The Elemental Power of Music
by Mia Marshall
I never planned on using music as
much as I do in the Elements urban fantasy series. It just insisted on being
part of the books, and I was in no mood to argue with it--and in hindsight, I’m
thrilled I let it have its way. Sure, the use of music adds mood and color, but
that’s just the beginning of what it can do.
1.
Music establishes the characters. Assigning a musical preference to
characters immediately defines them on a deeper level than saying they like
sandwiches, for instance. What we listen to is an outward sign of how we feel,
what we love. The choice between pastrami and corned beef is unlikely to reveal
as much as the choice between hip hop or classic rock.
Picture this: two twin brothers,
seemingly built of nothing but muscle and determination. Their heads are
shaved, their necks are covered in tattoos, and they possibly came out of the
womb wearing black t-shirts covered in a skull pattern. One of them loves
Megadeth. The other one loves Taylor Swift. Think you could tell them apart
now?
So when Aidan Brook, the protagonist
of the Elements series, loves country, the reader instantly knows she’s
probably a bit of a dreamer, someone who gets lost in other people’s stories,
who would rather be carried away on organic fiddles and guitars than electronic
beeps and buzzes. It softens her, and considering that when the reader first
meets her, she’s a scared, misanthropic hermit, she needed a few soft edges.
2.
Music defines a key relationship. In Broken
Elements (Elements, Book 1), Aidan and Sera have been estranged for years,
but they don’t even make it out of the first chapter before they’re bickering
about music. Sera listens to punk, and only punk. Old school is best, but so
long as it has a driving beat and crunchy guitars, she’s happy. This reveals
plenty about her own high-energy, occasionally abrasive personality, and it
also puts her in marked contrast to Aidan. More to the point, when they’re
arguing whether to listen to Old Crow Medicine Show or The Clash within hours
of reuniting, it’s obvious that even when they’re fighting, they have the kind
of chemistry only best friends possess.
3.
Their musical tastes reveal a lot about their elemental background. Elementals
are long-lived, so these seemingly 20-something characters could practically
qualify for Social Security. They came of age in the 60s and 70s, so Aidan was
exposed to her aunt’s country records and grew up with Johnny Cash, Loretta
Lynn, and Dolly Parton, while Sera hit her teens just as The Clash appeared on
the scene. Elementals aren’t particularly adaptable, so they stuck with their
first loves, no matter how many decades have since passed. Even so, they’re
both determined to be part of the human world. Aidan would have no idea who
Katy Perry is, but she devours the latest country news. Her world is a bit
limited, but she refuses to let it be small. This separates her and Sera from
the elemental old ones and creates a conflict that will, in part, define the
entire series.
4.
It also separates the shifters from the elementals. Let’s just say shifters
and elementals have a few issues, which come to the fore in Shifting Selves (Elements, Book 2).
While some individuals get along well enough, the races as a whole aren’t
particularly enamored of each other. Elementals tend to be a bit snotty about
being the first magical creatures and consider themselves more connected to the
natural world. And yet, while Sera cranks Iggy Pop up to 11, shifters never
choose to listen to music, as it interferes with their hearing and, therefore,
their connection to the world. This might
matter later in the series, particularly as a certain shifter/elemental romance
develops.
5.
It lets me have a bit of fun. In the Elements world, radios and jukeboxes
occasionally play the exact right song at the exact right time. I justify my
decision to include such overt messages by telling myself that people often
find deeper meaning behind whatever song’s playing on the radio. Yeah, it’s
flimsy, but it lets me live with my occasionally literal song choices. Most of
the time, a song is just a song, but I also sneak in tunes that mean something
to me personally or contain hidden messages about plot points or relationships.
Hey, a girl’s got to have some secrets, right?
That’s how I use music to tell my
stories, but I know that’s just scratching the surface, I’d love to hear from
you. How do you use music to tell your own stories, either through writing or
in your everyday life?
What songs are complete stories in
themselves?
And which country or punk songs
should I sneak into Elements #3?
If you’re a Spotify user, check out
the music of the Elements world on the Broken Elements and Shifting Selves playlists. If you’re
interested in discovering the world of the Elements, enter below for a chance
to win an Elements goody bag, complete with signed copies of both books!
About
Mia Marshall
Mia Marshall has always been
obsessed with stories. When younger, her version of cleaning her room involved
neatly organizing her books, then ignoring all other messes in favor of
re-reading The Wizard of Oz series
just one more time. As an adult, she earned an unnecessary number of degrees in
literature, education, and film. She planned to spend the rest of her life
teaching stories to others until she got distracted and started writing those
stories herself.
Mia has lived all over the US west
coast and throughout the UK. These days, she lives somewhere in the Sierra
Nevada mountains, where she is hard at work on the next Elements book.
Visit Mia on her blog,
follow her various ramblings on Twitter, or stop by her Facebook
page and say hi.
Shifting Selves is Available RIGHT NOW!
The Elements urban fantasy series continues in this fast-paced sequel to Broken Elements.
Aidan Brook's world was shattered when the actions of a brutal murderer revealed long-buried secrets about her past. A powerful elemental, Aidan discovered she possesses the wrong kind of magic. It's a secret that could cost her sanity—or even her life.
What she needs is some peace and quiet. What she gets is a phone call from a division of the FBI so secret it doesn’t even have a name, asking for her help with a series of shifter disappearances.
Before Aidan can settle into a new routine of pancakes and evenings by the fire, the case develops claws. She quickly finds herself caught between uptight bears, deadly mountain lions, overprotective parents, and unhappy federal agents. Throw in a stalled romance with an enigmatic shifter and the slow dissolution of her chosen family, and it’s hard to say which will drive her mad first: her magic, or her chaotic life.
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This looks like a really fun series and it is new to me - I just love finding me some new series ;=D Thank you for sharing with us and for this very generous giveaway opportunity.
I loved the first book! I cant wait to read the second! thanks for posting this
I absolutely LOVE this series! I also love all the music that Mia Marshall mentions and writes into the story. It makes me want to listen to a few myself. :)