"Songwriting From The Heart, Finding Your Voice"
|
Music Publishers |
Each day, every one of us is bombarded with 10s, 100s, 1,000s of stimuli, signals and messages. It is estimated that in 2007, women aged 35-44 will watch over 900 hrs (38+ days) of television, DVDs and movies. Men in the same age group are estimated to view over 800 hrs, or nearly 34 days of media messages (Source: Integrated Media Measurement Inc.). Each of the pieces of information to which you are exposed on a daily basis are received and processed in some way. Each of those messages contributes to your continual change. Each alters your psyche.
In order to write authentically, to find and know your voice and communicate your message through your songs, it's important to read and write constantly. As you continually receive messages, and as each of those messages creates change, it is important to record experiences as they happen, so that their impact is permanently captured.
Songwriting is about lines and notes, lyrics and beats, but most of all its about meaning. It's about the creation and communication of feeling and emotion. It's about creating one thing, one new piece from the bits and pieces of many others.
Everyone knows that "hit" songs are generally built on set structures and formats. But even within commercially popular songs, your voice as the songwriter should come through. Each song you pen should hold your creativity, your insight, your integrity and your individual perspective within it. Just as your body carries your DNA, your songs should carry within them the essence of you.
Your core audience should always be able to recognize your work, in the way that you form your words and develop your phrasing, just as if they are listening to and recognize your physical voice. Your songs should be to your audience just like slipping on a familiar shirt or wearing a comfortable shoe. They should know it, intuitively, even when they're hearing it for the very first time.
As a successful songwriter, your main goal is to find a market for your work, to broaden your audience, and to keep your core audience returning again and again for more. Be true to your craft. Be true to yourself. Your songs are offerings to your audience that they shouldn't be able to get anywhere else. Be true to your audience, and let your songwriting reflect what is uniquely you. Find your voice.
**********************************************************************
Brian Cook is a freelance writer whose articles on music and songwriting have appeared on many websites.
You can find more of these at SongwritersGuide.com.
**********************************************************************