Unstoppable symphony in your head?

Hi all, just a quick question about something I've experienced.

To give you a little insight, I do enjoy writing music though must admit I'm not great at it, I can really only perform simple motifs and such. I can't read music, I compose by ear (and mind) and only play the keyboard (pretty badly). But I have a personal enjoyment of film scores and such and have always enjoyed classical music.

There have been times where I've read of composers having tunes coming into their head and then they write them down etc. This always seemed cool but "mythical" to me, but over the past 5 or so years this has happened to me, maybe 2 or 3 times.

To explain it: Basically at some point, typically when lying in bed before sleep or something, my thoughts get overridden by a sudden long, unstoppable symphony. Like an entire orchestra playing inside my head, the most amazing musical symphony I could imagine. It just flows, I do not control it, it just goes for it.

I know for sure that what I'm hearing is original, I have not been able to put it down to something I've heard. I suppose it could be a mish-mash of things I have heard in the past. But it's just a wonderful experience, I don't know where it comes from or why, but I've been treated to two maybe three wonderful symphonies that last perhaps 3 or 4 minutes maybe longer (I've been too involved in the music to notice its length, but sometimes it's seemed to last 10 mins).

Normally I can snap out of any thought processes but these ones I cannot. I know I'm awake when it's happening because the first time it happened I was not in bed.

After both times, I've found that my music making skills have improved, that I've been able to write better melodies, and find chord structures I never knew existed before that point.

So my question really is simple - has anyone else been overcome by some symphony in their head that comes out of nowhere? And has it improved any of your skills or anything? I PRESUME this is connected to my enjoyment of making music and my love of listening to it, and it's probably also related to my interest in orchestral music.

But it's just the fact that it plays out without any input from my brain, and I can't interrupt it when it does happen, and that I love every second of it (and can't wait for it to happen again). If I actively TRY and think up an amazing symphony, not a chance... other thoughts get in the way, and well, maybe for 5 seconds I can hear a kind of interesting motif, but I can't make this phenomena happen, I have to wait for it to happen it seems... so:

Has it happened to you? How many times? Where do you think it comes from?

I wish I could recall what I heard but that'll never happen. Trust me it's like all the best bits of symphonies come together to create one big new one in your head and someone, or something else, is the conductor.

Well, just curious Thanks!

I've had ear worms where a song gets stuck in my head but no original music.
Most recently James Taylor's A love like yours.
Every day it's a getting closer. Going faster than a roller coaster.....
Now it's stuck in your head LOL.

I thought I was nuts!

Absolutely the same thing happens to me off and on. An entire symphony with movements from beginning to end. And all original as well.

Also, rhythms and patterns on a daily basis. Enough to drive me insane sometimes. Can't control it

hmmmm.

Peace

Apparently I'm not quite as sophisticated as you all as the sounds in my ears sounds like swamp bugs on a summers night.

Maybe from banging on metal for 25+ years lol....sometimes wants to drive me insane.

reply to post by markymint


Sure beats "Baa baa black sheep".

I used to teach kindergarten, and would sometimes wake up with nursery songs in my head whilst getting ready for work, it was so annoying, and an occupational hazard.

I teach elementary now, and no more music lessons, lol.

You are not nuts at all, I think your mind is also subconsciously busy with what you spend a lot of time with, that's all.

My little bro wouldn't do anything but music class in school.......he would be an active participant in anything music related, but any other class would find him sitting quietly at his desk with a zoned out expression, and a far away look about him.....
I ASKED HIM ONCE WHAT HE WAS THINKING ALL THOSE HOURS HE SPENT DOIMG NOTHING IN THAT STATE IN THE OTHER CLASSES.....HE SMILED AND TOLD ME" BRO, IM NOT DOING NOTHING...IM LISTENING TO THE MUSIC IN MY HEAD."..............
SO, SHOULD MUSIC BE THE FOOD OF LOVE, THEN....PLAY ON MY FRIEND.....

reply to post by tinner07


I have that too, it sounds like cicadas. I went to the ear nose and throat doc and he said there's nothing they can do unless you're suicidal.

markymint
Hi all, just a quick question about something I've experienced.

