Cutting the Net: The history of the NCAA Championship tradition














Music, Inspiration, and the Complexity of Art

6. March 2013 15:00 by Clayton Smith in   //  Tags: , , , , , , ,   //   Comments ()

Music is one of the purest forms of art there is, so it should come as no surprise that it often goes hand-in-hand with other kinds of creative expression. Whether it's a live band accompanying an art gallery opening, a compelling soundtrack pushing a good movie to greatness, or even a musician drawing inspiration from a painting or sculpture, all types of art share a common thread. This has been the case throughout history, and some musicians are testament to that.

There are a number of bands that incorporate art into their music, but one group that does it extremely well is The Decemberists. Fronted by Colin Meloy, the Oregon-based band is no stranger to drawing inspiration across a wide spectrum of art forms. For instance, in their 2010 album The King Is Dead, they offered up a musical interpretation of the David Foster Wallace novel Infinite Jest in the form of the track "Calamity Song." The tune condenses a 1000-page book into a four-minute song, and it does so perfectly. 

The Decemberists are certainly not the only band to draw inspiration from literature. Everyone from Iron Maiden ("Rime of the Ancient Mariner") to Dire Straits ("Romeo and Juliet") have done so. What's a little less common is having songs reflect a particular painting, sculpture or other similar works of art, but singer-songwriter icon Don McLean did just that. 

McLean is probably most known for his eight-minute epic "American Pie," but he also paid tribute to Vincent Van Gogh with the equally emotive "Vincent." An shorter acoustic track, the song mentions several of Van Gogh's most famous paintings, such as "Starry Night" and "Sunflowers." It also clearly demonstrates a deep appreciation for his impressionist style as a whole. 

While music can draw inspiration from both books and fin art, perhaps nowhere else is the artistic relationship more evident than it is on stage. Whether you're more of a purist and prefer classic works such as The Nutcracker, Swan Lake or Aida, or are more drawn to the modern performance art, such as Wicked or The Book of Mormon, it's hard to deny that being on the stage goes hand in hand with music. 

If you're looking to explore the exquisite artistic relationship between music and its counterparts, TicketsNow has a bevy of wonderful opportunities for you, from to Beyoncé to Broadway. Just click here to get started! 


Join the TicketsNow Social Community


The Vault