Playing jazz to the copywriter’s tune ~ you won’t be able to sleep after this

There’s this old war movie my mind drifts to every once in a while …

And look … even though I’m having way too much trouble remembering the title …

You see, I’ve this horrible and lousy habit of forgetting details like that …

Really need to work on that.

Anyway, all the personal mind notes aside …

This movie’s important for 2 reasons:

#1 there’s this ‘Blues Brothers’ film quality level music vibe going on the whole time …

#2 it involves this whole insane adventure of a tale all about how you can master-level your jazz skills …

By carefully fine-tuning your awareness

So, the story goes a little like this …

There’s this fella, who really just wants to play jazz.

War raging all around …

Racial tensions …

Right in the middle of an ocean of fires in dire need to be put out …

A dreamer.

In brutal love with music.

Next time you think about competition and just in case you dare let it kill your buzz …

Imagine trying to succeed in a world where nazis terrorize your every waking moment.

And haunt the rest.

Even living hell didn’t stop this musician from playing his tunes.

And refining the artform.

You see …

He met this ‘wise guy’ who thought him all the important ropes.

This essential story element takes matters into overdrive.

The secret bursts straight out of Pandora’s lockbox.

And changes everything.

“You won’t be able to sleep after this.”

The old man told the player.

You need to wake up.

Wake up and listen to the sound.

And the fella said … “What sound?”

“Pay attention!”

“It’s everywhere.”

It’s the old lady next door going down the creaking stairs.

The workers hammering on the pavement on the street down the alleyway.

Birds chirping, students playing the guitar in the park.

“The beat of the street …” said the sage.

The sound of iron boots trampling through the neighborhood.

Chaos and a genuine force of life trying to keep it all together.

There is just so much to be inspired by ...

It’s a sin not to use it.

Now, look …

I don’t intend to spoil the whole storyline …

And besides, this is just about where my memory gets all fuzzy again ...

Oh, and if you remember the movie, by the way, please let me out of my misery and send the title somewhere along my way. :)

In any case, there’s this magic trick of a point you can take away for your copywriting pleasure.

Listen all the time. Listen and steal every damn thing. 

And make it your own.

Now, I’m not talking about the whole ‘fast-fashion’ copy-paste insanity …

The truth is in discovering the right and proper angle.

The big idea.

The story angle.

And I said it once, and I’ll say it for as many times as it takes …

Research is key.

There’s no sense in spilling more words on the matter.

It needs to get done.

Period.

But there are ways around all the usual noise.

Whether you’re in a tight spot, or you want to take things even further and create art …

Forums and review sites will give you a sinful amount of muse material.

You can get everything from story angles, and descriptive miracles, to the essential vibe of it all …

It’s a thrilling time-travel ride into an age of real, and refreshingly honest exchange of ideas.

Suddenly your tone of voice captures the very essence of the voice of the people.

You can charm through all their objections.

You can breach the fourth wall of marketing lingo, and converse with your audience like you would with a friend.

And you will feel … as if the copy writes itself.

Literally! :)

Joseph Sugarman, one of the ‘Frank Sinatras’ of copywriting talks about the magic-like value of “incubation time”.

The way he sees it is … every great brainstorming session requires meditation.

This may vary, of course …

For some it’s all about taking a power nap, for others it’s multitasking …

For most, it’s just “thinking about something else for a while”.

And all of a sudden, the holy ‘lightbulb’ moment occurs … the ‘eureka’, and the ‘aha’.

Your personal epiphany.

No wonder Don Draper and the gang used to take all kinds of ‘naps’ all the time during the whole Mad Men roller coaster of a show.

It’s a cure for writer’s block, a balsam for your idea juggling skills, and an absolute skill honer.

You see, your mind needs a while to ‘cook’ all the source materials you’ve been researching.

All the most tasteful and mouth-watering ingredients you've been gathering.

Great things happen to those who keep their eyes on the prize ...

Simon Sinek takes it even further with his thought-provoking play of an argument …

Taking a stroll through the conscious and subconscious mind, he realizes, that there are many similarities between his ‘Golden Circle’ idea and the limbic brain.

He connects the perpetual quest to "Find your why" with the true decision-maker within you.

Our center for all kinds of feelings like trust and loyalty and for all human behavior and decision making.

He talks about our innermost primal instincts and desires.

Our dreams, and hopes.

Love and pain … our fear as well as our hunger and thirst for freedom.

Which are basically incapable of being articulated through mere words.

Or if we are to delve even deeper into this rabbit hole of a thought.

We’re constantly building our own inner matrix of a rationalization.

We defend ourselves and our decision with rationality.

“It was an absolute deal!”

“I saved money … and their service is amazing.”

“Oh, I’ve been in love with them for ages, I’ve even recommended them to all my closest friends.”

“Apple’s features are just so much better than orang … than Google’s.” 

Sometimes it all leads us to heated and passionate debates, about who got the better deal.

And then at other times, we forget all about it in mere moments.

We rationalize and we feel … either way.

The strength of our passion, however, and the focus of our will … that is determined by the perception of the limbic kind.

Is it possible to truly play on all the right emotions?

How does music make you feel?

Doesn’t it feel better when it hits the absolute perfect spot, and impeccable timing to boot?!

When it matches your mood …

That’s the sweet spot.

And it’s the same with copywriting. ;)

So, never stop playing!

Your music needs to be heard. ??