Rock Band Singer

Some of the Best Musical Tips I Ever Received

I find that when I talk about songwriting, or even just music in general, with good musicians, I always learn something that sticks with me and becomes part of who I am as a musician. And I hope you have those experiences as well. Many of the bits of advice and miscellaneous thoughts that I pick […]

Father & son singing

All You Have to Offer

As a songwriter, you possess a skill that can make someone’s mood a little brighter, and someone’s day a little better. You could argue that practically everyone, no matter what they do in life, has the same ability. One way or another, we all have the chance to make someone’s day better, even if it’s just […]

Lady Gaga - Poker Face

What Might Be Missing From Earworm Research

On November 3, both the CNN and BBC, as well as many other news outlets, reported new research, published in “Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity and the Arts“, into the issue of earworms: what makes an earworm, and why some songs are more likely than others to possess the characteristics of an earworm. CNN refers to […]

Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen, 21 September 1934 – 7 November 2016

I was very much saddened, as I know most of my blog readers were, to hear the news of Leonard Cohen’s passing. His contribution to the world of poetry and popular songwriting is immeasurable; his music will be studied and performed for centuries, there can be no doubt. Over the past 8 or so years of […]

What do your songs say?

What Do Your Songs Say? What Do They Mean?

Songwriting is one of those art forms that presents a strange dichotomy of purpose to the world. On the one hand, we have audiences who insist that their favourite songs, by their favourite songwriters, need to have something vital and important to say. But those same audiences, whether they’re aware of it or not, need songs that: […]

Music - thumbs down

Can Being Opinionated Go Too Far In the Music World?

As a songwriter, you no doubt come across musicians that are passionately opinionated with regard to some musical subject, to the point where it gets under your skin and drives you crazy. You know the arguments I’m talking about: Gibson or Fender? Digital or vinyl? And then what would seem like countless other unanswerables: the best lyricist? […]