Happy New Year 2023!

I want to take a moment to wish you all a very happy new year, and to thank you for being readers of this blog.

I’m not a fan of making new year’s resolutions, only because if there’s something I should be resolving to do, I should start doing it now rather than wait for an arbitrary date to arrive.

But having said that, if you really want to improve your songwriting, and to make that a goal for yourself in 2023, it’s important that you take a moment to think about what would make you better. Everyone is at a different stage of development as a songwriter, and we all have our own strengths and weaknesses. So where can you put your attention and improve yourself?

In a previous new year’s post from several years ago, I mentioned three things that I think all songwriters should have at the forefront of their minds, not just on new year’s day, but every day:

1. Good lyrics are one of the most important aspects of good songwriting.
2. Lack of discipline as a songwriter is why so many fail to realize their dreams.
3. Musical curiosity will allow you to learn and adapt to become the best songwriter you can be!

So if you know you want to be better but you’re not sure what to do about that, answer this question every time you write a new song: Is my new song saying something that’s universal, unique and relevant?

If you can say “Yes!” to this question every time, you’ve already done much of what you can and should do to be the best you can be. Good songwriting is more than just good lyrics, of course, but a powerful lyric can help guide so many other aspects of your music.

If you lack discipline, the best single thing you can do is to make songwriting a daily (or almost daily) activity. And if you lack curiosity, make daily listening to other people’s music something you’re willing to commit to.

I hope 2022 was a year that got you on the road to success, but in any case, here’s to a wonderfully prosperous and happy 2023!

Written by Gary Ewer. Follow Gary on Twitter.

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