I don’t consider myself a songwriter. I don’t write songs, I just write them down. God, the Universe, whatever is out there pulling all the strings sees fit occasionally to throw me a bone, and within 10 minutes, it’s on paper for the whole world to see, for good or bad. The songs I actually “write” (meaning agonize over for months or years before they are considered finished) tend to pale in comparison to these “Gems from the Universe” as I like to call them. I’m thankful for these nuggets, for without them, well, you know what I mean.
There is an art to songwriting that has almost been forgotten. People seem to think you can just throw a few words together over a mediocre piece of music and it’s a song, but there’s just more to it than that. For me, a song is like a short story, a brief glimpse into the life of the writer at that precise moment in time. Most of the best songs follow this formula.
I prefer writing with a partner, someone I can bounce ideas off of and get feedback. A songwriting partner can inspire you to write by saying just the right thing at the right time. A partner can also help fill in the blanks in the storyline and polish off the rough edges, help with music, etc. I don’t get to write with a partner that much anymore, and trying to find my way alone has been an uphill climb.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve lost a song sent by the Universe because I didn’t have a pen and paper handy. Now, I keep a scratchpad on my iPod Touch for jotting down ideas as they come to me. I keep a notepad and pen in every room of my house (yes, even the bathroom) so that I always have something to write with and on in the event I become “inspired.” Most of the things I write down never see the light of day, but I have them if I’m ever looking for a line. Many times I have pulled out old notebooks and flipped through, only to be inspired by something I had written years ago and presto, someone fills in all the blanks for me.
A good song will make a connection with you; make you feel what the writer was feeling at the time. Love, joy, pain, sadness, anger, all these emotions can be triggered by a good song. A good song can take you places you’ve never been, make you see things you’ve never seen, and you never have to leave your seat.
There is an art to songwriting that has almost been forgotten. People seem to think you can just throw a few words together over a mediocre piece of music and it’s a song, but there’s just more to it than that. For me, a song is like a short story, a brief glimpse into the life of the writer at that precise moment in time. Most of the best songs follow this formula.
I prefer writing with a partner, someone I can bounce ideas off of and get feedback. A songwriting partner can inspire you to write by saying just the right thing at the right time. A partner can also help fill in the blanks in the storyline and polish off the rough edges, help with music, etc. I don’t get to write with a partner that much anymore, and trying to find my way alone has been an uphill climb.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve lost a song sent by the Universe because I didn’t have a pen and paper handy. Now, I keep a scratchpad on my iPod Touch for jotting down ideas as they come to me. I keep a notepad and pen in every room of my house (yes, even the bathroom) so that I always have something to write with and on in the event I become “inspired.” Most of the things I write down never see the light of day, but I have them if I’m ever looking for a line. Many times I have pulled out old notebooks and flipped through, only to be inspired by something I had written years ago and presto, someone fills in all the blanks for me.
A good song will make a connection with you; make you feel what the writer was feeling at the time. Love, joy, pain, sadness, anger, all these emotions can be triggered by a good song. A good song can take you places you’ve never been, make you see things you’ve never seen, and you never have to leave your seat.
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