To give you a little insight, I do enjoy writing music though must admit I'm not great at it, I can really only perform simple motifs and such. I can't read music, I compose by ear (and mind) and only play the keyboard (pretty badly). But I have a personal enjoyment of film scores and such and have always enjoyed classical music.

There have been times where I've read of composers having tunes coming into their head and then they write them down etc. This always seemed cool but "mythical" to me, but over the past 5 or so years this has happened to me, maybe 2 or 3 times.

To explain it: Basically at some point, typically when lying in bed before sleep or something, my thoughts get overridden by a sudden long, unstoppable symphony. Like an entire orchestra playing inside my head, the most amazing musical symphony I could imagine. It just flows, I do not control it, it just goes for it.

I know for sure that what I'm hearing is original, I have not been able to put it down to something I've heard. I suppose it could be a mish-mash of things I have heard in the past. But it's just a wonderful experience, I don't know where it comes from or why, but I've been treated to two maybe three wonderful symphonies that last perhaps 3 or 4 minutes maybe longer (I've been too involved in the music to notice its length, but sometimes it's seemed to last 10 mins).

Normally I can snap out of any thought processes but these ones I cannot. I know I'm awake when it's happening because the first time it happened I was not in bed.

After both times, I've found that my music making skills have improved, that I've been able to write better melodies, and find chord structures I never knew existed before that point.

So my question really is simple - has anyone else been overcome by some symphony in their head that comes out of nowhere? And has it improved any of your skills or anything? I PRESUME this is connected to my enjoyment of making music and my love of listening to it, and it's probably also related to my interest in orchestral music.

But it's just the fact that it plays out without any input from my brain, and I can't interrupt it when it does happen, and that I love every second of it (and can't wait for it to happen again). If I actively TRY and think up an amazing symphony, not a chance... other thoughts get in the way, and well, maybe for 5 seconds I can hear a kind of interesting motif, but I can't make this phenomena happen, I have to wait for it to happen it seems... so:

Has it happened to you? How many times? Where do you think it comes from?

I wish I could recall what I heard but that'll never happen. Trust me it's like all the best bits of symphonies come together to create one big new one in your head and someone, or something else, is the conductor.

Well, just curious

Thanks!

edit on 16-12-2013 by markymint because: (no reason given)

I used to get this all the time when i was younger. Just when i was falling asleep too. I think it started one time when i was struck down with flu, i could hear full symphonies in wonderful detail. It stopped at some point, can't remember when, but now and again when i get the Flu again i hear it vaguely in the distance. I play Guitar, Bass, Synth, Flute etc. I love to think i was some sort of great Composer in a past life scenario.

I think creativity on the whole is pretty much one of the oddest things there is, it makes barely any logical sense. Ask a musician or creative individual and they will tell you the same thing- you try and write/make something and you will get nowhere fast, but in just one moment of inspiration you can write/make a piece beyond anything that you could possibly create consciously.

For me creativity is something which only truly works when you loosen the reins and are not in control; but if you're not in control then who is?

The flying spaghetti monster, that's who

reply to post by markymint


I have a constant symphony in my head, not on ly of classical music, but all kinds, which has led me to become A (drumroll please).....MUSICIAN!

I hope it never stops.

On that note, Johannes Brahms claimed to never have composed a single piece of music in his life. He simply connected with his muse, which to him was God, then he 'received' the music and he simply wrote down the notes.

Lots of composers, writers and poets claim similar things, Hayden, Puccini, Kafka had his moments...

reply to post by markymint


I have experienced this on a couple occasions - Sadly, I have never been able to reproduce the song 100 percent of the way; if I'm lucky, I'll remember maybe about 10 percent. What I find interesting is that often, when I play the snippets that I remember, people tend to stop & listen more - maybe it's because the music is not something they are familiar with, or because it sounds unique, I don't know.

If you want some history on this phenomenon, it goes by different names - The most common is faerie music, or the devil's music. Both of which describe the same thing: A melody that you sometimes hear on the border of sleep, or in places alone; music that seems to have nothing like it in the waking world.

In some cases, like The Devil's Trill, the general story is that a musician dreams they give their instrument of choice to the devil, or another figure (muse, deceased musician, etc), and they play a tune - when they wake up, only an echo of the music remains in their memory, which is usually what they write down on paper. It was also called faerie music because apparently, the little folk love to make music that only seems to be heard by humans once in a while.

