songwriting | The Essential Secrets of Songwriting

Writing Songs that Go Against “Normal”

Writing music wouldn’t hold a lot of interest for us if everything was completely predictable. We like the fact that we think we’ve written something others will like too, but then we must wait and see what the final impact on an audience is. Over the past number of decades of pop music, there have been […]

What You Can Do to Enhance the Meaning of Your Music

We all get something different out of music. For some, music is beautiful sound that gets played quietly on the home stereo, never turned up: musical wallpaper. For others, music defines who they are and takes a central role. It gets turned up loud and listened to. And more than just listening to music because […]

New Songwriting eBook — And a FREE OFFER

[This article has been edited to reflect a new discount deal available at the Online Store.] I’ve been quietly working on a new eBook for the past while, and it’s finally finished! “Hooks and Riffs: How They Grab Attention, Make Songs Memorable, and Build Your Fan Base” is available now, as part of “The Essential Secrets of […]

How Stream of Consciousness Writing Helps Songwriters

Stream of consciousness writing means to put down your thoughts as they occur to you – literally a continuous stream of thoughts, ideas, opinions in as close to real time as you can get. One of the most interesting (some might say negative) characteristics of stream of consciousness is the fact that there is no time […]

Putting Songs Away as Part of Your Songwriting Process

It’s not unusual for songwriters to get a song started quickly, and then have everything slow down. You might start with a flurry of ideas that all come together with ease, and it can be exciting. But then you’ll notice the excitement fading a bit as you struggle to put things together – to make a final […]

Being Original When Everyone Wants “Same Old”

There is a tricky balancing act that is undertaken by any and every successful singer-songwriter: how to be innovative enough that audiences get to hear something fresh and new, but similar enough to your previous music that you don’t scare your fans away. It all comes from trust. Your fans learn to trust you and […]