I Cannot Choose One Thing. Luckily for Me, Music and Art Are Really Good F*cking Friends…
I am not a musician.
I mean, I am not just a musician.
I’m an artist too. And a blogger and a creator with a camera. I have ideas and melodies that I need to get out. And favorite way to manifest these ideas is to blend them together.
My music inspires my art. My art inspires my music. They’re collaborators, rarely separate from each other.
Artists know the power of music and musicians know the power of art.
When I close my eyes and play the guitar, I see sketches and graphite lines. When I draw that face with scribbles and words, I also hear notes.
So this is my short post on why music and art are so damn good together.
Art Makes Music Better
Any artistic medium gets elevated when it’s combined with another art style or form. Art makes music better in this way.
Think about the significance and impact of album work.
Great album work furthers the story of the artist, the album and/or the song.
Music videos further tell the story and enhance the music. This is also art.
For me, I love to create artwork inspired by the music I make (vice versa). They’re collaborators and they’re constantly bouncing ideas off of each other. They’re stronger together than apart.
Music Makes Art Better
Nothing makes art better than the perfect sound. It elevates the whole experience (for both the painter and the viewer).
Imagine a futuristic digital art experience without sound. Now imagine it with distant drone noises and eery vocal notes echoing.
Now imagine an artist making an expressive urban-inspired graffiti work abstract…in silence. But playing some classic punk tunes or hip hop or whatever genre suits your mood changes how you paint and the subtle brush stroke gestures.
Like how Ashvin Harrison uses music to drive the colorful expressiveness of his work.
Painting with the right music influences how the work turns out.
But that’s not to say that silence is bad either…because sometimes that works too. John Cage’s 4′33″ reminds us of the power of silence.
Even a podcast (while not “music”) is still sound that influences my mood and drawings.
Sound is inescapable. And curating the right sounds at the right moment are a pro-level of intention for artistic pursuits (and living).
Blending Music + Art
The next time you look at art, think about what it sounds like (or what it would sound like).
Play a slow classical song while looking at it. Then play Radiohead and look at the same artwork. Notice how it suddenly feels different.
These two are connected. Art and music are good f*cking friends.
Later ✌️
