Check out this Haruki Murakami essay at the New York Times. He waxes on the value of music to his writing. I don't trust anyone who doesn't like music (yes, I can actually recall knowing someone who actively said they didn't), and I'd say that the secret history of all novels, movies, plays, love affairs, letters, epic emails, paintings, drawings, wonderful meals has at some point involved someone alone listening to some music. Read it here.