Sometimes inspiration comes from new places & it can lead to places you hadn’t quite expected. “Snow Fairies Under The Moonlight” is a unique piece in the Snow Fairies Saga (collection) in that it falls under this category.
The genre inspiration
We all have times when we need to lean into self-care more than usual. In my case, this meant reading a lot of books & resting. It also meant creating the most relaxing environment possible at all times. Enter Lofi (or LoFi) music!
Lofi music has become quite popular in the last few years. And, for good reason. The tempo is right in that sweet spot around 60 -90 BPM (same as a normal resting heart rate). Motives are repeated often, but changed just enough for interest as background music. And, it tends to have a nostalgic, relaxed mood. This makes it the musical equivalent of watching Bob Ross paint.
Do you remember Bob Ross reminding viewers, “We don’t make mistakes – we just have happy accidents”? Just the thought of watching him paint brings my heart rate down.
But, back to Lofi music!
Inspiration in new places
As much as I needed a break, listening to that sheer quantity of Lofi meant an inevitable result. I got curious. And, I wanted to write a recital song for my studio’s Winter recital. But, mostly I got curious. It’s the only explanation for what happened next.
“Oh, it will be easy to compose a Lofi song strictly for the piano.” What became “Snow Fairies Under The Moonlight” was anything but easy to compose.
Going down the rabbit hole
Did you know there is almost no information (at the time of writing this) on many aspects of Lofi in regards to creating piano pieces? Chord progressions, sure. But, outside of using audio tracks there wasn’t a lot on tempo, rhythm or accompaniment patterns.
Over 4 hours of research & 5 pages of notes gave me a pretty good idea of what makes Lofi music … well, Lofi.
Have you ever started a project that took WAY longer than expected? Was it worth it in the end?
(P.S. Let me know the answer to that in the comments below.)
Feeling the results of being a geek
Thankfully, all the research was worth it for me. Yes, I listened to those audio samples & wrote out accompaniment rhythms. I dreamt about Lofi music. My family heard a lot about the theory behind Lofi music. Probably more than they really wanted to know. Actually, there is no “probably” about it. I was in full on geek mode.
Once this piece started coming together on the piano my heart rate slowed down just like when I listened to Lofi music. In this way “Snow Fairies Under The Moonlight” became much like “Lullaby Of the Snow Fairies” or “First Snow“. Playing the piece became my stress relief as I could physically feel my shoulders drop, heart rate slow down & busy mind settle down.
Snow Fairies Under The Moonlight
For some pieces the inspiration is very clear & it makes things easier.
- A story: mine or my students
- A memory: either specific or overall impression
- In honour of someone
- A specific theory or playing concept
- A chord progression I really love or want to explore
For “Snow Fairies Under The Moonlight“, the inspiration was a moodscape that fit the Snow Fairies Saga (collection). Relaxed listening with a bit of nostalgia. While it wasn’t restful during composing, each chord, melody line & rhythm was in pursuit of that goal. Could I create something that could make the piano player feel relaxed while also drawing the listener in as well?
Let me know in the comments …
What do you feel or imagine when you hear this song?
Click the image below to hear & see “Snow Fairies Under The Moonlight” (or click here).
