Motivation = Dance

One of the things that fuels my excitement to make music again is the opportunity to inspire another artist's work. Like I said in previous posts, I've filled my music hiatus with dance. I don't think I fully realized the influence music can have until I became brave enough to choreograph and freestyle. Each word, each chord progression affects the choreographer's thought process and the dancer's performance.

Take a look at Galen Hooks' choreography and performance to Banks' "Better":

Hooks taps into martial arts for this piece. I don't think I would have recognized the influence of Eastern music in the song without watching her dance. But she's correct. Search "Eastern music" or "Oriental music" on YouTube and you can hear the similarities. She also captures the tension in the music. As listeners, we anticipate "the beat to drop" or for something exciting to happen in the music, whether it be more instruments, a tempo change, etc. We can feel the hesitancy of her movements until the music gets louder and her movements become less restricted.

How amazing would it be to create a song that inspires someone to dance like this? How fulfilling would it be for another artist to feel so moved by your music that they decide to cover your song?

Making music used to be about getting attention; now it's about inspiring creativity in others.