Music is a universal language of mankind that we all understand. It carries different combinations of unique patterns that speak to the heart. As musicians, it is important to know how to mix and match these unique codes in order to create a piece of music that is pleasant to the ears and leaves an impression. Regardless of the genre of the song, there are keys to creating a powerful music piece. Musician and recording artist Rosie Minako discusses the three important components in creating powerful music.
1. Powerful music should evoke emotions of the listeners
As we know, music is a great therapy to heal the heart and relax the mind. Why is it the case? Rosie Minako stated from the perspective of a musician that ‘in order to create a powerful song that elicits feelings from the listeners, the composer and songwriter must acknowledge the emotions that they are building in the song’. As a musician, Rosie puts a lot of emotions when creating each of her music piece. ‘My goal is not only to express myself through music. I also hope that my listeners can relate to my songs and feel the emotions I am trying to convey through my lyrics as well as the melody,’ Rosie further explained.
2. Powerful music should have multiple layers of instruments.
A second key to creating powerful music is to include different layers of instruments along the vocals. According to Rosie Minako, powerful music should not only be about vocals and chorus. ‘Rich components of instruments in music pieces always give the entire song a more ‘powerful’ impression. For that reason, I always feature multiple layers of classical-modern instruments, from piano, percussion, string and woodwind quartets, to pop instruments in my music. I love to create powerful music that pulls at one’s heartstrings.’
3. Powerful music should tell a story.
Rosie Minako gave a final note that powerful songs should be able to tell a story. ‘It doesn’t matter if the song has lyrics or not. If the music itself is powerful, even without lyrics, it should be able to illustrate a story to the audience,’ Rosie stressed that lyrics are not the only ingredients which define whether a song is powerful or not. ‘Of course, with the use of powerful diction and strong expressions, it will add power to the music piece. However, I believe without the lyrics, the instrumental music track itself should be able to portray a picture in the mind of the audience when they listen to it with their eyes closed. If a story is not being told, the music itself is not powerful enough,’ Rosie explained.
These components may differ across individuals. What one finds powerful, others may not agree. Yet Rosie Minako believes music is a two-way communication between musicians and listeners. As musicians, composers and songwriters, we have the responsibility to include the above components when creating music in order to provide our audience with the highest quality of music. The job of a recording artist would then be further amplifying what the composers or songwriters intend to illustrate through the song.