-fossilera

reply to post by markymint


I have always had music in the back of my head, unheard melodies, unique rythmns and arrangements, slamming through my head when the world goes quiet. Usually its a blend of classical orchestral music, and blistering metal. When I am about my daily business, being engaged in work related projects, or conducting interpersonal communications between myself and my family and friends, or interacting with other folk, the background hum retreats into the hind quarters of my head, but when there is little to nothing happening, there is always music somewhere in my head.

My biggest regret is that as of yet, I have been unable to properly capture that music, and reproduce it on my bass guitar. I hope one day to gain enough skill to render the concerto of infinity that rattles around my head, into a format which can be discerned by others, because it is frequently awesome, but always beautiful, no matter whether it is running through a sombre, slow movement, or a crashing and frantic death metal segment.

I have experiened this from time to time as anotehr poster mentioned in some stages between sleep and being awake. It's really incredible music. The classical symphony aspect of it is very moving and nothing you've ever heard in your waking life. It's ver ycool. Haven't experienced it in quite awhile.

I really don't know what it is. Maybe reality expressing itself through sound. Whatever it is, it sounds beautiful.

I'm not really a musical person but i have experienced something similar...

When i Get an idea for a story or a new character i spend hours in my own head creating back-story, plot details,character personality and dialogue interactions before i start writing a single word... I never make notes of all this info because by the time i start writing i have analyzed it so many times in my head it's almost impossible to forget...

The down side is a have lots of stuff i have started but not yet finished...But not to worry i will go back to them when i get those particular details stuck in my head much like when a person gets a particular song or lyrics stuck in their head and they hear it over and over until it becomes annoying...

It's how my brain works i have always been the same and i know i am not the only one

S+F

Might not ever be able to reproduce it, but at least attempt to make a tribute...

If you have any little bit of a knack for the art may as well try something. Heck, there's even free software that will let you compose music to some extent without knowing a lick about musical theory or standard notation. (Not saying you'd be good at the first few attempts, but some people have eventually figured out enough to make some rather nice songs and share them.)

reply to post by markymint


The same kinda thing has happened to me with swing/big band music I think it's called. Very upbeat with horns and trumpets and stuff. Just random music but I like it quite a bit. It's got me listening to music I was never interested in growing up because it wasn't "cool" like the genresI mentioned plus Jazz, Smooth Jazz, Classical, and other types of music with usually no singing in it. There's one recurring song that i can always "listen to" in my head by memory and then i can add to it or change it a little here and there however i like. I don't play any instruments but i love music, it's very important to me in my life and i wish i could be involved in making it but for some reason i seem confined to just listening and observing. I used to be a small time promoter in the Seattle area just because i enjoyed being close to the process of making music and i enjoyed hearing it played live in all the venues i worked with, and i nearly became a manager to a band but i kinda blew that off because i didn't feel i was really experienced enough but i kinda wish i had just jumped in and learned as i went like i do with pretty much everything. One reason I've never learned an instrument or tried to make music somehow is that i enjoy so many types of music that i don't have any idea what kind i would choose to create. I don't know if i could dedicate myself to one form of music. If i ever did it would probably be something experimental, mixing or blurring genres together. I once thought it would be cool to make an album with one song from each of the main genres. In reality though, not many people enjoy a wide range of genres. Maybe it would be better to do an album of each genre... Bah, I'm just talking crazy again.

reply to post by pauljs75



I hear symphonies in my head on really good days.
I tend to hear imaginary rock songs at night.
and dream of being half as talented as Tenacious D someday.

It's a good thing plenty of people recall or experience this odd occurrence. It's strange and down right creepy if it catches u off guard. Unable to control it, is what pisses me off. But atlas it a peaceful melody which sways me to bed. But when it starts to play loud; I hardly get rest. But I digress, best of luck OP...

reply to post by markymint


This happens to me too. I though I was a little crazy, good to know others also experience it.

I hear music and singing, generally nothing original, that I'm aware of anyway. It typically occurs as I'm falling asleep, but also when I'm awake (usually sleepy.) Sometimes, the entire song will sound off, lyrics and all, with me not having them memorized. It must be my subconscious.

Nice thread BTW!