May 6 question – Do you have any rituals that you use when you need help getting into the ZONE? Care to share?
Just give me that rock and roll music… (and a good headset)
Although lately, I’ve been branching out into other types of music to help me get in the zone, depending upon my mood. Tradition Celtic melodies. Modern Native American songs. I keep thinking I should look for Gregorian chants but haven’t yet. I’ve got a nice collection of CDs and LPs, but I like finding new musicians and singers.
Basically, I look for music I don’t really listen to, but serves to shut out the distractions around me. It allows my mind to concentrate on writing.
But back to rock and roll…classic rock, of course. The era of singer-songwriters. Lots of female singers. Buffy St. Marie. Joni Mitchell. Janis Joplin. Linda Ronstadt
And here’s a nod to my favorite. He doesn’t fit any of the categories above, but he’s always my fallback. John Denver. 
And that’s as much of a ritual as I’ll own up to!
Be safe out there, please.
Do check out the Gregorian chants. Test drive on YouTube if you’re able. I love them for writing. I have to play music I can’t sing along to while I write.
Chants are good. Depends on what you’re writing. What we in the synth business loving called Sh*t Jazz, Jacuzzi Jazz or Fuzak is ignorable with a little funk bounce. Think Dave Grusin, Kenny G et al.
Search for Zero Beat, or “air cheese” (or floating air biscuits euphemistically). Soundtracks are good. By that I mean not musicals but sound design backgrounds. RnR, old or new. Acid jazz will get you inner city contemporary without rap lyrics. Certain electronica is in there, too. I’m not talking the disco business. I’m a big fan of cool Fifties jazz pianists a la Bill Evans with anybody. Since the mid 90’s Keith Jarrett has been phenomenally melodic. Jeff Beck!! Make your heart race and make you cry.
I was never a John Denver fan as a manufactured product, but he wrote some good songs and is easy to listen to.
As for the zone I sit and wait for the keyboard to turn Ouija board.
I enjoyed Deep Forest for its synthesis of tribal music and electronica. And some of Denver’s more ‘unknown’ songs are better than the ones that made it big, in my humble opinion. I was also known to listen to a cassette tape of whale songs.
I used to clone whale noises with a mini Moog and a space echo. I forgot to mention if you want some great rock guitar counterpoint no lyrics hit up Steve Morse. Whew…
I haven’t heard of him. I made myself a note to check him out.