musical dreams

I haven't had much in the way of musical dream inspiration. I got an ostinato once for a marimba quartet right after awakening and was improvising on piano much beyond my skill in two different dreams...

...Last night though, I was aware I was dreaming and my dream was me lying in bed, and I could hear and visualize this complicated, almost fugal orchestral piece PERFECTLY realized as I laid in bed. I remember most of the general shape and idea of the work, but none of the specifics like melody. I need to somehow dive back into my subconscious and grab it, but I'm not really sure how to go about doing that...it's frustrating and awesome at the same time.

Has anyone ever had incredibly clear dreams like that, in which music you've never heard before is played for you? Could you get anything useful from them upon awakening?

I haven't had much in the way of musical dream inspiration. I got an ostinato once for a marimba quartet right after awakening and was improvising on piano much beyond my skill in two different dreams...

...Last night though, I was aware I was dreaming and my dream was me lying in bed, and I could hear and visualize this complicated, almost fugal orchestral piece PERFECTLY realized as I laid in bed. I remember most of the general shape and idea of the work, but none of the specifics like melody. I need to somehow dive back into my subconscious and grab it, but I'm not really sure how to go about doing that...it's frustrating and awesome at the same time.

Has anyone ever had incredibly clear dreams like that, in which music you've never heard before is played for you? Could you get anything useful from them upon awakening?

Why yes. I have so often, but what I've realized is that the marvel of the piece is reserving a possibility in my subconscious. So it's not really as "great" as I thought it was, because it's only a possibility. Most people don't see these kinds of possibilities. Because you do, you are unique. Its part of inspiration. It is what lingers in the unique individual and what can be often forgotten, but never really forgotten. It is "the dream." From my subjective standpoint, it is intuition.

nowadays, i dream more music than actually create some. while the amazement in dreams is due to the fact that the emotional parts of the brain are stimulated more in dreams (hence the feel that dreams are so important), it is still a brain doing its work and preparing itself for a day,so yes, if you can get composing/listening in dreams you just win.

i only dream of other ppl's music. sad....

I really like just chilling in a room and listening to a fan or something like that... get crazy rhythmic stuff...

Heh, well it's nice to know I'm not the only one. From time to time, I will have entirely random passages of music enter my mind while I'm asleep. I've never done anything with it since I can only vaguely remember them but it still a weird feeling. However, there has been one passage of music in particular that has come back to me one several different occasions. Everytime I hear it, it wakes me up almost instantly with a "Write this down! Write this down now!" feeling.... though I've never succesfully been able to transfer it to paper The strangest thing is that, from what I can tell, it's serialist in nature and for a woodwind quintet. I'm not sure which will come first; me successfully notating it and using it in a composition or me losing my sanity from a lack of sleep (something that I'm already in danger of without damn atonal music waking me up every hour of the night).

It happens to me very rare but couple weeks ago I heard something in my dream and never heard anything like before. It was like all orchestras in the world playing same time. Its really hard to describe it. I dont even remember it anymore too. It was so divine.

I have sort of similar experiences. The difference is though is that it usely happens when i'm lying in bed "waiting" for to fall asleep. I usely don't bother writing it down or remembering it, since i rarely hear music clearly in my head i mostly just enjoy it. I realy would like to be able to hear and manipulate music in my head, but i can't realy. So when i do hear it i want to cherish the moment. I should write a pop-song about it.