Debunking Songwriting Myths You Picked Up (Just By Being A Music Lover)
The Mystical Songwriter Myth
When I started out playing in bands, coming up with a song that your circle deemed worthy was the ultimate in kudos. We venerated the depth and abilities of our favourite artists.
Most of us come to songwriting first as music lovers and fans. We grow up following our favorite artists and bands. We go to their concerts. We seek out their entire catalog. We read their interviews. We buy their albums and merchandise.
The more special and unique an artist or their work is presented as, the more of a scarce commodity it becomes. This person in exactly this set of circumstances created this! (The implication being – if you're not that person and you don't have those circumstances, you probably aren't going to be coming up with great songs). Scarcity sells. Music, gigs, and artists are marketed as unique by the music industry to get us excited to buy tickets and music.
While our favourite artists can have a signature sound and a distinctive artistic identity, it's not the case artistic achievement is as mysterious a quality as the marketing machine would have us assume. So it's important to separate our appreciation for songwriters we enjoy from any lingering thoughts that you have to be visited by the songwriting fairy to have any chance of writing good songs.
The Stage Creates Distance
In a theatrical performance, staging can back up this sense of "differentness."
Artist Interviews Reinforce the Myth
The way artists talk about their songwriting often actively reinforces these myths. Artists tend to experience their own process in very unique ways. They describe their circumstances, and because we love stories, we make their story part of their work.
But just because they might not be articulating the reasons why a particular song works, it doesn't mean there aren't reasons. Watch the video to prime your mindset in a way that supports your songwriting and weed out any sense that songwriters are in some way different to you or I.
Are you interested in learning more about writing songs and lyrics? I've created a free guide called "5 Ways to Write Great Lyrics" specifically for people who are interested in getting started or re-started.
What's inside:
One key idea about different categories of language that took me 15 years to discover
Songwriting prompts to get you started when you're staring at a blank page
A writing calendar to help you build a consistent practice
Powerful ideas about the flow of information in your songs that you can easily apply to write lyrics people will connect with
A framework to develop your own creative practice and figure out what musical elements from your favorite songs you want to be inspired by
If you're curious about songwriting, I urge you to download it. It's completely free, and it will give you practical, actionable ways to start writing today.