WRITING
"...the most momentous of all human inventions..." - Ong
In the creation of a song, a primarily audible work, oftentimes written elements shine at the forefront, "...the most momentous of all human inventions," (Ong 84) giving meaning to the piece and providing the understandable "message" overall. Writing in its raw and original form has the ability to "paint speech" (Barber), putting an emphasis on the visual and "...transform[ing] human consciousness." (Ong 78) Prolific songwriters throughout time have been known to scratch pieces of these popular songs on napkin corners, hands, or surrounding objects, piecing thoughts together to eventually form the musical pieces we know today. By extracting their creativity first sprouted in the mind onto paper or writing space, the first stage and format of a song is realized.
While many songs are originally contrived, others are inspired by previous texts or artifacts such as poems, books, stories, or other contextual works. Remediation is a concept often synonymous with digital works, as practices such as remix and "covers" often clearly illustrate the properties of such, but it's important to consider that remediation can originate from the most basic forms of text, including written and even physical artifacts, like paintings or sculptures. Geniuses inspired by these pieces can use their creative mastery to construct other forms of the original work's existence, such as "The Age of Adz" by Sufjan Stevens (inspired by the work of the schizophrenic artist Royal Robertson). Through this, it's clear that inspiration can present itself in varying forms to different artists and creatives alike.
Considering these principles, then, the consumption of these written elements can have the power to inspire and enlighten communities of people, even before their transformation into audible bits altogether. Writing has the ability to "...provide for consciousness as nothing else does" (Ong 81), and some individuals choose to favor the written elements of song over the finished digital ones. Ultimately an expression of deep human thought and creative construction, writing plays an impactful role in the formation of songs and the reception of such artifacts can deeply inspire the individuals who consume them.