Murakami and Music

 It is blatantly clear that Murakami has a love for music in every piece of writing that he creates. Within his writing, music creates this special environment for the reader through the reader's ideas of what the music sounds like. It sets the mood and tone even if the reader has never heard such music before. Even more so when the reader actually does know the music that is being played within Murakami's work. In my opinion I believe this is intuitive, because if the reader does not know the music being played, then they will try to fit their own background music for the scene that they are picturing within their mind from reading the work by Murakami. It creates another level of sub-conscious creativity as the reader configures the scene from the text. It is also intriguing to listen to the music after reading it in the text and imagining the scene. Often times and personally, it turns out to be music I wasn't expecting and creates another parallel mood for the scene that was being played out in my mind from reading the text. I believe this is good for the readers of Murakami, because it allows the reader the room to not only have creativity and set the scene themselves, but also dig deeper and explore the actual music being played within the scene.

Murakami's work also flows like music. Every sentence and dialogue between characters within the work of Murakami has a rhythm. I believe this is because Murakami listens to music as he writes and what we get is formed from his passion towards the music he was listening to during that very moment he was writing that particular scene out in his work that mentions the music being played. It would make sense because of the regularity of mentioning the music in the background within his work and the way his writing is structured when a particular tune is mentioned. It fits the quality of his work in many ways. Without music in his work, I don't think we would be reading the same work by Murakami. His work is heavily centered upon this aspect of detail, along the very different formats and structures of his prose of parody to other writers, including himself. 

In totality, I find it enjoyable as a reader to have this side to Murakami's writing. It enhances the quality of the reading and allows room for creativity to exist when forming the scene. It gives the reader something to explore and perhaps extend their musical horizons or musical knowledge after the fact. This bridges a connection between the author and the reader as well. It allows the reader to connect with the author on a spiritual level through music and find a mutual understanding of why the scene is written the way it is. It creates a side of Murakami that is much more than a regular author and story.

~ Jonathon Little