rotten bananas

I spend a lot of time listening to instrumental rock. My taste in music is constantly evolving, but this phase has stuck around for quite a while. I still listen to lots of other stuff, but I really get into the likes of Explosions in the Sky, 65 Days of Static, God is an Astronaut, Up-C Down-C, and others.

Instrumental music requires more musical creativity due to the lack of vocals. Taking this strategy would be a godsend for the masses of awful alt-rock and metal bands that the music industry has been spewing out recently, but that’s a rant for another day. While I’m sure that creating interesting instrumental music is very difficult, it can evoke a ton of emotion that only the most talented poets can draw with lyrics.

So, how does it apply to life?

Well, it’s actually quite simple. We’ve all heard that it’s not what you say, but how you say it. This is the key to instrumental music. You’re not really getting the chance to say anything. All you have control over is the tone and delivery with which you say it. You can make the same statement to someone in a multitude of different ways just by changing your tone of voice. By correctly choosing your tone, you’re already saying 80% of what you’d planned (or didn’t plan).

How about blogging?

Bloggers have the exact opposite problem. We only have words to communicate with. The inflection in our voices must be simulated. If you’re having a conversation online via instant messaging or email something you say can be interpreted in a number of ways. Bloggers can’t afford this vagueness. We can’t have people misinterpreting us, or they’ll end up confused and we’ll end up talking to ourselves. We also must interweave our own personality into our posts. We do this by carefully and properly choosing how we say what we say. People come to us looking for a new point of view, not a monotone repetition of the same news swirling around all the other blogs in the blogosphere.

It’s an old bit of advice really, but it’s very important. There must be a personal edge to your writing, or people will go somewhere more interesting. We must also be clear. Sarcasm can be interpreted wrong if the correct tone isn’t used in your post. Remember that the reader isn’t just reading to get the news. They could go to CNN for that. They’re looking for a new spin, or fresh ideas, presented by an individual voice. Provide the interesting voice they’re looking for, and they’ll return eager and often.