Modern life has made our playlist of songs commonplace. Not much thought is given to them after they have been assembled. Our enjoyment of music helps time pass, makes our days more comfortable, and can be our companion during our busy day.
Our tastes in music vary by individual. Music is very intimate to who we are. A song you like, I may not. A song I like a lot, you may only like a little. This is easy to see when talking about musical artists with friends.
What is never thought about is the time a song plays. 2:37 or 4:56 minutes or whatever.
First, the song seems to last a long time when we hear it regardless of how many minutes and seconds it takes to play. We find complete enjoyment for those few minutes. Songs sometimes bring back memories of where we were when this song played or reminds us of things or friends in our life.
But how long did it take to create the song you just heard for 2:37 minutes?
One hour, a day, a week or months? How many people worked on that song? Who wrote the song? Who composed the song so that other instruments could be used to enhance it? How many times did the artist have to practice the song and make adjustments to it? How long did it take to record the soundtracks and then synthesize them into the finished piece you hear in 2:37 minutes?
Did they have to rent a sound studio to record the song? How many people heard it before it was complete and liked it or did not like it? Was it easy to write the words to the song or difficult? What inspired the first few notes of its melody?
How many times was the song re-written? Did the artist find inspiration using a piano or a guitar? How long did it take for the artist to come up with even the concept of the story they wanted to tell with musical notes and words?
2:37 minutes is all we hear. In fact, we never see or think about the 2:37 minutes and what came before it.
Life is just like this. Everyone enjoys the finished product of 2:37 minutes but no one ever thinks about or understands the work that was involved to complete it.
The sooner you understand the amount of work, messiness, and time required to produce a finished product the better chance you have of creating finished products that matter. That deserve you attention and the many hours needed to create it. You begin to understand the patience and resilience you need to push through important work that is not easily completed.
It gives us hope, that as we toil each day, that we too can be creative.