The music thread: what actually works and why
389 replies · Experiences
I've been curating session music for seven years. I have a lot of opinions. The Johns Hopkins protocol uses a specific playlist for a reason. Let's talk about the principles, the specific genres and artists that work, and what to avoid.
The principle that matters: music that has no lyrics in languages you understand. Your brain will make lyrics the anchor for wherever it goes. Classical, ambient, and sacred music from traditions you don't speak are all safe.
Underrated genre: drone music. Sustained tones without rhythm give the session something to float on without the narrative direction that rhythm creates. Brian Eno's ambient series, Stars of the Lid, Tim Hecker.
What goes wrong most often: people playing music they love too much. If a song has powerful associations — a relationship, a memory — those associations will dominate the session. Session music should be beautiful and unfamiliar at the same time.
386 more replies — forum posting coming soon.