Musical Inspiration - Where Does It Come From?

This post is part of my series, Where Music Comes From, an exploration of the mysterious, spiritual, and transcendent origins of the art form we call music.

As a professional musician, one question I get frequently is: How do you do that? How do you sit and improvise music so effortlessly? Or, how do you compose music?

I remember being in elementary school and learning to play the recorder. For some reason, I was able to pick it up rather quickly; it didn't take long for me to gain a basic mastery of the instrument. One evening I was sitting at home with my recorder in hand as the Dallas television show came on. I started playing the theme music just after it played on the show. To me, this didn't seem like such a big deal. But when I started playing it at school, my friends were amazed.

Music is as much a part of me as my ability to think or speak. It always has been. And when I answer the question "how do you do that," I often get a look of perplexity. That's because for me, music is not so much something I create or "compose" as it is something I discover.

Discovery vs. Invention

For me, composing music—be it through some iterative process where I'm formally writing it out or be it in an improvisational setting—is like having a radio that tunes in to a particular station and simply plays the contents of the signal being broadcast. When I write music, I don't consider myself to be composing the music. I consider myself to be a conduit through which the music—already in existence elsewhere—makes its way into this world.

This sounds counterintuitive to many. And on more than one occasion I've had people look at me with raised eyebrows when I've said this. But it's my perception of how music works. It's as if the music already exists in another realm or dimension, and I just happen to have a built-in receiver to transmit it to the physical world around me.

Whether my experience comes from God, a universal consciousness, or perhaps simply dimensions of the human mind we do not yet understand, I have come to firmly believe that there is something larger than me at work.

To be sure, I have practiced the piano for countless hours through countless years, and this practice has made it easier for me to "transmit" the music. Since figuring out how to play the theme music to Dallas, I have become a much better musician. My ability to transmit music didn't just happen from me sitting around doing nothing.

But where exactly does the music originate?

Artistic Flow and Universal Consciousness

For thousands of years and across various cultures, there has been an idea that there is something universal that is greater than any one of us. Some have called it god or God. Some have called it a global consciousness or universal consciousness. There have been many names applied to this Presence. For the sake of argument, I'm going to refer to it as the universal consciousness.

There is no direct scientific proof of this universal consciousness, of course, but my own experiences have convinced me that it exists. I have encountered too many mysterious and mystical things in my life to believe otherwise. Music is one of those mysterious and mystical aspects of humanity that I'm convinced comes directly from the universal consciousness. This is why I say that I'm just a transmitter. To me, the music already exists in the universal consciousness—along with every other thought, idea, philosophy, notion, dream, etc.—and I've just been blessed with the ability to receive it—at least that which is mine to receive.

Perhaps you too have tapped into this at some point. Have you ever had a brilliant idea just suddenly come to you? Maybe it was even a small thing—like how to fix something or how to solve a pesky problem. Where did that idea come from?

The Experience of Other Musicians

Lest you think I'm the only one that has ever perceived music in this way, there have been numerous others through the years who have expressed similar views.

As an example, saxophonist John Coltrane famously had a cleansing and powerful spiritual experience in 1957 when he quit heroin and alcohol cold-turkey. That experience eventually led to him recording his well-known album "A Love Supreme." In the liner notes, Coltrane states, "During the year 1957, I experienced, by the grace of God, a spiritual awakening which was to lead me to a richer, fuller, more productive life. At that time, in gratitude, I humbly asked to be given the means and privilege to make others happy through music. I feel this has been granted through His grace. ALL PRAISE TO GOD."

Others, including musicians I've spoken with personally, have made similar statements. For me, music feels like a gift for which I can take no credit.

Conclusion - Where Does Music Come From?

People often assume that music—as with any art—comes from inside the musician's or artist's mind. I have talked with people who are shocked that I don't believe music comes from within me somewhere. But the truth is, I'd be disingenuous if I tried to take credit for the music that flows out of me. I simply have to be honest. And for me, that means acknowledging that music seems to come from someplace beyond me.

The experience of delivering that music into this world is ineffable. I can try to explain it and describe it, but no words can accurately convey what it's like. It's a deeply humbling and often mystical experience.

My hope is that whatever you do in life—even if you are not an artist or musician—you will do with an eye on that deeper layer of existence. If you haven't already, I hope you will come to experience that deep connection that enables you to be creative in whatever you endeavor.

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