Inspiration Through Music

Music and inspiration are two components of life that are meaningless without each other. I discovered this notion while traveling Europe over the last couple of summers. Without music, my journeys would have been seemingly empty. While listening to a wide variety of musical genres I was able to capture the architectural and natural beauty of Europe with a more personal and unique perspective. My experiences were heightened and my emotional state of mind was elevated because of the music that I chose to listen to. I made decisions that I may not have without the inspiration from music. For example, while listening to The Smashing Pumpkins’ album, Adore, I felt courageous enough to take a dip in the Trevi Fountain in Rome. Before I ran with the bulls in Pamplona, I cranked up the volume to The White Stripes’ “Rag and Bone” from their album, Icky Thump. The music I listened to during my travels will always have a personal meaning that I will carry for the rest of my life.

While reflecting on my own personal inspiration through music, I began to ponder the artists’ inspirations. Are they driven by money? Are they motivated by their favorite artists? Are they encouraged by the satisfaction that is gained through the creation of their art? All of the above could be inspiration enough for any artist. I dove into the artist bios here at ArtiSans Label and found that the inspirations of our artists vary. Megan Bennett, singer/song writer of Rebel Heart derives her spirited rock music from her love of John Lennon. Tony T. Nguyen’s “Soundtrack to My Life” was influenced by his own life experiences, and his lifelong dream is to inspire and help others through art and music. David Ottestad of The Workday Release finds his inspiration through his faith in God. Barrett Slagle, freelance producer, summarizes his inspiration in one quote, “when an artist can be a true servant of the work, the work can be greater than the artist.” All artists have a drive to create their music through some personal motivation. The trickling effect that their music has on listeners is inevitable. Every component of their music can, in some way, inspire someone else to do things that they thought otherwise impossible.

As an intern at ArtiSans Label, I have been introduced to several aspects of the music industry. The most important aspect I discovered is that there are several opportunities for independent artists to successfully release their music. Artists can carry out what has inspired them, and in turn can galvanize others to go out on a limb and try something they never thought possible.