I love that song.