I get an industry email out here in Southern California from a lady that helps place indie band's songs in TV and movie. A couple of times a month she has a question and answer email from people on the list.
This little bit dealt with apples...so I couldn't pass it up:
The artist's biggest problem is understanding that just because they wrote a song, that does not mean it's great. They have to get to the point of "is this the best I can do with this, and is it good enough, or should I toss it and start over?" It's like picking apples, not every apple on the tree is going to be great. Strange analogy, but the best I could come up with this early in the morning.
{Editor's Note--(this is the editor of the email letter, not Steve or John): That's a great analogy! I couldn't agree more. And lots of those apples may be fine to eat but how many are super large, juicy and amazing? Artists always think the last song they wrote is their best. Most often that is NOT the case. In fact, many artist's first albums are their best as they had their whole lives to write it and pick songs from for it. The second one is usually harder to come by as it has to be written in a year or two. Some apples look good on the outside but you bite in and get a worm. A good apple is like a good song. It takes a lot of time to grow them right, pay attention to them, nurture them, develop them (the trees, not the apples themselves). Think you get my drift.}
So the inability to know what's bad, good, or great (which is ignorance) is the downfall of most artists. And the refusal of constructive criticism.
I couldn't agree more with some of this. My latest song is usually my best (lol). I love them all like my children. Or, in this case, my apples.
Photo by Stephen Butler.
3 comments:
I look at song writing as stuff that is just stuck in your brain waiting to be triggered and fall out. Usually the fster IO write something the better it is. The more I stay out of the process the better the outcome. Now that is not to say that it doesn't need polishing after it is born, all apples need a little shining
But if I get hung up on one song I will pound it out no matter how miserable it is, because there is a better song in line behind it waiting to be born.
The only way to be good is to write, just write and write and write. Be open to influences from all over and consider all things. Be the observer in your life. sit in the backseat and watch it all as you live it. Sort of an out of body thing. As the third person on the scene things always look different.
I know things really changed in my writing when I went first person. That sort of started a waterfall of emotions, Instead of writing story songs over and over, I opened up a big can of worms when I started using "I"
So I don't think the last thing I wrote is the best, but I just keep on trying to evolve into something better. If I am learning I am happy
"But if I get hung up on one song I will pound it out no matter how miserable it is, because there is a better song in line behind it waiting to be born."
I think that's one of the main reasons I DO this. I've heard several songwriters I respect say the same thing: keep writing, keep writing, keep writing. Some songs will die and go away, and others will rise up again and again.
That is so true.
My Masterwriter files are full of these little pieces of stuff that I don'[t even remember having written and then it all just clicks in.
It is cool to accidently find stuff that I wrote that I like and don't have any recollection where they came from.
And that is without the benefit of any chemicals, that is just how my head is wired. :)
Post a Comment