Music in Fiction

Music is a major part of many of our lives, so it makes perfect sense that it would be the same for our characters. Musical lyrics in a story can help us explore theme and mood and connect us with characters (and they’re fun to write!)

I recently read My Heart is Human by Reese Hogan and I loved it. It’s the best thing I’ve read in ages. Here’s the book’s description: 

It’s been nine years since the government banned all technology. So, when Joel Lodowick, a young transgender father struggling to support his five-year-old daughter, has an old bionic upload itself into his head, he is faced with a decision: Go to the cops and risk prosecution? Or use the robot’s skills to turn his life around? 
 
Scared of losing his daughter, Joel chooses the latter. Heightened intelligence and physical enhancements quickly land him a better job and a brighter future. But things take a sinister turn when Joel realizes his uninvited companion has an agenda of its own, which may or may not include leaving him in control. 
 
Unable to approach the government who covered up the truth about AI sentience, Joel finds himself on the run. With his daughter’s life on the line and his own body turning against him, he must find a way to convince the bionic in his head to value his human life before he loses the chance forever. 

That description definitely piqued my interest. I’ve thought a lot about what it would be like to share a brain with another being and I’ve pondered whether things like the subconscious and the left/ right brain divide mean that we already do. But after reading the book, what really strikes me is that the description doesn’t mention my favorite thing about it. (What I’m about to talk about is Reese’s favorite thing, too, as he says here.) 

The music! The main character is a gifted and passionate bass guitarist. Music, lyrics, and concerts are integral to the plot, and really highlight Joel’s passion and humanity. Like me, Joel processes much of what happens in his life through lyrics. Recently, I heard someone say that one of the ways movies are different from real life is that we don’t have soundtracks playing in the background of our lives, and I thought, “Speak for yourself.” I can’t remember a single day that I didn’t have a song stuck in my head. Many mornings I wake up to something playing in my mind, and by the mood of the music I know what kind of day I’m likely to have. 

My Heart is Human got me thinking again about one of my own books, the first I ever wrote. I began writing The Magicians’ Chorus in the aughts and “finished” around 2010. It’s a very different story than My Heart is Human, but it has the centrality of music in common. Here’s its description: 

Cadence, a new eighth-grade student at Dingem Middle School, finds herself an outcast in a sea of cruelty and hostility. Seeking solace in a bathroom after a particularly hurtful encounter, she stumbles upon a startling revelation—a dangerous secret that could change everything. With a spellbinding song, Cadence discovers the magical ability to transform her appearance, making herself prettier.  

In the midst of this newfound power, Cadence encounters Horace, a mysterious student who unveils a truth that defies imagination. Music, it seems, holds an ancient and potent magic—one that can shape reality and protect their school. As a guardian of this musical magic, Horace recruits Cadence to join him in defending the students of Dingem Middle School.  

Cadence and Horace embark on an extraordinary adventure, where every note they sing becomes a spell, and every harmony they create becomes a shield against evil. But as they delve deeper into the mysteries of this magical world, they discover that malevolent forces far surpass the mean girls they initially encountered. Now, with the fate of their school hanging in the balance, Cadence must summon all her courage and harness the full extent of her musical abilities.  

 "The Magicians' Chorus," weaves a mesmerizing tale of resilience, self-discovery, and the transformative power of music. Will Cadence's melodies and Horace's guidance be enough to save Dingem Middle School from the clutches of darkness, or will their harmonies falter and their courage waver? Discover a world where the strength of a song can determine the fate of an entire school.  

As many of you know, this book has never been published. I never found a home for it in traditional publishing, and middle grade novels are darn hard to sell if you self-publish them. I market both my children’s and adult books to adults, aka, people with credit cards. Middle-schoolers choose their own books, but most of them have no way to buy them from online booksellers, thus my conundrum. I may have already told you this if you’re one of the beta readers, college classmates, or family members who have continued to ask me about this book for the last decade plus. Well, if you are one of those people—and let’s face it, if you’re reading my blog, you may well be—then, good news.  

I’ve decided to publish The Magicians’ Chorus.  

Sort of. 

Many of us have someone who we moved past long ago but who will always remain our first love. Well, The Magicians’ Chorus will always remain my first book, and though I may look back now with all the chagrin of someone remembering a much younger, much more naïve version of themself, I still care too much for it to watch it sink in the endless tumultuous sea of Amazon. Rather, I plan to make it available here, and only here, for you, the people who have kept asking me about it, and have finally talked me into putting it out into the world. It’s as awkward and gangly as that teenager you once loved (or were,) but I hope it also has heart. Once upon a time, I poured mine into it.