FARMING FOR SONGS

Songwriting doesn’t come easily for me.  I am not an articulate person nor do I have a lot of wisdom to offer [I’ll get back to that later], but I am still able to finish 2 songs a month sometimes coming up with a gem.  I call my process farming for songs.  Over my 48 years as a songwriter I’ve amassed many scraps of wisdom in the form of sermon notes, napkins with ideas written on them, little awarenesses I’ve written down; all filed away in folders and categorized. Choosing from one of the hundreds of unwritten song titles I come up with, I will pull out the files that relate to that title.  From all of those notes I will fill up an empty page full of ideas.  Maybe I will get a first line or a chorus, but still there’s not enough yet.  This is where the hard work of research begins.   I will till the soil of many rich resources.  At the end of my Bible is an index which will lead to many verses to study for my song.  I will also go to the internet and fill up another page with ideas.  The Thesaurus is rich with language that has categories and cross-references that can lead you down a rich rabbit trail of language.  I will fill up another page with these and then I have lots of choices to choose from.  I will then begin assembling these words like a puzzle move them around so they fit and then a clearer picture begins to take shape.  I’ll look for sentences that rhyme together and if they don’t work I’ll go to a rhyming dictionary and list all the rhymes that fit.  Then the song begins to sprout out of this rich soil, but now comes the rewrites to trim dead leaves and add a little more nutrients to make it grow.  After about 4 rewrites now is the time to take my beautiful creation to play before my fellow songwriters at the monthly MACS meetings.  They will help me catch things I didn’t see before.  

So thankfully I have completed a song from the rich language that’s available to me, but there is one more resource I didn’t mention.  Earlier on I mentioned that I wasn’t an eloquent man, but there is a verse in Exodus 4:10 where Moses tells God the same thing.  God responds by saying this:  ‘…who hath made mans mouth…. I will be thy mouth and teach what thou shalt say.”   So to sum it up if we listen to that still small voice by getting out of the way, God just may give you the inspiration for your song.  Blessings to you all and keep writin’.  John Bennett 

What is a successful songwriter?

“Success as a Songwriter. To me success is still cranking out pretty good songs and learning more about songwriting even after 52 years of writing.

For 42 of those years I have been helping out fellow songwriters in many ways and founding 2 songwriter organizations in Minnesota. One songwriter in particular who won Songwriter of the year and a Grammy has credited me with getting him started.

Even though none of my songs have been ever been widely known or gained national attention, one or two have been recorded by local artist.  Whenever I perform in one of my rare concerts, people still tell me how much they’ve enjoyed those songs which to me is success.

Once a man told me that after hearing my song he did not go through with ending his life.  Do I feel successful.  Your darned right.  I want to keep writing songs that can make a difference in people’s lives.” –John Bennett

“My definition of a successful songwriter/musician is someone who is a prolific songwriter, lyricist, writer and musician that has made this world and the inhabitants of this world a more peaceful, loving, understanding, compassionate, sharing and forgiving lot, as a result of the songs created.

I’m uncertain as to how many, if any, individuals I have had this type of impact upon, though I’m certain I have not accomplished the level of success that I have defined.

This songwriter will continue to work on becoming ‘a success’ as long as I’m on the planet – ‘and live the songwriter in me, not just say I write songs’.” –WM Johnson

“Good question. I would define a successful songwriter as one who, with a voice and, with or without a single instrument, can stir the range of human emotions through a combination of their own lyrics and music.

Not with just one song but with their entire body of work, however large or small. With a variety of lyrical themes and styles of musical genre. Not simply rephrasing or re-stirring the same contents of their songwriting pot.

All of the above requires having attentive listeners, independent of the level of income provided the songwriter. If a songwriter can stir a range of human emotions in an audience through their voice, lyrics and music, to my ears they are successful songwriters. Thanks for asking!” –Mark Grim

“Songwriting success, for me, would be getting 1$ in song revenues. Or more, but 1$ would be OK. Because it would mean that somebody, somewhere, is professionally singing something of mine and somebody else, somewhere, chose to listen.

I want my songs to live, and for me, that means sung professionally and heard. By sung professionally, I mean not ‘just’ sung by my daughter even if she has a beautiful voice. I want my songs to live ‘out there’.” –Hélène Dion

Do we see a pattern here?

Exactly what Tunesmith Tips is about, helping take care of the craft side, so you can take care of the human side.

As songwriters we, no matter our level of experience, want to effect a response in others. We want to make our life count for something beyond our own.

Some people are content just plunking it down in front of the tube every night, looking for someone else to change their attitudes and outlooks for them.

And then there’s people like those you just heard from, and very likely yourself, who desire to be that someone to change others for the good.

It takes a special person to not only have the desire and energy to want that, but also ability to breathe in the world then exhale it in a way people can see things with more clarity, more power, and more hope.

If you are reading this, and are one of us, walk out your front door everyday knowing you are not the average person.

Introduce yourself as a songwriter, instead of yoru day job title. See how that makes you feel and the response you get.

The post Few of the responses from a recent question to you appeared first on Tunesmith Tips.