Note # 48 – I Made You a Mixed Tape

The irony is that when I write, it has to be absolutely quiet – I can’t concentrate if there’s talking or a television or even music in the background. (Yeah, I’m a real treat to live with. I do however make a spectacular spaghetti sauce and I’m always the one who cleans the cooktop so it’s not like I don’t contribute to the household.)

But the thing is, most days, my head is filled with music. I’m either playing it (my guitar, my uke,) teaching it to small people (last year my grade ones had a kickass version of The Lion Sleeps Tonight as their party piece,) or listening to it (while walking Gavin, while doing housework, while driving.) Consequently there is always a tune playing in my head that I’m humming along to. Except when I write. Then it’s just words and dialogue.

And yet, music figures fairly prominently in my writing but it’s tricky when you’re writing and don’t have a soundtrack, like a television show or a movie to evoke the feeling of a piece of music for the reader.

Until now. Because I’ve made you a soundtrack to accompany The Kitchen Sink Sutra and my new book The Date Square Dharma. All these songs are music that is either referenced in these books or which inspired me when I was working on the manuscripts. Go ahead and hit play and I’ll tell you about them below (but be advised – there be spoilers!)

The Way You Look Tonight: This is the song that Nana listens to at the end of Kitchen Sink Sutra, sitting in her garden at twilight, with her dogs. It’s also meant to communicate the headiness of this moment in Julia and Olivia’s relationship – it’s all just really beginning for them and some day, they’ll look back and remember the way they looked tonight. I love the brassy opening and the saxophones. And oh my God, Frank Sinatra could sing a grocery list and make people swoon.

Schubert’s Ave Maria: In Kitchen Sink, Olivia says that her grandfather thought that Schubert’s Ave Maria was the most perfect piece of music ever written. I think he might be right and I love this version by Cape Breton’s own Raylene Rankin. This song is heartbreaking and soothing at the same time and I almost always listen to it with my eyes closed.

Born This Way: The amount of bubble gum 70s pop music that gets played in my house when I am on a cleaning spree is remarkable. I decided to make Julia a little more contemporary when she’s cleaning in Date Square Dharma and gave her Lady Gaga’s Born This Way partly because I think Julia would agree with the sentiment that LG expresses – we are all born superstars, in case you’ve forgotten.

Fly Me to the Moon: Nana is a big Frank Sinatra fan, in case you haven’t noticed, so when she’s putting together her New Year’s Eve playlist, Frank is going to figure prominently. Fly Me to the Moon is a masterclass in cool and I love how they keep adding trumpets and trombones and saxophones to build that wall of sound right before the end. I might have a New Year’s Eve party this year, just to play that song.

Ride of the Valkyries: In Date Square Dharma, we learn that this is the ring tone that Olivia has assigned to her mother. Make of that what you will.

Shambala: This Three Dog Night song doesn’t actually appear anywhere in the Stafford Falls series, but it should. My friend Teena, after reading an early draft of Kitchen Sink Sutra said that Stafford Falls was a sort of Shambala, where “everyone is helpful, everyone is kind.” It’s such a happy song that radiates goodwill and I listen to it sometimes when I’m stuck on a plot point.

Walking After Midnight: I love writing Tenzin – in fact, he sort of writes himself. Every once in a while I just discover some new thing about him, like the fact that he loves country music. In Date Square Dharma he’s playing this song one summer night when he’s got Six Perfections all to himself and I loved the idea of Patsy Cline’s voice being a little ghostly as it drifts across the empty retreat centre.

Sisters Are Doing it For Themselves: What’s the only thing better than Annie Lennox? Annie Lennox and Aretha Franklin. In Date Square Dharma, we learn that Pam is giving her daughters a proper musical education.

Sweet Old World: Originally by Lucinda Williams, I really love this version by Emmylou Harris. It is sweet and tender and heartbreaking. It’s like mourning set to music and I think it really echoes how Olivia’s feeling as she grieves.

Grande Valse Brillante in Eb Major: The D&D boys keep unfolding like flowers, don’t they? I based Other Pete’s performance of this Chopin waltz at open mic night in Date Square Dharma on the hundreds of hours I spent listening to my university roommate Anna (who was a piano performance major) practice this piece.

Beethoven’s Late Quartets: These appear in Kitchen Sink Sutra at Nana’s big library fundraiser. I don’t know if you’re a fan of classical music, but I know that you need more Beethoven in your life. It’s just a scientific fact. Start with these quartets and my advice is to play them loud. They are breathtaking.

I Choose You: This Sara Bareilles song is a sentimental favourite at my house. Is it the perfect love song? It might be. It also inspired the dedication to Date Square Dharma.

Let it Go: I love Disney movies and the only thing that could make a Disney movie better is to add a kickass soundtrack and Idina Menzel. The music of Frozen is fantastic which is really great because as a person who works with kids, I got to hear this song a LOT for a while there. (And I almost always sang along.)

What should I add? Have you got any musical requests for the third book?

P.

P.S. I hope this put a song in your heart today…